ETF Versus

DGRO vs ITOT

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF vs iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

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
ITOT iShares

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to the total U.S. stock market across all capitalizations. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.12%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $77.6B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.12% Since: Jan 20, 2004

Quick Verdict

ITOT has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.03% vs 0.08%), saving about $99 per $10,000 over 10 years. ITOT has edged ahead over the past year (17.2% vs 13.9%). Income investors may prefer DGRO for its higher yield (2.1% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric DGRO ITOT
Expense Ratio 0.08% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 2.1% 1.1%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Dividend US Total Market

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 97 114 131 148 165 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
DGRO +42.9%
ITOT +52.8%

Performance Comparison

Period DGRO ITOT Difference
1 Month -4.90% -4.55% -0.35%
3 Months +0.57% -3.83% +4.40%
6 Months +2.36% -2.08% +4.44%
YTD +0.57% -3.83% +4.40%
1 Year +13.94% +17.17% -3.23%
3 Years +39.53% +57.97% -18.44%
5 Years +42.86% +52.82% -9.96%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

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

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric DGRO ITOT
Annualized Volatility 13.9% 17.4%
Max Drawdown -20.7% -26.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.26 0.32

Dividend Comparison

Metric DGRO ITOT
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.47 $1.61
Dividend Yield 2.10% 1.13%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

3 of top 9 holdings overlap (33% overlap in top holdings)

DGRO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Exxon Mobil CorporationXOM3.43%
Johnson & JohnsonJNJ2.94%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.JPM2.93%
Apple Inc.AAPL2.87%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT2.71%
AbbVie Inc.ABBV2.67%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.49%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG2.14%
Philip Morris International Inc.PM2.05%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK2.05%

ITOT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA6.59%
Apple Inc.AAPL5.91%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.29%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.15%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.31%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.07%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.86%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.65%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.39%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose ITOT if...

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

Choose ITOT if...

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

Choose DGRO if...

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

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