Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) Performance
VYM total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +14.5% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +17.4% total return
- 5 years
- +11.4% a year
- 10 years
- +11.9% a year
- Since first price
- +9.3% a year since 2006
VYM trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | VYM total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.4% | +2.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.7% | +0.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.9% | +3.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +14.5% | +12.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +17.4% | +14.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +74.7%+20.4%/yr | +60.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +71.6%+11.4%/yr | +48.6% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +208.2%+11.9%/yr | +127.7% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +484.1%+12.5%/yr | +269.8% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| Since inceptionNov 16, 2006 | +486.8%+9.3%/yr | +220.1% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: VYM vs SPY
From Nov 16, 2006: VYM grew to $58,682, SPY to $78,034.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
VYM returns by calendar year
16 of 19 full years positive. Best 2013 (+30.1%), worst 2008 (−31.9%). 2026 is year to date.
VYM annual returns table
| Year | VYM | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +14.5% | −6.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +15.4% | −14.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +17.6% | −6.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +6.6% | −9.9% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −0.4% | −15.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +26.2% | −4.9% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +1.1% | −35.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +24.1% | −6.3% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −5.9% | −16.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +16.4% | −3.1% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +17.0% | −7.2% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +0.3% | −13.0% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +13.5% | −6.7% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +30.1% | −5.0% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +12.7% | −7.2% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | +10.6% | −15.1% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +14.2% | −13.9% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +17.2% | −33.3% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −31.9% | −42.2% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | +1.4% | −10.5% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
VYM largest drawdowns
Now 2.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9, 2007 | −57.0% | Mar 5, 2009 | Mar 13, 2012 | 1.4 years | 4.4 years |
| Jan 17, 2020 | −35.2% | Mar 23, 2020 | Dec 31, 2020 | 2 months | 11 months |
| Jan 26, 2018 | −16.2% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 12, 2019 | 11 months | 1.2 years |
| Apr 20, 2022 | −15.9% | Sep 30, 2022 | Nov 30, 2022 | 5 months | 7 months |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −14.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
| May 21, 2015 | −13.0% | Aug 25, 2015 | Mar 17, 2016 | 3 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
VYM risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +17.7% | +11.6% | +11.3% | +9.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.2% | 13.9% | 14.2% | 14.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.14 | 0.61 | 0.66 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.95 | 0.98 | 1.02 | 0.85 |
| Best month | +6.3% | +12.2% | +12.3% | +12.3% |
| Worst month | −4.8% | −7.9% | −13.6% | −14.8% |
| Best 12 months | +31.2% | +31.2% | +47.9% | +54.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +9.8% | −6.0% | −14.8% | −44.4% |
| Positive months | 67% | 58% | 62% | 61% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.68 | 0.73 | 0.82 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.76 | 0.82 | 0.88 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
VYM rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 228 | −44.4% | +12.1% | +54.8% | 82% |
| 3-year (a year) | 204 | −10.3% | +10.9% | +27.4% | 93% |
| 5-year (a year) | 180 | −0.5% | +11.3% | +23.5% | 99% |
| 10-year (a year) | 120 | +6.7% | +11.1% | +16.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2006. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
VYM performance overview
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM) returned +17.4% over the past year and +11.9% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2006 it has returned +9.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $58,682. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −57.0%, from Oct 9, 2007 to Mar 5, 2009, and it took 3.0 years to get back to the old high. VYM finished 16 of its 19 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2013 (+30.1%) and the worst 2008 (−31.9%). Volatility has been 14.5% a year.
Related: VYM chart, VYM holdings, VYM dividends, VYM valuation. See the VYM overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
VYM performance FAQ
What is the VYM return over the past year?
VYM returned +17.4% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 14.6%.
What is the average annual return of VYM?
VYM has returned +11.4% a year over 5 years, +11.9% a year over 10 years, +9.3% a year since November 16, 2006 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in VYM be worth?
$10,000 invested in VYM at its first recorded close on November 16, 2006 would be worth about $58,682 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for VYM?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −31.9%. The best was 2013 at +30.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of VYM?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −57.0% between October 9, 2007 and March 5, 2009. It recovered to the old high on March 13, 2012, 3.0 years after the bottom.
How volatile is VYM?
Over the past 3 years VYM had an annualized volatility of 11.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.14 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).