JHDV vs VIG

JHDVCJohn Hancock U.S. High Dividend ETF

VIGAVanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF

In short

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.

VIG VIG buys dividend growth, not fat yields: about 300 US companies with a record of raising their payouts, tracked for 0.04% a year. Running since 2006 and now north of $100 billion, it is the plain-vanilla anchor of the dividend-screen aisle.

Stated mandate

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

VIG The fund seeks to track the S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index, which represents common stocks of companies with a record of increasing dividends over time.

Why people hold it

• 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

• VIG At 0.04% a year, the fee is roughly a tenth of the typical dividend-screen fund's 0.39%, and undercuts every other top-graded fund in the group, DGRO and SCHD included.
• The screen rewards a record of increasing dividends rather than the biggest current payout, so the basket leans on payout discipline instead of stretched yields.
• Live since 2006, over $100 billion in assets and actively traded, which shows up as easy fills rather than wide spreads.
• About 300 holdings, cash paid quarterly, and one of the strongest overall implementations in its dividend-screen peer group.

Worth knowing

• 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.

• VIG Growth of payouts, not maximum income, is the mandate. That puts it on a different axis than high-dividend funds such as SPYD.
• US stocks only, no bonds and no overseas payers, and sector weights are whatever the index screen spits out.
• Portfolio risk and concentration measures land mid-pack for the category: it is fully invested in equities and drops when the market drops.

Full JHDV profile⁠

Full VIG profile⁠