FGD vs VYMI: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

First Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index Fund

FGDBNYSE Arca

Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF

VYMIANasdaq

Overlap

7.9%by weight

Expense ratio

VYMI −0.48pt a year

FGD0.55%VYMI0.07%

Avg volume · 30D

VYMI 5.3×the volume

FGD160KVYMI849K

10Y return · a year

VYMI +0.6pt

FGD+10.0%VYMI+10.6%

FGD vs VYMI Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+77.3%FGD+86.9%VYMI

Expense ratio: FGD 0.55%; VYMI 0.07%, better
Fund size: FGD $1.6B; VYMI $22.3B
1Y total return: FGD +23.1%; VYMI +23.7%, better
Yield (12M): FGD 5.68%, better; VYMI 3.67%
Holdings: FGD 106; VYMI 1532
Avg volume (30D): FGD 160K sh; VYMI 849K sh, better
NAV per share: FGD $33.57; VYMI $101.09
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for FGD, VYMI, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	FGD	VYMI
Cost30% weight	D34	A97Higher
Mission25% weight	A90	A100Higher
Risk15% weight	B68Higher	B59
Tradability15% weight	B69Higher	B61
Holdings10% weight	A70	A81Higher
Durability5% weight	B69	A89Higher

Rank among International Dividend Index funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. FGD and VYMI are both graded against the same 34 International Dividend Index funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

International Dividend Index⁠

Category · 34 funds

See all 34 ›

VYMI ranks 1st and FGD 14th of 34 funds in the International Dividend Index Category.

Rank 1AVYMIVanguard International High Dividend Yield ETFScore 84
Rank 2ADIVIFranklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ETFScore 78
Rank 14BDOLWisdomTree True Developed International FundScore 63
Rank 14BFGDFirst Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index FundScore 63
Rank 16BFDDFirst Trust STOXX European Select Dividend Index FundScore 58

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

FGDBFirst Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index Fund

VYMIAVanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF

In short

FGD A 2007-vintage dividend fund with a genuinely global map: US and overseas payers in one basket, chosen by a dividend quality and liquidity screen rather than raw yield alone.

VYMI Most international dividend funds hold a hundred-odd developed-market names. VYMI casts a far wider net: roughly 1,600 high-yielders across developed and emerging markets outside the US, at seven basis points.

Stated mandate

FGD The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index.

VYMI VYMI seeks to track the FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index through passive sampling, targeting international stocks forecast to have above-average dividend yields.

Why people hold it

FGD Global means global. The mandate is worldwide equity, not ex-US, so domestic and foreign payers sit in the same basket instead of two tickers.ftportfolios.com
Live since 2007, so it has traded through the financial crisis, a pandemic and a rate spike, and has grown into a multi-billion-dollar fund.
Names must clear a dividend quality and liquidity screen, so a fat yield alone does not buy a seat in the index.ftportfolios.com
Roughly 110 holdings, quarterly distributions, and a portfolio that lines up tightly with the Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index it advertises.

VYMI 0.07% a year, a fraction of the typical international dividend fund's fee and a shade under screened rivals like SCHY (0.08%) and IGRO (0.15%).
Roughly 1,600 stocks across developed and emerging markets ex-US, so no single name, sector or country carries the income load.vanguard.com
Samples the FTSE All-World ex US High Dividend Yield Index and has stayed unusually close to it, among the tightest trackers in its peer group.
Live since 2016, now a multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively, and it pays out quarterly.

Worth knowing

FGD At 0.55%, the fee sits above the cohort median (0.50%) and many times index peers like VYMI (0.07%) and SCHY (0.08%).
A global book means much of it trades in foreign currencies, so exchange-rate moves show up in dollar returns alongside the stocks themselves.
Moderately traded rather than a volume giant, and about 110 names is a tighter roster than broad-market dividend funds carry.

VYMI No currency hedge. Dividends and prices arrive in foreign currencies, and exchange-rate swings show up in dollar results either way.vanguard.com
The emerging-market sleeve adds political, liquidity and currency risk that developed-only dividend funds sidestep.vanguard.com
Screening on forecast yield tilts toward value and cyclical names, a different ride than dividend-growth peers like VIGI and IGRO.

Full FGD profile⁠

Full VYMI profile⁠

FGD vs VYMI Holdings

How FGD and VYMI differ

Overlap by weight

7.9%

Shared holdings make up 48.4% of FGD and 8.0% of VYMI.

Level by level

Holdings51 in both7.9%
Countryby domicile51.1%
Sector11 Sectors80.5%
Asset classEquity100%

Sector

Sector weights in FGD and VYMI, widest gap first
Sector	More in FGDMore in VYMI	FGD	VYMI
Industrials	FGD +9.1 points	15.4%	6.3%
Financials	VYMI +8.4 points	36.0%	44.4%
Health Care	VYMI +6.4 points	0.0%	6.3%
Communication	FGD +4.2 points	7.9%	3.7%
Technology	VYMI +3.7 points	1.8%	5.5%
Consumer Discretionary	FGD +2.9 points	8.7%	5.8%
Consumer Staples	FGD +1.4 points	7.8%	6.4%
Real Estate	FGD +1.0 points	2.1%	1.1%
Energy	FGD +1.0 points	10.0%	9.0%
Materials	VYMI +0.9 points	5.5%	6.4%
Utilities	VYMI +0.3 points	4.8%	5.0%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in FGD and VYMI, widest gap first
Country	More in FGDMore in VYMI	FGD	VYMI
United States	FGD +22.4 points	22.4%	0.0%
Japan	VYMI +11.7 points	0.9%	12.6%
Spain	FGD +6.3 points	10.7%	4.4%
Taiwan	VYMI +6.0 points	0.0%	6.0%
Switzerland	VYMI +5.2 points	1.8%	7.0%
China	VYMI +4.7 points	1.1%	5.8%
Saudi Arabia	VYMI +4.6 points	0.0%	4.6%
Australia	VYMI +4.3 points	2.8%	7.1%
Other countries (30)	FGD +8.0 points	60.4%	52.4%

Outside the US: FGD 91% developed, 9% emerging. VYMI 74% developed, 26% emerging.

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

FGD17.8%
VYMI13.8%

Securities held

FGD98
VYMI1,496

Asset class

FGD: Equity
VYMI: Equity

Holdings

Only in FGD47
In both51
Only in VYMI1,445

Only in FGD

47 securities, 51.6% of FGD by weight

Robert Half Inc.2.77%
Hyundai Elevator Co., Ltd. (HELCO)1.92%
Teleperformance SE1.86%
B&M European Value Retail SA1.75%
HP Inc.1.63%
H&R Block, Inc.1.55%
Parex Resources Inc.1.44%
Best Buy Co., Inc.1.41%
Enagas S.A.1.31%
Zigup PLC1.29%
OneMain Holdings, Inc.1.28%
Unicaja Banco SA1.27%
Northwest Bancshares, Inc.1.25%
Altria Group, Inc.1.21%
Aberdeen Group PLC1.20%
Logista Integral SA1.18%
Domino's Pizza Group Plc1.10%
SpareBank 1 Sor-Norge ASA1.10%
The Western Union Company1.10%
Global Ship Lease, Inc. (Class A)1.08%
Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.1.07%
Prudential Financial, Inc.1.07%
Swedbank AB (Class A)1.05%
T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.1.04%
Signify NV1.02%
Investec Plc0.96%
Franklin Templeton, Inc.0.96%
Svenska Handelsbanken AB (Class A)0.95%
Arkema S.A.0.95%
Cheil Worldwide Inc.0.95%
United Parcel Service, Inc. (Class B)0.93%
LyondellBasell Industries N.V.0.91%
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.0.90%
Basf SE0.86%
Verizon Communications Inc.0.84%
Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.0.80%
OSB Group Plc0.80%
Freenet AG0.80%
Universal Corporation0.79%
Laurentian Bank of Canada0.77%
General Mills, Inc.0.72%
Cogeco Communications Inc.0.69%
Ford Motor Company0.69%
Super Retail Group Limited0.64%
Aperam S.A.0.63%
Porsche Automobil Holding SE0.63%
Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp.0.53%

Only in VYMI

1,445 securities, 91.7% of VYMI by weight

HSBC Holdings PLC1.81%
Roche Holding AG1.56%
Shell PLC1.48%
Royal Bank of Canada1.47%
Novartis AG1.42%
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc1.35%
Nestle SA1.25%
MediaTek Inc1.21%
BHP Group Ltd1.15%
Banco Santander SA1.07%
Toronto-Dominion Bank/The1.04%
Toyota Motor Corp1.03%
Allianz SE0.96%
Commonwealth Bank of Australia0.93%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc0.85%
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA0.84%
Iberdrola SA0.84%
UBS Group AG0.79%
UniCredit SpA0.71%
Mizuho Financial Group Inc0.70%
Unilever PLC0.68%
SLBBH11420.68%
DBS Group Holdings Ltd0.66%
Novo Nordisk A/S0.65%
Bank of Montreal0.63%
Bp PLC0.61%
Intesa Sanpaolo SpA0.61%
China Construction Bank Corp0.59%
Enbridge Inc0.55%
ING Groep NV0.55%
Deutsche Telekom AG0.54%
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce0.54%
Gsk PLC0.51%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd0.51%
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd0.51%
Tokio Marine Holdings Inc0.50%
Sanofi SA0.47%
National Australia Bank Ltd0.45%
Westpac Banking Corp0.44%
Lloyds Banking Group PLC0.44%
Barclays PLC0.44%
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd0.43%
Suncor Energy Inc0.43%
ANZ Group Holdings Ltd0.43%
Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd0.42%
Axa SA0.42%
National Grid PLC0.41%
Enel SpA0.40%
Glencore PLC0.40%
NatWest Group PLC0.39%

Weight gaps

All 51 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in FGD and VYMI, widest gap first
Holding	More in FGDMore in VYMI	FGD	VYMI
Omv AG	FGD +1.72 points	1.78%	0.06%
Standard Life PLCSDLF.L	FGD +1.47 points	1.52%	0.05%
Legal & General Group PlcLGEN.L	FGD +1.43 points	1.54%	0.11%
Banco BPM SpA	FGD +1.33 points	1.43%	0.10%
Equinor ASA	FGD +1.30 points	1.43%	0.13%
Naturgy Energy Group, S.A.	FGD +1.26 points	1.34%	0.08%
Aker ASA (Class A)	FGD +1.24 points	1.26%	0.02%
Telefonica, S.A.	FGD +1.20 points	1.27%	0.07%
Repsol, S.A.	FGD +1.12 points	1.32%	0.20%
ASR Nederland N.V.	FGD +1.06 points	1.13%	0.07%
Ageas S.A./N.V.	FGD +1.03 points	1.10%	0.07%
Eni SpA	FGD +0.97 points	1.24%	0.27%
DNB Bank ASA	FGD +0.97 points	1.11%	0.14%
GS Holdings	FGD +0.95 points	0.97%	0.02%
TELUS Corporation	FGD +0.94 points	0.96%	0.02%
BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited	FGD +0.94 points	1.07%	0.13%
Great-West Lifeco Inc.	FGD +0.93 points	1.01%	0.08%
PCCW Limited	FGD +0.92 points	0.93%	0.01%
Bank of Queensland Limited	FGD +0.91 points	0.93%	0.02%
NN Group N.V.	FGD +0.91 points	1.03%	0.12%
Carrefour S.A.	FGD +0.82 points	0.88%	0.06%
Red Electrica Corporacion S.A.	FGD +0.80 points	0.84%	0.04%
Poste Italiane SpA	FGD +0.77 points	0.87%	0.10%
Mapfre S.A.	FGD +0.75 points	0.77%	0.02%
Budweiser Brewing Company APAC Limited	FGD +0.75 points	0.76%	<0.01%
Credit Agricole S.A.	FGD +0.74 points	0.84%	0.10%
DB Insurance Co., Ltd.	FGD +0.74 points	0.77%	0.03%
Swire Properties Limited	FGD +0.72 points	0.74%	0.02%
Henderson Land Development Company Limited	FGD +0.72 points	0.75%	0.03%
Telia Company AB	FGD +0.72 points	0.77%	0.05%
CK Infrastructure Holdings Limited	FGD +0.71 points	0.74%	0.03%
Volkswagen AG (Preference Shares)	FGD +0.67 points	0.74%	0.07%
A2A S.p.A.	FGD +0.67 points	0.69%	0.02%
Sino Land Company Limited	FGD +0.64 points	0.67%	0.03%
Bankinter, S.A.	FGD +0.64 points	0.70%	0.06%
Japan Tobacco, Inc.	FGD +0.62 points	0.88%	0.26%
Swiss Re AG	FGD +0.61 points	0.87%	0.26%
BCE Inc.	FGD +0.61 points	0.64%	0.03%
Fortescue Ltd.	FGD +0.59 points	0.69%	0.10%
Harvey Norman Holdings Limited	FGD +0.51 points	0.52%	<0.01%
Mercedes-Benz Group AG	FGD +0.51 points	0.69%	0.18%
CaixaBank, S.A.	FGD +0.46 points	0.74%	0.28%
Zurich Insurance Group AG	FGD +0.43 points	0.96%	0.53%
Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG	FGD +0.42 points	0.53%	0.11%
TC Energy Corporation	FGD +0.38 points	0.70%	0.32%
Kia Corporation	FGD +0.34 points	0.44%	0.10%
British American Tobacco p.l.c.BATS.L	FGD +0.33 points	0.92%	0.59%
BNP Paribas S.A.	FGD +0.28 points	0.84%	0.56%
The Bank of Nova Scotia	FGD +0.28 points	0.88%	0.60%
TotalEnergies SE	FGD +0.16 points	1.08%	0.92%
Rio Tinto PlcRIO.L	FGD +0.08 points	0.60%	0.52%

All 98 FGD holdings⁠All 1,561 VYMI holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

FGD vs VYMI Cost

Overpaying FGD vs VYMI

$9,424

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

FGD 0.55%
$10,904
VYMI 0.07%
$1,480

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

FGD 0.55%
VYMI 0.07%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	FGD	VYMI	Overpaying
10	$988	$128	$860
20	$3,790	$503	$3,287
30	$10,904	$1,480	$9,424

Expense ratio

0.55%FGD
0.07%VYMI, cheaper

VYMI0.07%FGD0.55%

0.07%0.60%

Middle half of International Dividend Index funds
Median 0.49%

VYMI cheapest of 34 funds

FGD 22nd cheapest of 34 funds

FGD vs VYMI Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): FGD 5.68%, better; VYMI 3.67%
Payout (12M): FGD $1.91; VYMI $3.72
Last payment: FGD $0.64; VYMI $0.82
Ex-dividend: FGD Sep 24, 2026; VYMI Sep 18, 2026
Paid on: FGD Sep 30, 2026; VYMI Sep 22, 2026
Frequency: FGD Quarterly; VYMI Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

FGDQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll FGD payments⁠

VYMIQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll VYMI payments⁠

FGD vs VYMI Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

FGD
VYMI

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: FGD 12.6%VYMI 10.5%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: FGD 1.56VYMI 1.71, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: FGD −28.7%VYMI −24.1%, better
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: FGD 0.75VYMI 0.74; Market = 1

FGD and VYMI in the news

All news⁠

Best ETFs
Schwab's dividend ETF returned 22.8% in a year. Its income rate still trails a one-month bill.
Updated Oct 2, 2026VYMI
ETF Filings
Virtus files for High Dividend ETF VDIV after three regional funds held $40.9 million
Sep 25, 2026FGD

Popular comparisons

FGDBvsDIVIA
First Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index Fund · Franklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF
Expense ratio
0.55% · 0.09%
Category
VYMIAvsDIVIA
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF · Franklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF
Expense ratio
0.07% · 0.09%
Category
FGDBvsIGROA
First Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index Fund · iShares International Dividend Growth ETF
Expense ratio
0.55% · 0.15%
Category
VYMIAvsIGROA
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF · iShares International Dividend Growth ETF
Expense ratio
0.07% · 0.15%
Category
FGDBvsSCHYA
First Trust Dow Jones Global Select Dividend Index Fund · Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF
Expense ratio
0.55% · 0.08%
Category
VYMIAvsSCHYA
Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF · Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF
Expense ratio
0.07% · 0.08%
Category

FGD vs VYMI

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it

Worth knowing

How FGD and VYMI differ

Level by level

Sector

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Concentration

Asset class

Holdings

Only in FGD

Only in VYMI

Weight gaps

Cost over time

Year by year

Distribution history

Fall from peak · 5 years

Risk facts

Schwab's dividend ETF returned 22.8% in a year. Its income rate still trails a one-month bill.

Virtus files for High Dividend ETF VDIV after three regional funds held $40.9 million

How FGD and VYMI differ

Level by level

Sector

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Concentration

Asset class

Holdings

Only in FGD

Only in VYMI

Weight gaps