VXUS vs. VYM

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) and Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM).

VXUS and VYM are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VXUS is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI All Country World ex USA Investable Market Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2011. VYM is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index. It was launched on Feb 7, 2019. Both VXUS and VYM 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

VXUS vs. VYM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) and Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VXUS vs. VYM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF	3.51%	32.35%	5.08%	15.86%	-16.08%	8.98%	10.66%	21.75%	-14.43%	27.46%
VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF	3.69%	15.42%	17.60%	6.57%	-0.43%	26.20%	1.15%	24.06%	-5.92%	16.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VXUS achieves a 3.51% return, which is significantly lower than VYM's 3.69% return. Over the past 10 years, VXUS has underperformed VYM with an annualized return of 9.03%, while VYM has yielded a comparatively higher 11.22% annualized return.

VXUS

• 1D: 1.17%
• 1M: -5.23%
• YTD: 3.51%
• 6M: 7.51%
• 1Y: 29.24%
• 3Y*: 15.95%
• 5Y*: 7.57%
• 10Y*: 9.03%

VYM

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: -4.02%
• YTD: 3.69%
• 6M: 6.19%
• 1Y: 17.89%
• 3Y*: 15.17%
• 5Y*: 11.02%
• 10Y*: 11.22%

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

VXUS vs. VYM - Expense Ratio Comparison

VXUS has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is higher than VYM's 0.04% 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%.

VXUS

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF

VYM

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

Return for Risk

VXUS vs. VYM — Risk / Return Rank

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

VXUS

VXUS Risk / Return Rank: 85
VXUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 84
VXUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
VXUS Omega Ratio Rank: 85
VXUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
VXUS Martin Ratio Rank: 84

VYM

VYM Risk / Return Rank: 65
VYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
VYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 65
VYM Omega Ratio Rank: 68
VYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 59
VYM Martin Ratio Rank: 66

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.

VXUS vs. VYM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) and Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM). 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.

	VXUS	VYM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.71	1.19	+0.52
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.33	1.70	+0.63
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.35	1.26	+0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.63	1.56	+1.07
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.05	6.86	+3.19
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VXUS vs. VYM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VXUS Sharpe Ratio is 1.71, which is higher than the VYM Sharpe Ratio of 1.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VXUS and VYM, 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

	VXUS	VYM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.71	1.19	+0.52
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48	0.79	-0.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.53	0.69	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.35	0.49	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between VXUS and VYM is 0.77, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

VXUS vs. VYM - Dividend Comparison

VXUS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.93%, more than VYM's 2.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VXUS Vanguard Total International Stock ETF	2.93%	3.18%	3.37%	3.24%	3.09%	3.10%	2.14%	3.06%	3.18%	2.73%	2.93%	2.83%
VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF	2.37%	2.44%	2.74%	3.12%	3.01%	2.76%	3.18%	3.03%	3.40%	2.80%	2.91%	3.22%

Drawdowns

VXUS vs. VYM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VXUS drawdown since its inception was -35.97%, smaller than the maximum VYM drawdown of -56.98%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VXUS and VYM.

Drawdown Indicators

	VXUS	VYM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.97%	-56.98%	+21.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.27%	-11.32%	+0.05%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.44%	-15.84%	-13.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.97%	-35.21%	-0.76%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.26%	-4.91%	-2.35%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.29%	-7.25%	-1.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.95%	2.57%	+0.38%

Volatility

VXUS vs. VYM - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) has a higher volatility of 7.72% compared to Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) at 3.60%. This indicates that VXUS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VYM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VXUS	VYM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.72%	3.60%	+4.12%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.54%	7.96%	+3.58%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.21%	15.14%	+2.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.81%	13.97%	+1.84%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.09%	16.33%	+0.76%