KDVD vs VUS

KDVDFKeeley Dividend ETF

VUSBVirtus U.S. Dividend ETF

In short

KDVD Most dividend funds fish the same large-cap pond. Keeley's active take heads down the cap ladder, hunting dividend payers among small and mid-sized companies, with at least 80% of assets in stocks that pay (or are expected to pay) one.

VUS An AI-assisted dividend fund at a passive-fund price. A quant model reads sentiment and valuation, humans make the final call, and it charges 0.25%, less than half the typical active US dividend ETF.

Stated mandate

KDVD Actively managed ETF seeking capital appreciation by investing at least 80% of net assets in equity securities of companies that pay (or are expected to pay) dividends; the Fund expects to invest primarily in small- and mid-cap companies but may invest in any market capitalization.

VUS The Fund seeks current income and, secondarily, long-term capital appreciation.

Why people hold it

• KDVD The mandate is genuinely different: at least 80% of net assets in dividend payers, aimed primarily at small- and mid-cap names rather than the usual mega-cap dividend roster.
• Active, not index-bound. Managers can hold companies expected to start paying dividends, and can move to any market cap as opportunities shift.
• What is inside the portfolio is the strongest part of the package relative to dividend-income peers, and the fund distributes on a quarterly schedule.

• VUS 0.25% a year, under half the 0.55% median for active US dividend ETFs and cheaper than every top-graded name in the cohort (CGDV, HIDV, MBOX, BGIG, TDVG).
• The engine: a proprietary alpha model using AI-powered language processing for sentiment plus valuation factors. Virtus portfolio managers make the final trading calls.sec.gov
• About 90 US-listed dividend payers, with at least 80% of net assets in them. Focused enough for picks to register, wide enough to spread single-name risk.sec.gov

Worth knowing

• KDVD At 0.90% a year, it charges well above the dividend-income median of 0.55%, and above highly graded peers such as CGDV (0.33%) and TDVG (0.50%).
• It launched in December 2025 with a small asset base, so there is no long record and shares change hands far less often than the category's household names.
• Small- and mid-cap dividend payers typically swing harder than large-cap dividend stalwarts. Same income idea, bumpier ride.

• VUS Launched December 2025 with a small asset base and light volume, so spreads can run wider than the cohort's household names and live history on the model is short.
• The prospectus lets the fund put more than 15% of assets in a single sector, so the portfolio can lean hard into a few corners of the market.sec.gov
• Income arrives annually or semiannually rather than monthly, so the cash shows up in lumps.

Full KDVD profile⁠

Full VUS profile⁠