Designed to provide broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market, the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) is a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 11/10/2006.
The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $48.96 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
Carrying lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, value stocks also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. Considering long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in almost all markets; however, they are more likely to underperform growth stocks in strong bull markets.
Costs
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts, other things remaining the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.06%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 3.13%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF’s holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector–about 19.30% of the portfolio. Healthcare and Consumer Staples round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) accounts for about 3.25% of total assets, followed by Jpmorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).
Performance and Risk
VYM seeks to match the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index before fees and expenses. The FTSE High Dividend Yield Index which is consists of common stocks of companies that pay dividends that generally are higher than average.
The ETF has lost about -0.04% so far this year and it’s up approximately 7.70% in the last one year (as of 07/12/2023). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $94.88 and $113.15.
The ETF has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 15.42% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 440 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VYM is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box – Large Cap Value segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $51.26 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $99.87 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.18% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM): ETF Research Reports
JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Exxon Mobil Corporation (XOM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Vanguard Value ETF (VTV): ETF Research Reports
iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF (IWD): ETF Research Reports
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