DGRO vs. LQD
DGRO (iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF) and LQD (iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - DGRO is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund tracking the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index, while LQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, DGRO returned 13.29%/yr vs 2.06%/yr for LQD. Their 0.15 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. DGRO charges 0.08%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for LQD.
Performance
DGRO vs. LQD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, DGRO achieves a 13.15% return, which is significantly higher than LQD's -1.41% return. Over the past 10 years, DGRO has outperformed LQD with an annualized return of 13.29%, while LQD has yielded a comparatively lower 2.06% annualized return.
DGRO
- 1D
- 0.83%
- 1M
- 3.14%
- 6M
- 10.33%
- YTD
- 13.15%
- 1Y
- 20.83%
- 3Y*
- 16.11%
- 5Y*
- 11.10%
- 10Y*
- 13.29%
- ALL TIME*
- 12.47%
LQD
- 1D
- -0.03%
- 1M
- -2.65%
- 6M
- -1.99%
- YTD
- -1.41%
- 1Y
- 1.95%
- 3Y*
- 4.07%
- 5Y*
- -1.00%
- 10Y*
- 2.06%
- ALL TIME*
- 4.35%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $96.40M | $101.84M | $109.07M | |
| $3.09B | $3.13B | $2.99B |
DGRO vs. LQD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 13.15% | 15.69% | 16.62% | 10.47% | -7.91% | 26.64% | 9.50% | 29.87% | -2.38% | 23.00% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | -1.41% | 7.90% | 0.86% | 9.40% | -17.92% | -1.84% | 10.97% | 17.37% | -3.79% | 7.06% |
Correlation
The correlation between DGRO and LQD is 0.38, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.38 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.35 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.33 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.21 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 12, 2014 | 0.15 |
Over the past year, DGRO and LQD have become more correlated (0.38) than their long-term average of 0.15, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
DGRO vs. LQD — Risk / Return Rank
DGRO
LQD
DGRO vs. LQD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) and iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| DGRO | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.81 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.63 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.41 | 1.08 | +0.33 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.30 | 0.68 | +2.62 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 12.72 | 1.76 | +10.96 |
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Drawdowns
DGRO vs. LQD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum DGRO drawdown since its inception was -35.10%, which is greater than LQD's maximum drawdown of -24.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DGRO and LQD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| DGRO | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -35.10% | -24.95% | -10.15% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.47% | -3.34% | -3.13% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.03% | -7.87% | -6.16% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.31% | -24.95% | +5.64% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.10% | -24.95% | -10.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -5.51% | +5.51% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.41% | -3.99% | +0.58% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.68% | 1.30% | +0.38% |
Volatility
DGRO vs. LQD - Volatility Comparison
iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) has a higher volatility of 2.81% compared to iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) at 1.28%. This indicates that DGRO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LQD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| DGRO | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.81% | 1.28% | +1.53% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.96% | 4.02% | +2.94% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 9.52% | 5.29% | +4.23% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 13.78% | 8.64% | +5.14% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.57% | 8.69% | +7.88% |
DGRO vs. LQD - Expense Ratio Comparison
DGRO has a 0.08% expense ratio, which is lower than LQD's 0.15% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
DGRO vs. LQD - Dividend Comparison
DGRO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.90%, less than LQD's 4.65% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
DGRO iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF | 1.90% | 2.09% | 2.26% | 2.45% | 2.34% | 1.93% | 2.30% | 2.21% | 2.44% | 2.03% | 2.27% | 2.52% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.65% | 4.48% | 4.45% | 3.99% | 3.30% | 2.30% | 2.66% | 3.29% | 3.67% | 3.10% | 3.34% | 3.47% |
Frequently Asked Questions
DGRO and LQD have a correlation of 0.38, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
DGRO has higher volatility (2.81%) compared to LQD (1.28%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DGRO dropped -35.10% vs LQD's -24.95%.
On 10-year performance, DGRO leads with 13.29% vs 2.06% for LQD. On fees, DGRO is cheaper at 0.08% per year. On volatility, LQD has been the lower-risk option at 1.28%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, DGRO has performed better with a 13.29% return vs 2.06%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
DGRO is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.15% for LQD.
LQD has the higher dividend yield at 4.65%, compared with 1.90% for DGRO.
DGRO is categorized as Large Cap Growth Equities, while LQD is Corporate Bonds. DGRO tracks Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index, while LQD tracks iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index. Their fees differ too: 0.08% for DGRO and 0.15% for LQD.
DGRO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.25 vs 0.43), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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