Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
TLT vs VYMI: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, TLT returned −7.9% to VYMI's +22.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $47.4bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF, and $21.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF.
Pair scorecard
VYMI costs 0.08 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 30.2 points; TLT is 2.2 times larger.
| Measure | TLT | VYMI |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −7.9% | +22.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 42.6%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | 4.6%, high on Sep 3, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index | FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.07% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $46.2bn | $21.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 13.8% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Mar 11, 2016 to Oct 23, 2026 · 554 weekly returnsVYMI returned more: +188.1% to −13.8%. TLT swung less: 13.9% to 15.9%. VYMI fell less at its worst: −38.3% to −47.8%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | TLT | VYMI | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | −13.8% | +188.1% | VYMI | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | −1.4% | +10.4% | VYMI | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −36.1% | +86.8% | VYMI | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 13.9% | 15.9% | TLT | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 10.3% | 11.4% | TLT (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −47.8% | −38.3% | VYMI | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | −0.20 | 0.55 | VYMI | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | −0.27 | 0.78 | VYMI | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | −0.03 | 0.27 | VYMI | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 554 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, TLT and VYMI 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
TLT and VYMI on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
TLT and VYMI do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. TLT follows ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index and VYMI follows FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 TLT returned −7.9% and VYMI +22.3% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 30.2 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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TLT
TLT tracks an index of 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −7.9% with distributions reinvested, against −7.8% for its benchmark, the ICE U.S. Treasury 20+ Year Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.6% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
VYMI
VYMI tracks an index of International High Dividend Yield. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +22.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,509 positions, with the top ten at 13.8%. It sat 4.6% below its high of Sep 3, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, TLT or VYMI?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, TLT returned −7.9% and VYMI +22.3%.
- Which is cheaper, TLT or VYMI?
- VYMI is cheaper, by 0.08 percentage points a year. That is about $8 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.
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ETFIQ, TLT against VYMI, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-vymi
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). TLT against VYMI. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-vymi
[TLT against VYMI (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/tlt-vs-vymi)
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