DIVB vs JHDV

DIVBAiShares Core Dividend ETF

JHDVCJohn Hancock U.S. High Dividend ETF

In short

DIVB Most dividend funds only count the check that hits your account. DIVB's index also counts buybacks, treating a shrinking share count as cash returned to owners, and it charges five basis points to do it.

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

DIVB The fund seeks to track an index of U.S. companies selected for a history of dividend payments and/or share buybacks, providing equity exposure oriented toward income and long-term growth.

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

Why people hold it

• DIVB Five basis points a year, one of the lowest fees in the dividend-screen aisle, where the typical fund charges many times more.
• The Morningstar US Dividend and Buyback Index counts repurchases alongside payouts, so a company buying back stock qualifies even with a modest yield. Roughly 400 US names.
• Sits in the top tier of a large dividend-screen peer group and stays tight to its stated mandate: US dividend payers and buyback machines, nothing exotic.
• A billion-dollar-plus member of the iShares Core lineup, running since 2017 and distributing quarterly.

• 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

• DIVB Buybacks return value through share count, not cash in your pocket, so the income profile can sit lighter than pure high-yield screens like SPYD.
• Moderately traded rather than a volume heavyweight like SCHD or VIG, so limit orders earn their keep, especially in size.
• All-equity, all-US. Dividends and buybacks soften nothing when the American stock market sells off.

• 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 DIVB profile⁠

Full JHDV profile⁠