DGRO vs JHDV

DGROAiShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

JHDVCJohn Hancock U.S. High Dividend ETF

In short

DGRO BlackRock's dividend-growth screen casts a wider net than most: five straight years of raises rather than ten, plus a payout-ratio cap that filters out stretched payers. About 400 US dividend raisers, large through small cap, for 0.08% a year.

JHDV Active, not indexed: Manulife's systematic team picks roughly 80 U.S. large- and mid-cap dividend payers, for 0.34% net of a waiver through July 31, 2027.

Stated mandate

DGRO The fund seeks to follow an index of U.S. equities whose dividends have grown consistently.

JHDV The fund seeks a high level of current income, with long-term capital growth as a secondary objective.

Why people hold it

• DGRO Costs 0.08% a year, a small fraction of the typical fee among US dividend-screen ETFs.
• The screen has teeth: a qualified dividend, five years of uninterrupted dividend growth, a payout ratio under 75%, and the top decile of yielders cut before the other tests run.ishares.com
• Roughly 400 names across large, mid and small caps, weighted by the dividend dollars each company pays rather than by market cap.ishares.comcib.barclays
• Tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index about as tightly as this group gets, and it's an actively traded, multi-billion-dollar fund that has run since 2014.

• JHDV Not an index fund. The managers build the book themselves and can reach for preferreds, convertibles and REITs that rules-based dividend screens leave out.sec.gov
• At least 80% of assets sit in dividend-paying U.S. large- and mid-caps, with current income first in the mandate and long-term capital growth the stated second priority.sec.gov
• 0.34% net of a waiver through July 31, 2027 lands near the category median, which is rare company for an actively run fund. Income is paid quarterly.
• Subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US), John Hancock's affiliated asset manager, since the fund's 2022 launch.johnhancock.com

Worth knowing

• DGRO Chopping the highest-yielding decile is deliberate: this is built around payout growth and dividend durability, not the fattest current yield on the shelf.ishares.com
• Only dividend payers qualify, so some of the market's biggest non-paying growth companies sit outside the portfolio by rule.ishares.com
• Income arrives quarterly, not monthly, and this is plain US stock exposure: no buffer, no hedge, full equity risk.

• JHDV That 0.34% is a waived price. The gross fee is 2.07% and the waiver is dated July 31, 2027, so the long-run cost depends on it being extended.
• A small, thinly traded fund, so spreads can run wider than the category heavyweights and large orders move it more.
• Index rivals screen for dividends at a fraction of the cost: SCHD at 0.06%, VIG at 0.04%. The premium here buys manager discretion, not a cheaper wrapper.

Full DGRO profile⁠

Full JHDV profile⁠