Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
VYM vs XLG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, VYM returned +18.0% to XLG's +6.4%; 25% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $78.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, and $11.9bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF.
Pair scorecard
VYM costs 0.16 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 11.6 points.
| Measure | VYM | XLG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.0% | +6.4% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | FTSE High Dividend Yield Index | S&P 500 Top 50 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.04% | 0.20% |
| Net assets, VYM as of Sep 30, 2026 and XLG as of Oct 27, 2026 | $78.9bn | $11.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 25% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 26.2% | 60.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Nov 24, 2006 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,039 weekly returnsXLG returned more: +737.0% to +487.1%. VYM swung slightly less: 16.7% to 17.4%. XLG fell slightly less at its worst: −51.7% to −56.7%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | VYM | XLG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +487.1% | +737.0% | XLG | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +9.3% | +11.2% | XLG | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +220.2% | +486.9% | XLG | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 16.7% | 17.4% | VYM (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 11.8% | 12.2% | VYM (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −56.7% | −51.7% | XLG (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.52 | 0.61 | XLG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.73 | 0.87 | XLG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.16 | 0.22 | XLG | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,039 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, VYM and XLG hold 25% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
25% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
VYM and XLG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
VYM and XLG do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. VYM follows FTSE High Dividend Yield Index and XLG follows S&P 500 Top 50 Index.
- Holdings in common. 25% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 VYM returned +18.0% and XLG +6.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 11.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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%.
XLG
XLG tracks the S&P 500 top 50. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.20% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 98% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 53 positions, with the top ten at 60.3%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, VYM or XLG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, VYM returned +18.0% and XLG +6.4%.
- Which is cheaper, VYM or XLG?
- VYM is cheaper, by 0.16 percentage points a year. That is about $16 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, VYM against XLG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vym-vs-xlg
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). VYM against XLG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vym-vs-xlg
[VYM against XLG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/vym-vs-xlg)
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