VDY.TO vs. SCHD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) and Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD).

VDY.TO and SCHD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VDY.TO is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Canada High Dividend Yield Index. It was launched on Nov 2, 2012. SCHD is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index. It was launched on Oct 20, 2011. Both VDY.TO and SCHD 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

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - 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 Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VDY.TO Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF	9.07%	29.20%	20.71%	8.40%	-0.23%	36.78%	-1.37%	21.43%	-10.09%	8.75%
SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF	14.32%	-0.44%	21.25%	2.24%	3.64%	28.70%	13.08%	21.03%	2.45%	13.15%

Different Trading Currencies

VDY.TO is traded in CAD, while SCHD is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the SCHD values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VDY.TO achieves a 9.07% return, which is significantly lower than SCHD's 13.67% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VDY.TO having a 13.53% annualized return and SCHD not far behind at 13.00%.

VDY.TO

• 1D: 1.12%
• 1M: 0.19%
• YTD: 9.07%
• 6M: 16.25%
• 1Y: 39.26%
• 3Y*: 22.01%
• 5Y*: 16.73%
• 10Y*: 13.53%

SCHD

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -1.25%
• YTD: 13.67%
• 6M: 13.74%
• 1Y: 9.55%
• 3Y*: 12.91%
• 5Y*: 10.57%
• 10Y*: 13.00%

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

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - Expense Ratio Comparison

VDY.TO has a 0.22% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHD's 0.06% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VDY.TO

Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF

SCHD

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Return for Risk

VDY.TO vs. SCHD — Risk / Return Rank

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

VDY.TO

VDY.TO Risk / Return Rank: 97
VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 98
VDY.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
VDY.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 98

SCHD

SCHD Risk / Return Rank: 52
SCHD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
SCHD Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
SCHD Omega Ratio Rank: 54
SCHD Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
SCHD Martin Ratio Rank: 45

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.

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - 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 Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD). 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.

	VDY.TO	SCHD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.58	0.61	+2.97
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	4.31	0.93	+3.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.77	1.13	+0.64
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.00	0.84	+3.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	22.92	1.86	+21.06
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VDY.TO Sharpe Ratio is 3.58, which is higher than the SCHD Sharpe Ratio of 0.61. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VDY.TO and SCHD, 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

	VDY.TO	SCHD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.58	0.61	+2.97
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.47	0.84	+0.62
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.85	0.86	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.80	1.11	-0.31

Correlation

The correlation between VDY.TO and SCHD is 0.51, 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

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - Dividend Comparison

VDY.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.51%, more than SCHD's 3.44% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VDY.TO Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF	3.51%	3.59%	4.40%	4.64%	4.42%	3.58%	4.59%	4.25%	4.43%	3.82%	3.25%	4.11%
SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF	3.44%	3.82%	3.64%	3.49%	3.39%	2.78%	3.16%	2.98%	3.06%	2.63%	2.89%	2.97%

Drawdowns

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VDY.TO drawdown since its inception was -39.21%, which is greater than SCHD's maximum drawdown of -26.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VDY.TO and SCHD.

Drawdown Indicators

	VDY.TO	SCHD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.21%	-33.37%	-5.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.07%	-12.74%	+2.67%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.18%	-16.85%	+0.67%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.21%	-33.37%	-5.84%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.55%	-2.89%	+2.34%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.67%	-3.34%	-1.33%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.76%	3.89%	-2.13%

Volatility

VDY.TO vs. SCHD - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF (VDY.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.37% compared to Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) at 2.72%. This indicates that VDY.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SCHD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VDY.TO	SCHD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.37%	2.72%	+0.65%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.43%	8.37%	-1.94%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.03%	15.80%	-4.77%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.49%	12.64%	-1.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.96%	15.17%	+0.79%