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VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

VDY.TO (Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF) and PDF.TO (Purpose Core Dividend Fund) are both Dividend funds. VDY.TO is passively managed, while PDF.TO is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, VDY.TO returned 14.82%/yr vs 9.70%/yr for PDF.TO. Their 0.77 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. VDY.TO charges 0.22%/yr vs 0.66%/yr for PDF.TO.

Performance

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) and Purpose Core Dividend Fund (PDF.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VDY.TO achieves a 28.99% return, which is significantly higher than PDF.TO's 20.56% return. Over the past 10 years, VDY.TO has outperformed PDF.TO with an annualized return of 14.82%, while PDF.TO has yielded a comparatively lower 9.70% annualized return.

VDY.TO

1D
-0.14%
1M
3.60%
6M
26.36%
YTD
28.99%
1Y
52.46%
3Y*
28.21%
5Y*
19.25%
10Y*
14.82%
ALL TIME*
13.17%

PDF.TO

1D
0.07%
1M
1.78%
6M
17.65%
YTD
20.56%
1Y
35.64%
3Y*
19.06%
5Y*
12.16%
10Y*
9.70%
ALL TIME*
10.47%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

PDF.TO

Purpose Core Dividend Fund
CA$197.57KCA$214.74KCA$225.86K

VDY.TO

Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF
CA$16.58MCA$18.51MCA$18.79M

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
VDY.TO
Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF		28.99%29.21%21.44%8.41%-0.23%36.60%-1.37%21.42%-10.09%8.32%
PDF.TO
Purpose Core Dividend Fund		20.56%20.44%13.61%4.13%-1.74%24.35%-0.79%23.25%-11.14%7.37%

Correlation

The correlation between VDY.TO and PDF.TO is 0.76, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.76

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.80

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.81

Correlation (10Y)
Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.

0.77

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 3, 2013

0.77

The correlation between VDY.TO and PDF.TO has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.76 to 0.81 - a consistent structural relationship.

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
VDY.TO
PDF.TO

Financial Services

60.7%
43.2%

Energy

27.3%
12.3%

Utilities

3.9%
4.7%

Consumer Cyclical

2.8%
8.2%

Communication Services

2.6%
2.9%

Basic Materials

1.8%
3.9%

Technology

0.4%
7.8%

Consumer Defensive

0.3%
3.6%

Industrials

0.2%
6.5%

Healthcare

0.1%
6.9%

Real Estate

-

-

Financial Services

VDY.TO
60.7%
PDF.TO
43.2%

Energy

VDY.TO
27.3%
PDF.TO
12.3%

Utilities

VDY.TO
3.9%
PDF.TO
4.7%

Consumer Cyclical

VDY.TO
2.8%
PDF.TO
8.2%

Communication Services

VDY.TO
2.6%
PDF.TO
2.9%

Basic Materials

VDY.TO
1.8%
PDF.TO
3.9%

Technology

VDY.TO
0.4%
PDF.TO
7.8%

Consumer Defensive

VDY.TO
0.3%
PDF.TO
3.6%

Industrials

VDY.TO
0.2%
PDF.TO
6.5%

Healthcare

VDY.TO
0.1%
PDF.TO
6.9%

Real Estate

VDY.TO

-

PDF.TO

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF

Purpose Core Dividend Fund

Often compared with VDY.TO:
VDY.TO vs. XEI.TOVDY.TO vs. XDIV.TOVDY.TO vs. VCN.TOVDY.TO vs. SCHDVDY.TO vs. XIC.TOVDY.TO vs. VCE.TOVDY.TO vs. ZDV.TO
Often compared with PDF.TO:
PDF.TO vs. ZWH.TOPDF.TO vs. PID.TOPDF.TO vs. VGG.TOPDF.TO vs. ZLB.TOPDF.TO vs. XIC.TOPDF.TO vs. BGC.TOPDF.TO vs. RCD.TO

Return for Risk

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
VDY.TO
VDY.TO Risk / Return Rank: 9999
Overall Rank
VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9999
Sharpe Ratio Rank
VDY.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 9898
Sortino Ratio Rank
VDY.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 9898
Omega Ratio Rank
VDY.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 9999
Calmar Ratio Rank
VDY.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 9999
Martin Ratio Rank
PDF.TO
PDF.TO Risk / Return Rank: 9797
Overall Rank
PDF.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9898
Sharpe Ratio Rank
PDF.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 9898
Sortino Ratio Rank
PDF.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 9797
Omega Ratio Rank
PDF.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 9595
Calmar Ratio Rank
PDF.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 9696
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) and Purpose Core Dividend Fund (PDF.TO). 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.

VDY.TOPDF.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
5.85
4.17

+1.68

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
8.07
6.01

+2.06

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

2.13

1.78

+0.35

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

16.61

5.54

+11.07

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

66.25

25.22

+41.02

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio is 5.85, which is higher than the PDF.TO Sharpe Ratio of 4.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VDY.TO and PDF.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VDY.TO drawdown since its inception was -39.21%, which is greater than PDF.TO's maximum drawdown of -36.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VDY.TO and PDF.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

VDY.TOPDF.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-39.21%

-36.00%

-3.21%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-3.12%

-6.35%

+3.23%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-10.38%

-9.28%

-1.10%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-16.17%

-15.81%

-0.36%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-39.21%

-36.00%

-3.21%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.47%

-0.76%

+0.29%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-4.43%

-3.44%

-0.99%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

0.78%

1.39%

-0.61%

Volatility

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.18% compared to Purpose Core Dividend Fund (PDF.TO) at 2.82%. This indicates that VDY.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PDF.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

VDY.TOPDF.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

3.18%

2.82%

+0.36%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

7.08%

6.95%

+0.13%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

8.86%

8.46%

+0.40%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

11.57%

10.35%

+1.22%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

15.92%

13.58%

+2.34%

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

VDY.TO has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is lower than PDF.TO's 0.66% expense ratio.

Dividends

VDY.TO vs. PDF.TO - Dividend Comparison

VDY.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.99%, more than PDF.TO's 2.78% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
PDF.TO
Purpose Core Dividend Fund		2.78%3.49%3.82%4.17%3.77%3.19%3.84%3.65%4.33%3.50%3.38%3.40%
VDY.TO
Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF		2.79%3.59%4.37%4.64%4.42%3.46%4.59%4.25%4.44%3.42%3.25%4.11%

Frequently Asked Questions

VDY.TO and PDF.TO have a correlation of 0.76, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, VDY.TO is cheaper at 0.22% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

VDY.TO is cheaper with a 0.22% expense ratio, compared with 0.66% for PDF.TO.

They also come from different issuers: Vanguard and Purpose. Their fees differ too: 0.22% for VDY.TO and 0.66% for PDF.TO.

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