Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GOVT vs VYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to VYM's +18.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about GOVT and VYM
Net assets: $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, and $78.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF.
Pair scorecard
VYM costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 19.5 points; VYM is 1.9 times larger.
| Measure | GOVT | VYM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.5% | +18.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index | FTSE High Dividend Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.04% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $41.4bn | $78.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 90% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 26.2% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VYM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GOVT and VYM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GOVT
GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
VYM
VYM tracks an index of US high dividend. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.0% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 595 positions, with the top ten at 26.2%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VYM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VYM +18.0%.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or VYM?
- VYM is cheaper, by 0.01 percentage points a year. That is about $1 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, GOVT against VYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vym
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GOVT against VYM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vym
[GOVT against VYM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vym)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.