Funds with highest dividends YTD
July 26, 2017 3:56 PM
Advisers looking for an investment income stream for clients’ portfolios are typically interested in bonds and dividend-paying stocks.
Risk factors can vary widely, so focusing on the potential downside is as important (probably more important) as the potential upside.
This list of 20 mutual funds and ETFs has some broad-based offerings, yet also includes high-yield funds, hedged and leveraged mutual funds, any of which could be a tough fit with many portfolios.
As usual, we limited the list to funds with at least $100 million, since very small funds have an inherent liquidity risk. But it’s worth noting just how many small funds we screened out this time: 16. The 20th fund here would have been ranked 36th if we included any size.
To be sure, if we included all funds regardless of size, the fund atop the list would have been REX VolMAXX Short VIX (VMIN), an ETF based on market volatility. Its YTD dividend was 9.9%, but it had less than $23 million in assets.
All data from Morningstar.
Risk factors can vary widely, so focusing on the potential downside is as important (probably more important) as the potential upside.
This list of 20 mutual funds and ETFs has some broad-based offerings, yet also includes high-yield funds, hedged and leveraged mutual funds, any of which could be a tough fit with many portfolios.
As usual, we limited the list to funds with at least $100 million, since very small funds have an inherent liquidity risk. But it’s worth noting just how many small funds we screened out this time: 16. The 20th fund here would have been ranked 36th if we included any size.
To be sure, if we included all funds regardless of size, the fund atop the list would have been REX VolMAXX Short VIX (VMIN), an ETF based on market volatility. Its YTD dividend was 9.9%, but it had less than $23 million in assets.
All data from Morningstar.
20. iShares US Credit Bond ETF (CRED)
3-Yr. Return: 3.47%
Dividend YTD: 1.70%
Expense Ratio: 0.15%
Total Assets (millions): $1,554
Dividend YTD: 1.70%
Expense Ratio: 0.15%
Total Assets (millions): $1,554
19. ProShares High Yield—Interest Rate Hdgd (HYHG)
3-Yr. Return: 1.01%
Dividend YTD: 1.80%
Expense Ratio: 0.50%
Total Assets (millions): $151
Dividend YTD: 1.80%
Expense Ratio: 0.50%
Total Assets (millions): $151
18. Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU)
3-Yr. Return: 11.62%
Dividend YTD: 1.81%
Expense Ratio: 0.10%
Total Assets (millions): $3,281
Dividend YTD: 1.81%
Expense Ratio: 0.10%
Total Assets (millions): $3,281
17. Vanguard Consumer Staples ETF (VDC)
3-Yr. Return: 9.69%
Dividend YTD: 1.87%
Expense Ratio: 0.10%
Total Assets (millions): $4,455
Dividend YTD: 1.87%
Expense Ratio: 0.10%
Total Assets (millions): $4,455
16. iShares iBoxx $ Invmt Grade Corp Bd ETF (LQD)
3-Yr. Return: 4.00%
Dividend YTD: 1.91%
Expense Ratio: 0.15%
Total Assets (millions): $37,613
Dividend YTD: 1.91%
Expense Ratio: 0.15%
Total Assets (millions): $37,613
15. Vanguard 500 Index Investor (VFINX)
3-Yr. Return: 9.95%
Dividend YTD: 1.92%
Expense Ratio: 0.14%
Total Assets (millions): $329,289
Dividend YTD: 1.92%
Expense Ratio: 0.14%
Total Assets (millions): $329,289
14. iShares US Utilities ETF (IDU)
3-Yr. Return: 11.35%
Dividend YTD: 1.93%
Expense Ratio: 0.44%
Total Assets (millions): $728
Dividend YTD: 1.93%
Expense Ratio: 0.44%
Total Assets (millions): $728
13. iShares Mortgage Real Estate Capped ETF (REM)
3-Yr. Return: 8.51%
Dividend YTD: 2.01%
Expense Ratio: 0.48%
Total Assets (millions): $1,377
Dividend YTD: 2.01%
Expense Ratio: 0.48%
Total Assets (millions): $1,377
12. iShares Interest Rate Hdg Hi Yld Bd ETF (HYGH)
3-Yr. Return: 2.39%
Dividend YTD: 2.14%
Expense Ratio: 0.54%
Total Assets (millions): $178
Dividend YTD: 2.14%
Expense Ratio: 0.54%
Total Assets (millions): $178
11. iShares Core S&P 500 (IVV)
3-Yr. Return: 10.05%
Dividend YTD: 2.15%
Expense Ratio: 0.04%
Total Assets (millions): $121,340
Dividend YTD: 2.15%
Expense Ratio: 0.04%
Total Assets (millions): $121,340
10. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
3-Yr. Return: 9.99%
Dividend YTD: 2.22%
Expense Ratio: 0.10%
Total Assets (millions): $237,503
Dividend YTD: 2.22%
Expense Ratio: 0.10%
Total Assets (millions): $237,503
9. iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corp Bd ETF (HYG)
3-Yr. Return: 3.55%
Dividend YTD: 2.27%
Expense Ratio: 0.49%
Total Assets (millions): $18,900
Dividend YTD: 2.27%
Expense Ratio: 0.49%
Total Assets (millions): $18,900
8. UBS ETRACS 2xLvg Lng WF Busn Dev Co ETN (BDCL)
3-Yr. Return: 5.74%
Dividend YTD: 2.326%
Expense Ratio: 0.85%
Total Assets (millions): $278
Dividend YTD: 2.326%
Expense Ratio: 0.85%
Total Assets (millions): $278
7. UBS ETRACS Mthly Py 2xLvg Mortg REIT ETN (MORL)
3-Yr. Return: 15.63%
Dividend YTD: 2.329%
Expense Ratio: 0.40%
Total Assets (millions): $405
Dividend YTD: 2.329%
Expense Ratio: 0.40%
Total Assets (millions): $405
6. BlackRock Exchange BlackRock (STSEX)
3-Yr. Return: 6.91%
Dividend YTD: 2.50%
Expense Ratio: 0.62%
Total Assets (millions): $175
Dividend YTD: 2.50%
Expense Ratio: 0.62%
Total Assets (millions): $175
5. iShares S&P 500 Index K (WFSPX)
3-Yr. Return: 10.06
Dividend YTD: 2.505%
Expense Ratio: 0.04%
Total Assets (millions): $11,703
Dividend YTD: 2.505%
Expense Ratio: 0.04%
Total Assets (millions): $11,703
4. SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (DIA)
3-Yr. Return: 10.76%
Dividend YTD: 2.58%
Expense Ratio: 0.17%
Total Assets (millions): $16,659
Dividend YTD: 2.58%
Expense Ratio: 0.17%
Total Assets (millions): $16,659
3. iShares JP Morgan USD Em Mkts Bd ETF (EMB)
3-Yr. Return: 4.82%
Dividend YTD: 2.65%
Expense Ratio: 0.40%
Total Assets (millions):$11,801
Dividend YTD: 2.65%
Expense Ratio: 0.40%
Total Assets (millions):$11,801
2. Pimco 0-5 Year High Yield Corp Bd ETF (HYS)
3-Yr. Return: 4.00%
Dividend YTD: 2.66%
Expense Ratio: 0.55%
Total Assets (millions): $1,854
Dividend YTD: 2.66%
Expense Ratio: 0.55%
Total Assets (millions): $1,854
1. Eaton Vance Tx-Mgd Growth 1.0 (CAPEX)
3-Yr. Return: 9.49%
Dividend YTD: 6.95%
Expense Ratio: 0.49%
Total Assets (millions): $887
Dividend YTD: 6.95%
Expense Ratio: 0.49%
Total Assets (millions): $887
