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Should Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) Be on Your Investing Radar?

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Launched on 11/10/2006, the Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM - Free Report) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.

The fund is sponsored by Vanguard. It has amassed assets over $54.24 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

Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Considered a more stable option, large cap companies boast more predictable cash flows and are less volatile than their mid and small cap counterparts.

While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.

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 2.85%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. 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 22.70% of the portfolio. Consumer Staples and Industrials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM - Free Report) accounts for about 3.36% of total assets, followed by Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM - Free Report) and Broadcom Inc (AVGO - Free Report) .

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 return is roughly 7.81% so far this year and it's up approximately 19.17% in the last one year (as of 03/22/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $98.71 and $119.69.

The ETF has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 14.22% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 450 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VYM is an outstanding 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 - Free Report) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV - Free Report) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Value ETF has $55.72 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $114.65 billion. IWD has an expense ratio of 0.19% 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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