VYM Total Return Analyzer

VYM total return combines two components: the cumulative distributions you received from VYM over the holding period, and the change in NAV (share price) across the same window. Many high-yield funds advertise distribution rates that look spectacular in isolation but mask meaningful NAV erosion. The analyzer above shows exactly how much of your VYM return came from distributions versus price change — a 50% annualized distribution rate paired with a 30% NAV decline is a very different investment than a 50% distribution with flat NAV.

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) is issued by Vanguard. Tracks the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index — ~440 U.S. large-cap stocks screened purely on above-average dividend yield, market-cap weighted. Heavy exposure to consumer staples, energy, and industrials. Expense ratio 0.06%, forward yield ~2.8-3%, quarterly distributions. Broader and more yield-focused than SCHD (no quality filter), which some investors prefer for diversification and others view as a drawback (no defense against yield traps). That strategy directly shapes the gap between headline yield and real yield: option-premium and covered-call funds tend to show large gaps, while traditional dividend ETFs and index funds usually show small ones.

For the detail behind each payment, see the VYM dividend history. To project how future VYM distributions compound under DRIP, open the VYM dividend calculator.