What is the expense ratio of AGG vs DGRO?

AGG has an expense ratio of 0.03%, while DGRO has an expense ratio of 0.08%.

AGG vs DGRO

iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF vs iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

AGG iShares

iShares Core US Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to the broad U.S. investment-grade bond market. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.94%. Launched in 2003, the fund has a 23-year track record.

AUM: $137.9B ER: 0.03% Yield: 3.94% Since: Sep 22, 2003

DGRO iShares

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.10%. Launched in 2014, the fund has a 12-year track record.

AUM: $36.8B ER: 0.08% Yield: 2.10% Since: Jun 10, 2014

Quick Verdict

AGG has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.08%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, DGRO has significantly outperformed with a 13.9% return vs 0.0%. Income investors may prefer AGG for its higher yield (3.9% vs 2.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric	AGG	DGRO
Expense Ratio	0.03%	0.08%
Dividend Yield	3.9%	2.1%
Fund Family	iShares	iShares
Category	US Aggregate Bond	US Dividend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

AGG -13.0%

DGRO +42.9%

Performance Comparison

Period	AGG	DGRO	Difference
1 Month	-1.67%	-4.90%	+3.23%
3 Months	-0.85%	+0.57%	-1.42%
6 Months	-1.18%	+2.36%	-3.54%
YTD	-0.85%	+0.57%	-1.42%
1 Year	+0.04%	+13.94%	-13.90%
3 Years	-0.82%	+39.53%	-40.35%
5 Years	-13.01%	+42.86%	-55.87%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment	Period	AGG Fees	DGRO Fees	You Save
$10.000	10 years	$60	$159	$99
$10.000	20 years	$258	$686	$427
$10.000	30 years	$835	$2.212	$1.377
$50.000	10 years	$299	$797	$497
$50.000	30 years	$4.176	$11.061	$6.886
$100.000	30 years	$8.352	$22.123	$13.771

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric	AGG	DGRO
Annualized Volatility	6.1%	13.9%
Max Drawdown	-21.4%	-20.7%
Sharpe Ratio	-1.17	0.26

Dividend Comparison

Metric	AGG	DGRO
Annual Dividend (per share)	$3.90	$1.47
Dividend Yield	3.94%	2.10%
Distribution Frequency	Monthly	Quarterly

Top Holdings

DGRO Top Holdings

Name	Weight
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM	3.43%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ	2.94%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM	2.93%
Apple Inc.AAPL	2.87%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT	2.71%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV	2.67%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO	2.49%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG	2.14%
Philip Morris International Inc.PM	2.05%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK	2.05%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose AGG if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose DGRO if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose AGG if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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