SMDV vs. VDC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC).

SMDV and VDC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SMDV is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the Russell 2000 Dividend Growth Index. It was launched on Feb 5, 2015. VDC is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Consumer Staples 25/50 Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2004. Both SMDV and VDC are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

SMDV vs. VDC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SMDV vs. VDC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMDV ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF	4.65%	0.26%	7.03%	8.99%	-5.90%	18.98%	-4.74%	17.23%	-0.58%	4.63%
VDC Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF	6.90%	2.17%	13.30%	2.38%	-1.79%	17.64%	10.86%	26.11%	-7.79%	11.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMDV achieves a 4.65% return, which is significantly lower than VDC's 6.90% return. Over the past 10 years, SMDV has underperformed VDC with an annualized return of 7.09%, while VDC has yielded a comparatively higher 7.72% annualized return.

SMDV

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: -3.75%
• YTD: 4.65%
• 6M: 4.62%
• 1Y: 7.62%
• 3Y*: 6.98%
• 5Y*: 3.59%
• 10Y*: 7.09%

VDC

• 1D: 0.23%
• 1M: -7.52%
• YTD: 6.90%
• 6M: 6.26%
• 1Y: 4.94%
• 3Y*: 7.68%
• 5Y*: 7.34%
• 10Y*: 7.72%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SMDV vs. VDC - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMDV has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than VDC's 0.10% expense ratio.

SMDV

ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF

VDC

Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF

Return for Risk

SMDV vs. VDC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SMDV

SMDV Risk / Return Rank: 26
SMDV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
SMDV Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
SMDV Omega Ratio Rank: 24
SMDV Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
SMDV Martin Ratio Rank: 27

VDC

VDC Risk / Return Rank: 25
VDC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 24
VDC Sortino Ratio Rank: 24
VDC Omega Ratio Rank: 22
VDC Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
VDC Martin Ratio Rank: 26

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SMDV vs. VDC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) and Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC). 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.

	SMDV	VDC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.42	0.36	+0.06
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.75	0.62	+0.12
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.09	1.08	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.71	0.71	0.00
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.07	1.76	+0.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMDV vs. VDC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMDV Sharpe Ratio is 0.42, which is comparable to the VDC Sharpe Ratio of 0.36. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMDV and VDC, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SMDV	VDC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.42	0.36	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.19	0.57	-0.38
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.34	0.53	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.67	-0.30

Correlation

The correlation between SMDV and VDC is 0.55, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

SMDV vs. VDC - Dividend Comparison

SMDV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.51%, more than VDC's 2.15% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SMDV ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF	2.51%	2.67%	2.68%	2.69%	2.51%	2.02%	2.13%	2.03%	1.97%	1.84%	1.35%	1.81%
VDC Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF	2.15%	2.26%	2.33%	2.65%	2.37%	2.14%	2.50%	2.44%	2.78%	2.52%	2.39%	2.55%

Drawdowns

SMDV vs. VDC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMDV drawdown since its inception was -34.12%, roughly equal to the maximum VDC drawdown of -34.24%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMDV and VDC.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMDV	VDC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-34.12%	-34.24%	+0.12%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.94%	-9.28%	-1.66%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.23%	-16.55%	-4.68%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.12%	-25.31%	-8.81%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.47%	-7.52%	+1.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.99%	-3.71%	-2.28%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.73%	3.73%	0.00%

Volatility

SMDV vs. VDC - Volatility Comparison

ProShares Russell 2000 Dividend Growers ETF (SMDV) has a higher volatility of 4.27% compared to Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC) at 3.89%. This indicates that SMDV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VDC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMDV	VDC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.27%	3.89%	+0.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.67%	8.98%	+1.69%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.24%	13.75%	+4.49%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.71%	12.98%	+5.73%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.71%	14.59%	+6.12%