VYMI vs XYLD: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
VYMI and XYLD are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. VYMI is Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF, while XYLD is Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF. VYMI is broader by holdings count, with 1,602 positions versus 507 for XYLD. XYLD is more concentrated at the top, based on top-10 holdings weight. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has VYMI ahead on AIQ Score, 62 versus 48.
What is the main difference between VYMI and XYLD?
VYMI holds 1,602 positions to XYLD's 507, and 0% of their weight is in the same securities.
| Metric | VYMI | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.6% |
| Holdings | 1,602 | 507 |
| Top-10 concentration | 13.4% | 38% |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 3.64% | 10.24% |
| Average volume | 875,055 | 625,833 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | +20.4% | +4.9% |
| YTD return | +13.5% | +1.9% |
| 5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested | +13.3% | +7.4% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 13.8% | 7.5% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -10.8% | -6.6% |
| Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested | -24.1% | -18.7% |
| Beta | 0.75 | 0.47 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.14 | 0.05 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.65 | 0.06 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 62/100 | 48/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 8/10 | 3/10 |
| Momentum | 54/100 | 44/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 77/100 | 74/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF vs Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF
VYMI leads
VYMI leads by 14 AIQ points, primarily on Value and Momentum, and the lead has widened from 2 points over 30 sessions.
Stable: 2 of 4 evidence groups support VYMI, its lead is widening, and its signal state is cleanly positive.
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF
Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors VYMI over XYLD, 62 versus 48 as of Oct 21, 2026. VYMI's advantage is driven primarily by stronger value and momentum. VYMI also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VYMI today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. VYMI lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 2 to 14 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF and Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
VYMI vs XYLD: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | VYMI | XYLD | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.07% | 0.6% | VYMI |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 1,602 | 507 | VYMI |
| Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings | 13.4% | 38% | VYMI |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 3.64% | 10.24% | XYLD |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years | -24.1% | -18.7% | XYLD |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 13.8% | 7.5% | XYLD |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare VYMI and XYLD against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Value64 vs 35VYMI +29
- Momentum54 vs 44VYMI +10
- Quality60 vs 52VYMI +8
- Risk Resilience77 vs 74Even
2 of 4 evidence groups favor VYMI. VYMI’s edge is concentrated in value and momentum.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +6
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
VYMI's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — VYMI and XYLD both carry a full feed there.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | VYMI | XYLD | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.07% | 0.6% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 1,602 | 507 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 875,055 | 625,833 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 13.8% | 7.5% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -10.8% | -6.6% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.14 | 0.05 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 0.75 | 0.47 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
How much of the same holdings they own
VYMI and XYLD share 0.03% of their weighted exposure across 2 common holdings.
1,495 holdings are unique to VYMI, and 502 holdings are unique to XYLD. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
XYLD is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 38% of the fund, against 13.36% for VYMI (507 holdings vs 1,602). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
Largest shared positions
| Holding | VYMI | XYLD | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| APAAPA Group | 0.05% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| TELTE CONNECTIVITY PLC | 0.01% | 0.1% | 0.01% |
Shared weight is the lower of the two positions — the portion of capital both funds genuinely have in the same security.
What VYMI adds that XYLD doesn’t
| Holding | VYMI | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| HSBA.LHSBC Holdings PLC | 1.77% | Not held |
| ROP.SWRoche Holding AG | 1.54% | Not held |
| RY.TORoyal Bank of Canada | 1.44% | Not held |
| NOVN.SWNovartis AG | 1.43% | Not held |
| SHEL.LShell PLC | 1.3% | Not held |
| NESN.SWNestle SA | 1.26% | Not held |
What XYLD adds that VYMI doesn’t
| Holding | XYLD | VYMI |
|---|---|---|
| NVDANVIDIA CORP | 7.97% | Not held |
| AAPLAPPLE INC | 7.36% | Not held |
| MSFTMICROSOFT CORP | 5.55% | Not held |
| AMZNAMAZON.COM INC | 3.79% | Not held |
| GOOGLALPHABET INC-CL A | 2.99% | Not held |
| AVGOBROADCOM INC | 2.58% | Not held |
Each list is a fund’s largest positions by weight that the other fund does not hold, or holds at less than half the weight.
VYMI vs XYLD: five-year payout growth
VYMI grew its split-adjusted payout faster over 2020-2025 — 11.09% a year against XYLD's 3.02%. VYMI: The 2020 payout was 26.9% below 2019, so the growth rate measures a recovery from a weak starting year.
| Dividend metric | VYMI | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y payout CAGR | 11.09% | 3.02% |
| 2020 annual payout | $1.959 | $3.681 |
| 2025 annual payout | $3.315 | $4.271 |
| Calendar-year declines | 1 | 2 |
| Peer rank | #5 of 33 | #2 of 3 |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor VYMI. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | VYMI | 62 vs 48 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | VYMI | Value 64 vs 35 |
| Technicals | Even | Price vs 50-day -1.1% vs -0.2%; vs 200-day 2.8% vs 1.5% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 77 vs 74 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of VYMI and XYLD and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 14 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's signal state is cleanly positive. (supports the conclusion holding)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on VYMI.
How the comparison changed
41 daily snapshots · Sep 8 – Oct 20VYMI lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 2 to 14 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- VYMI +14
- 62 vs 48
- 7 sessions ago
- VYMI +2
- 59 vs 57
- 30 sessions ago
- VYMI +2
- 56 vs 54
- 90 sessions ago
- Not covered
The lead changed hands 2 times in this window, most recently on Oct 9 when XYLD moved ahead of VYMI.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
2 bullish / 0 bearish / 2 neutral
Only VYMI
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
3 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only XYLD
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (1.2%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, ATR Contraction - Coiling.
XYLD is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.28%, AIQ +1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.34%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1XYLD closes the Value gap — currently 29 points behind, the largest single contributor to VYMI's edge.
- 2XYLD generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as MACD Bullish Crossover or Uptrend Structure Active.
- 3VYMI's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Performance
VYMI leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | VYMI | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 0.6% | -1.3% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -1.7% | -0.6% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 0.1% | 1.1% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Year to date | 13.5% | 1.9% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 20.4% | 4.9% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | VYMI | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 56 | 45.2 |
| ADX (14) | 24.7 | 14.6 |
| Price vs 50-day | -1.1% | -0.2% |
| Price vs 200-day | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 12.1% | 4.9% |
Risk
Split| Metric | VYMI | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.75 | 0.47 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.14 | 0.05 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.65 | 0.06 |
| Max drawdown | -10.8% | -6.6% |
| Current drawdown | -4.6% | -1.4% |
| Annualized volatility | 13.8% | 7.5% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -1.3% | -0.9% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
What is the difference between VYMI and XYLD?
VYMI holds 1,602 positions to XYLD's 507, and 0% of their weight is in the same securities.
How much do VYMI and XYLD overlap?
VYMI and XYLD share 0.03% of their weighted exposure across 2 common holdings. 1,495 holdings are unique to VYMI, and 502 holdings are unique to XYLD. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
Which ETF is more diversified, VYMI or XYLD?
VYMI holds more positions: 1,602 versus 507 for XYLD.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
VYMI has the lower expense ratio, 0.07% a year against 0.6% for XYLD.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
XYLD, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 10.24% against 3.64% for VYMI.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
VYMI has been more volatile over the past year, at 13.8% annualized against 7.5% for XYLD.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
XYLD fell less from peak to trough over the past five years: -18.7% against -24.1% for VYMI.
Compare VYMI and XYLD with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.