FYX vs VYM: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

First Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund

FYXBNasdaq

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

VYMANYSE Arca

Overlap

1.3%by weight

Expense ratio

VYM −0.54pt a year

FYX0.58%VYM0.04%

Avg volume · 30D

VYM 32.8×the volume

FYX34.9KVYM1.14M

10Y return · a year

FYX +0.6pt

FYX+12.6%VYM+12.0%

FYX vs VYM Performance

Oct 29, 2021 – Oct 30, 2026

+53.6%FYX+74.3%VYM

Expense ratio: FYX 0.58%; VYM 0.04%, better
Fund size: FYX $1.38B; VYM $95.8B
1Y total return: FYX +27.5%, better; VYM +19.3%
Yield (12M): FYX 1.10%; VYM 2.24%, better
Holdings: FYX 526; VYM 601
Avg volume (30D): FYX 34.9K sh; VYM 1.14M sh, better
NAV per share: FYX $138.29; VYM $163.75
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for FYX, VYM, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	FYX	VYM
Cost30% weight	F19	A99Higher
Mission25% weight	A94Higher	A79
Risk15% weight	C40	A84Higher
Tradability15% weight	B61	B61
Holdings10% weight	A86Higher	C53
Durability5% weight	A70	A95Higher

Rank among US Multifactor funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. FYX and VYM are both graded against the same 99 US Multifactor funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

US Multifactor⁠

Category · 99 funds

See all 99 ›

VYM ranks 2nd and FYX 48th of 99 funds in the US Multifactor Category.

Rank 1AVONVVanguard Russell 1000 Value ETFScore 85
Rank 2AILCViShares Morningstar Value ETFScore 81
Rank 2AVYMVanguard High Dividend Yield ETFScore 81
Rank 4AIMCViShares Morningstar Mid-Cap Value ETFScore 80
Rank 48BCOWSAmplify Cash Flow Dividend Leaders ETFScore 56
Rank 48BFYXFirst Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX FundScore 56
Rank 50CCSMProShares Large Cap Core PlusScore 55

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

FYXBFirst Trust Small Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund

VYMAVanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

In short

FYX A smart-beta original, running since 2007. Rather than owning small caps by market size, FYX ranks them on growth and value screens and holds roughly 500 that make the cut. Rules-based stock selection, priced like the screen it runs.

VYM The no-frills dividend workhorse. VYM buys the higher-yielding end of the US market, roughly 600 names, for four basis points: no quality screen, no dividend-growth-streak test, just yield, at scale since 2006.

Stated mandate

FYX The Fund seeks returns that generally correspond to the price and yield of the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Small Cap Core Index before fees and expenses.

VYM The Fund seeks to track a benchmark index measuring the investment return of common stocks from companies characterized by high dividend yields.

Why people hold it

FYX Running since 2007, one of the longest-tenured rules-based factor funds in small caps, and today a multi-billion-dollar fund.
The AlphaDEX screen ranks small caps on growth and value, then buys what passes. Stock selection by rulebook, not a market-cap list.ftportfolios.com
Roughly 500 holdings, so no single name drives the fund even after the screen narrows the field.
Has stayed tight to the Nasdaq AlphaDEX Small Cap Core Index it targets, and distributes quarterly.

VYM Four basis points a year, against a peer-group median near 0.32%. Cheaper than cohort neighbors VONV (0.06%) and FNDX (0.25%).
Running since 2006 and now a multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively, so ordinary orders tend to fill at tight spreads.
Simple mandate: track the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index of US common stocks screened on yield. No manager discretion, no options overlay, plain 1940-Act fund.vanguard.com
Pays quarterly, and among 100-plus value and multifactor rivals it stands as one of the strongest overall packages in the group.

Worth knowing

FYX The 0.58% fee sits well above factor peers like FNDX (0.25%) and VONV (0.06%). The screen carries the burden of that gap.
Trades thinner than the headline small-cap funds, which makes bid-ask spreads worth watching.
The screen reshuffles which small caps it owns, so it can diverge sharply from a plain market-cap small-cap index in either direction.

VYM The screen is yield, not payout growth or dividend quality, so a company can qualify simply because its share price fell.
This is a value slice by design, tilted to established payers, so it behaves differently from a total US market fund.
Roughly 600 holdings, but weight leans toward the largest payers, so the top of the roster does more of the work than the count suggests.

Full FYX profile⁠

Full VYM profile⁠

FYX vs VYM Holdings

How FYX and VYM differ

Overlap by weight

1.3%

Shared holdings make up 24.0% of FYX and 1.3% of VYM.

Level by level

Holdings120 in both1.3%
Sector11 Sectors83.4%
Asset classEquity100%
Countryby domicile99.5%

Sector

Sector weights in FYX and VYM, widest gap first
Sector	More in FYXMore in VYM	FYX	VYM
Consumer Discretionary	FYX +8.0 points	14.0%	6.0%
Real Estate	FYX +6.5 points	6.5%	0.0%
Technology	VYM +5.7 points	11.8%	17.5%
Energy	VYM +4.4 points	5.8%	10.2%
Utilities	VYM +3.2 points	1.8%	5.0%
Consumer Staples	VYM +2.8 points	5.4%	8.2%
Health Care	FYX +1.7 points	15.8%	14.1%
Financials	VYM +0.5 points	20.4%	20.9%
Communication	FYX +0.2 points	3.5%	3.3%
Materials	FYX +0.2 points	3.4%	3.2%
Industrials	Same weight	11.6%	11.6%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in FYX and VYM, widest gap first
Country	More in FYXMore in VYM	FYX	VYM
United States	VYM +0.5 points	99.5%	100.0%
Brazil	FYX +0.2 points	0.2%	0.0%
United Kingdom	FYX +0.2 points	0.2%	0.0%
Taiwan	FYX +0.1 points	0.1%	0.0%
Singapore	Same weight	0.0%	0.0%

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

FYX4.0%
VYM26.2%

Securities held

FYX525
VYM594

Asset class

FYX: Equity
VYM: Equity

Holdings

Only in FYX405
In both120
Only in VYM474

Only in FYX

405 securities, 76.0% of FYX by weight

Appian Corporation0.43%
DXC Technology Company0.42%
CareDx, Inc.0.41%
Kohl's Corporation0.40%
Stagwell Inc.0.39%
Slide Insurance Holdings, Inc.0.38%
Amplitude, Inc. (Class A)0.38%
Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc.0.38%
FIGS, Inc. (Class A)0.38%
Mattel, Inc.0.37%
First Advantage Corporation0.37%
Comstock Resources, Inc.0.37%
Heartflow, Inc.0.36%
Everforth Incorporated0.36%
Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.0.35%
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust0.35%
NMI Holdings, Inc. (Class A)0.35%
Post Holdings, Inc.0.35%
Flywire Corporation0.34%
Septerna, Inc.0.34%
PROG Holdings Inc.0.34%
Xeris Biopharma Holdings, Inc.0.34%
G-III Apparel Group, Ltd.0.34%
Tenable Holdings, Inc.0.34%
Gulfport Energy Corporation0.34%
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.0.34%
Vistance Networks Inc.0.34%
Braze, Inc. (Class A)0.34%
MillerKnoll Inc.0.34%
BJ's Restaurants, Inc.0.33%
AtriCure, Inc.0.33%
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.0.33%
The Pennant Group, Inc.0.33%
Atlanticus Holdings Corporation0.33%
SiriusPoint Ltd.0.33%
Fortrea Holdings Inc.0.33%
Hamilton Insurance Group, Ltd. (Class B)0.33%
Encore Capital Group, Inc.0.32%
AMN Healthcare Services, Inc.0.32%
Clover Health Investments, Corp.0.32%
Resideo Technologies, Inc.0.32%
Yelp Inc.0.32%
Bristow Group Inc.0.32%
Graham Holdings Company0.32%
Dole plc0.32%
Astrana Health Inc.0.31%
Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc.0.31%
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc.0.31%
Vir Biotechnology, Inc.0.31%
Carter's, Inc.0.31%

Only in VYM

474 securities, 98.6% of VYM by weight

Broadcom Inc6.94%
JPMorgan Chase & Co3.76%
ExxonMobil Holdings Corp2.85%
Johnson & Johnson2.71%
AbbVie Inc1.97%
Cisco Systems Inc1.81%
Chevron Corp1.61%
Caterpillar Inc1.56%
Merck & Co Inc1.53%
Bank of America Corp1.50%
Procter & Gamble Co/The1.44%
Coca-Cola Co/The1.42%
UnitedHealth Group Inc1.41%
Philip Morris International Inc1.26%
Home Depot Inc/The1.21%
Texas Instruments Inc1.08%
RTX Corp1.06%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc/The1.03%
Wells Fargo & Co1.03%
Oracle Corp1.00%
Linde PLC0.93%
Citigroup Inc0.92%
Morgan Stanley0.90%
Amgen Inc0.89%
International Business Machines Corp0.88%
QUALCOMM Inc0.82%
Analog Devices Inc0.82%
Verizon Communications Inc0.82%
Gilead Sciences Inc0.79%
Walt Disney Co/The0.78%
PepsiCo Inc0.73%
Abbott Laboratories0.73%
Eaton Corp PLC0.71%
McDonald's Corp0.70%
AT&T Inc0.69%
Pfizer Inc0.69%
Dell Technologies Inc0.69%
Blackrock Inc0.69%
Union Pacific Corp0.69%
NextEra Energy Inc0.67%
ConocoPhillips0.65%
Bristol-Myers Squibb Co0.54%
Newmont Corp0.52%
Progressive Corp/The0.51%
Capital One Financial Corp0.49%
Marathon Petroleum Corp0.49%
Chubb Ltd0.49%
Altria Group Inc0.48%
Accenture PLC0.48%
Valero Energy Corp0.47%

Weight gaps

The 100 widest of 120 Holdings in both funds.

Holding weights in FYX and VYM, widest gap first
Holding	More in FYXMore in VYM	FYX	VYM
Harley-Davidson, Inc.HOG	FYX +0.38 points	0.39%	0.01%
MAXIMUS, Inc.MMS	FYX +0.36 points	0.37%	0.01%
Flowers Foods, Inc.FLO	FYX +0.35 points	0.35%	<0.01%
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.AEO	FYX +0.33 points	0.34%	0.01%
Avista CorporationAVA	FYX +0.32 points	0.33%	0.01%
Thor Industries, Inc.THO	FYX +0.32 points	0.33%	0.01%
La-Z-Boy IncorporatedLZB	FYX +0.30 points	0.31%	<0.01%
Bread Financial Holdings, Inc.BFH	FYX +0.30 points	0.32%	0.02%
Assured Guaranty Ltd.AGO	FYX +0.31 points	0.32%	0.01%
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc.PFSI	FYX +0.30 points	0.31%	<0.01%
Walker & Dunlop, Inc.WD	FYX +0.29 points	0.30%	<0.01%
Delek US Holdings, Inc.DK	FYX +0.30 points	0.32%	0.02%
The Greenbrier Companies, Inc.GBX	FYX +0.29 points	0.30%	<0.01%
Graphic Packaging Holding CompanyGPK	FYX +0.29 points	0.30%	0.01%
Columbia Sportswear CompanyCOLM	FYX +0.28 points	0.29%	<0.01%
Strategic Education, Inc.STRA	FYX +0.28 points	0.29%	<0.01%
Kennametal Inc.KMT	FYX +0.28 points	0.29%	<0.01%
Advance Auto Parts, Inc.AAP	FYX +0.27 points	0.28%	<0.01%
Trinity Industries, Inc.TRN	FYX +0.27 points	0.28%	<0.01%
Patrick Industries, Inc.PATK	FYX +0.27 points	0.28%	<0.01%
Olin CorporationOLN	FYX +0.27 points	0.28%	<0.01%
Hub Group, Inc.HUBG	FYX +0.27 points	0.28%	<0.01%
Signet Jewelers LimitedSIG	FYX +0.26 points	0.28%	0.02%
The Marzetti CompanyMZTI	FYX +0.26 points	0.27%	<0.01%
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (Class A)WLY	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	<0.01%
Northwest Natural Holding CompanyNWN	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	<0.01%
United Community Banks, Inc.UCB	FYX +0.25 points	0.27%	0.02%
PHINIA Inc.PHIN	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	<0.01%
Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc.SPB	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	<0.01%
Boise Cascade CompanyBCC	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	0.01%
Bath & Body Works, Inc.BBWI	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	0.01%
The Western Union CompanyWU	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	<0.01%
Korn FerryKFY	FYX +0.24 points	0.26%	0.02%
Weis Markets, Inc.WMK	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	<0.01%
First Interstate BancSystem, Inc.FIBK	FYX +0.25 points	0.26%	0.01%
Greif, Inc.GEF	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	<0.01%
MDU Resources Group, Inc.MDU	FYX +0.24 points	0.26%	0.02%
Provident Financial Services, Inc.PFS	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	0.01%
KB HomeKBH	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	0.01%
Sylvamo CorporationSLVM	FYX +0.24 points	0.24%	<0.01%
WesBanco, Inc.WSBC	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	0.01%
Renasant CorporationRNST	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	0.01%
TowneBankTOWN	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	0.01%
Kaiser Aluminum CorporationKALU	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	<0.01%
F&G Annuities & Life, Inc.FG	FYX +0.24 points	0.24%	<0.01%
H.B. Fuller CompanyFUL	FYX +0.24 points	0.25%	0.01%
WaFd Inc.WAFD	FYX +0.23 points	0.24%	<0.01%
Quaker Chemical CorporationKWR	FYX +0.22 points	0.23%	<0.01%
International Bancshares CorporationIBOC	FYX +0.22 points	0.24%	0.02%
Crane NXT, Co.CXT	FYX +0.22 points	0.23%	<0.01%
Liberty Energy Inc. (Class A)LBRT	FYX +0.22 points	0.23%	0.01%
Century Communities, Inc.CCS	FYX +0.20 points	0.21%	<0.01%
Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc.PTEN	FYX +0.20 points	0.22%	0.02%
Visteon CorporationVC	FYX +0.20 points	0.21%	<0.01%
The Buckle, Inc.BKE	FYX +0.19 points	0.20%	<0.01%
ABM Industries IncorporatedABM	FYX +0.19 points	0.20%	0.01%
Benchmark Electronics, Inc.BHE	FYX +0.19 points	0.20%	0.01%
Universal Display CorporationOLED	FYX +0.19 points	0.20%	0.01%
S&T Bancorp, Inc.STBA	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	<0.01%
Horace Mann Educators CorporationHMN	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	<0.01%
MGE Energy, Inc.MGEE	FYX +0.19 points	0.20%	0.01%
Cathay General BancorpCATY	FYX +0.18 points	0.20%	0.02%
Innospec Inc.IOSP	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
Independent Bank Corp.INDB	FYX +0.18 points	0.20%	0.02%
NBT Bancorp Inc.NBTB	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
Banner CorporationBANR	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	<0.01%
Avient Corp.AVNT	FYX +0.18 points	0.20%	0.02%
McGrath RentCorpMGRC	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
First Merchants CorporationFRME	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
First Financial Bancorp.FFBC	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
Hope Bancorp, Inc.HOPE	FYX +0.17 points	0.18%	<0.01%
First Hawaiian, Inc.FHB	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
Hilltop Holdings Inc.HTH	FYX +0.17 points	0.18%	<0.01%
BankUnited, Inc.BKU	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
Otter Tail CorporationOTTR	FYX +0.18 points	0.19%	0.01%
Trustmark CorporationTRMK	FYX +0.17 points	0.18%	0.01%
H2O AmericaHTO	FYX +0.17 points	0.18%	<0.01%
Schneider National, Inc. (Class B)SNDR	FYX +0.16 points	0.17%	<0.01%
Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.NOG	FYX +0.14 points	0.15%	0.01%
Exponent, Inc.EXPO	FYX +0.14 points	0.15%	0.01%
Kontoor Brands, Inc.KTB	FYX +0.13 points	0.14%	0.01%
Helmerich & Payne, Inc.HP	FYX +0.12 points	0.14%	0.02%
Beacon Financial Corp.BBT	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	<0.01%
Ashland Inc.ASH	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	0.01%
Worthington Enterprises, Inc.WOR	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	<0.01%
1st Source CorporationSRCE	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	<0.01%
BancFirst CorporationBANF	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	<0.01%
First Commonwealth Financial CorporationFCF	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	<0.01%
Chesapeake Utilities CorporationCPK	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	0.01%
Northwest Bancshares, Inc.NWBI	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	<0.01%
Community Financial System, Inc.CBU	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	0.01%
American States Water CompanyAWR	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	0.01%
Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. (Class A)APAM	FYX +0.11 points	0.12%	<0.01%
Dolby Laboratories, Inc.DLB	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	0.01%
Seacoast Banking Corporation of FloridaSBCF	FYX +0.12 points	0.13%	0.01%
Cohen & Steers, Inc.CNS	FYX +0.11 points	0.12%	<0.01%
CVB Financial Corp.CVBF	FYX +0.11 points	0.13%	0.02%
Bank of Hawaii CorporationBOH	FYX +0.11 points	0.12%	0.01%
StepStone Group Inc. (Class A)STEP	FYX +0.11 points	0.12%	0.01%
First BanCorp.FBP	FYX +0.10 points	0.12%	0.02%

All 525 FYX holdings⁠All 589 VYM 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.

FYX vs VYM Cost

Overpaying FYX vs VYM

$10,604

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

FYX 0.58%
$11,453
VYM 0.04%
$849

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

FYX 0.58%
VYM 0.04%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	FYX	VYM	Overpaying
10	$1,041	$73	$968
20	$3,986	$288	$3,698
30	$11,453	$849	$10,604

Expense ratio

0.58%FYX
0.04%VYM, cheaper

VYM0.04%FYX0.58%

0.04%1.01%

Middle half of US Multifactor funds
Median 0.29%

VYM cheapest of 99 funds

FYX 79th cheapest of 99 funds

FYX vs VYM Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026

Yield (12M): FYX 1.10%; VYM 2.24%, better
Payout (12M): FYX $1.52; VYM $3.68
Last payment: FYX $0.51; VYM $0.89
Ex-dividend: FYX Sep 24, 2026; VYM Sep 18, 2026
Paid on: FYX Sep 30, 2026; VYM Sep 22, 2026
Frequency: FYX Quarterly; VYM Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2017 to 2026, same scale for both

FYXQuarterly · 37 paymentsAll FYX payments⁠

VYMQuarterly · 39 paymentsAll VYM payments⁠

FYX vs VYM Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: FYX 18.9%VYM 11.1%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: FYX 0.99VYM 1.38, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: FYX −27.9%VYM −15.9%, better
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: FYX 1.08VYM 0.75; Market = 1

FYX and VYM in the news

All news⁠

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For a rising dividend, iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF ranks first
Updated Nov 2, 2026VYM
Head-to-Head
VTV leads VYM over 10 years. The recent gap is one year
Oct 23, 2026VYM
Best ETFs
Schwab's dividend ETF returned 22.8% in a year. Its income rate still trails a one-month bill.
Updated Oct 2, 2026VYM
Category Review
US multifactor funds ran 30 points apart
Updated Oct 23, 2026VYM

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FYX vs VYM

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it