Core Insights - The Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG) is a smart beta ETF launched on April 21, 2006, providing broad exposure to the large-cap blend market segment [1] - VIG aims to match the performance of the NASDAQ US Dividend Achievers Select Index, focusing on companies with a history of increasing dividends [5] Fund Overview - VIG has amassed over $92.31 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in its category [5] - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.05%, positioning it as one of the least expensive options available [6] - The 12-month trailing dividend yield for VIG is 1.72% [6] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 25.9% of the portfolio, followed by Financials and Healthcare [7] - Broadcom Inc (AVGO) represents about 5.11% of the fund's total assets, with Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Jpmorgan Chase & Co (JPM) also among the top holdings [8] Performance Metrics - VIG has increased by roughly 5.27% year-to-date and has risen about 10.67% over the past year as of July 16, 2025 [9] - The ETF has traded between $173.71 and $207.81 in the past 52 weeks [9] - VIG has a beta of 0.85 and a standard deviation of 14.24% over the trailing three-year period, indicating a medium risk profile [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth ETF (DGRW) and iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO), with assets of $15.95 billion and $32.19 billion respectively [12] - DGRW has an expense ratio of 0.28%, while DGRO has a lower expense ratio of 0.08% [12]

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market. Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance. While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility ...