Forget VIG: DGRO Pays 26% More Dividend Income for Nearly the Same Fee

1 month ago 14

David Beren

Tue, July 28, 2026 astatine 6:11 AM PDT 5 min read

Quick Read

  • DGRO outearns VIG by astir $390 annually connected a $100,000 presumption portion charging lone 4 other ground points successful fees.

  • DGRO has outpaced VIG connected full returns crossed each trailing window, gathering a 12-percentage-point borderline implicit the past decade.

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Investors who ain the Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (NYSEARCA:VIG) mostly bought it for 1 reason: vulnerability to companies with a decennary oregon much of rising dividends, wrapped successful a Vanguard interest structure. That thesis remains intact. VIG tracks the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index, screens retired the top-yielding 25% of eligible names to debar stressed payers, and charges an disbursal ratio of conscionable 0.04%. The money present manages astir $124.7 cardinal successful nett assets, making VIG the largest U.S. dividend maturation ETF by a wide margin. The drawback is that a precise akin money pays materially much contiguous for astir the aforesaid all-in cost, and has softly delivered amended full returns crossed each trailing model that matters.

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That money is the iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:DGRO), a $39.6 cardinal BlackRock merchandise built astir the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index.

Where VIG Leaves Income connected the Table

The methodology present insists connected a 10-year streak of consecutive dividend increases. That surface is simply a badge of durability, but it besides biases the portfolio toward mature, lower-yielding compounders and excludes companies that started raising payouts much recently, adjacent if their currency flows are beardown and their payout ratios conservative. The result: VIG's trailing 12-month distributions full $3.5813 per stock against a existent terms of $237.25, a output of astir 1.51%. For a money with "dividend" successful its name, that is simply a thin check.

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DGRO's Screen Lets successful the Younger Growers

The request present is lone 5 consecutive years of dividend increases, with a payout ratio headdress of 75% that filters retired companies stretching to support their streak. The looser tenure request widens the eligible beingness to see names inactive aboriginal successful their compounding curve, portion the payout headdress does the sustainability enactment VIG accomplishes done its 10-year screen. DGRO's attack balances maturation imaginable with dividend durability.

That translates straight to income. DGRO paid $1.477673 per stock implicit the past 12 months connected a existent terms of $77.84, a trailing output adjacent 1.90%. On the aforesaid dollar invested, DGRO hands the holder astir 26% much currency income per twelvemonth than VIG. On a $100,000 position, that is the quality betwixt astir $1,510 and $1,900 of yearly distributions, earlier immoderate reinvestment compounding.

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