Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VGLT vs VYM: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VGLT returned −6.7% to VYM's +18.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Sep 30, 2026: $10.4bn for Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF and $78.9bn for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGLT costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 24.7 points; VYM is 7.6 times larger.
| Measure | VGLT | VYM |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −6.7% | +18.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 38.8%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index | FTSE High Dividend Yield Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.03% | 0.04% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $10.4bn | $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. Method
Risk and return
Dec 4, 2009 to Oct 23, 2026 · 881 weekly returnsVYM returned more: +605.3% to +46.2%. VGLT swung less: 12.7% to 14.6%. VYM fell less at its worst: −32.4% to −45.6%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VGLT | VYM | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +46.2% | +605.3% | VYM | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +2.3% | +12.2% | VYM | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −13.0% | +321.3% | VYM | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 12.7% | 14.6% | VGLT | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 9.1% | 10.3% | VGLT | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −45.6% | −32.4% | VYM | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.12 | 0.76 | VYM | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.17 | 1.08 | VYM | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.05 | 0.38 | VYM | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 881 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VGLT and VYM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VGLT and VYM on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VGLT and VYM do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VGLT follows Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index and VYM follows FTSE High Dividend Yield Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VGLT returned −6.7% and VYM +18.0% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 24.7 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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VGLT
VGLT tracks an index of Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −6.7% with distributions reinvested, against −6.7% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 38.8% 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, VGLT or VYM?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VGLT returned −6.7% and VYM +18.0%.
- Which is cheaper, VGLT or VYM?
- VGLT 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.
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ETFIQ, VGLT against VYM, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vglt-vs-vym
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VGLT against VYM. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vglt-vs-vym
[VGLT against VYM (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vglt-vs-vym)
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