Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs VYM: how they differ
GLD is a commodity fund and VYM an equity index fund, and over the year GLD returned more, +19.1% against +17.6%.
SPDR Gold Shares and Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | Vanguard |
| What it is | Gold | US high dividend |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +17.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +0.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.04% |
| Holdings | not filed | 608 |
GLD in plain words
GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
VYM in plain words
VYM is an index equity fund tracking the US high dividend. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 92% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 608 positions, with the top ten at 25.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GLD or VYM?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VYM returned +17.6%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GLD or VYM?
- GLD charges 0.40% a year and VYM charges 0.04%, so VYM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against VYM, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/gld-vs-vym Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources