ETF Versus

SCHM vs VO

Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF vs Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

SCHM Schwab

Schwab U.S. Mid-Cap ETF (SCHM) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.04%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.40%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $12.6B ER: 0.04% Yield: 1.40% Since: Jan 13, 2011
VO Vanguard

Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VO) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.50%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $90.7B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.50% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.03% vs 0.04%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, SCHM has significantly outperformed with a 18.8% return vs 11.4%.

Key Metrics

Metric SCHM VO
Expense Ratio 0.04% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 1.4% 1.5%
Fund Family Schwab Vanguard
Category US Mid Cap US Mid Cap

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 92 104 116 128 140 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
SCHM +23.5%
VO +27.8%

Performance Comparison

Period SCHM VO Difference
1 Month -5.47% -5.54% +0.07%
3 Months +2.53% -1.24% +3.77%
6 Months +4.03% -2.10% +6.13%
YTD +2.53% -1.24% +3.77%
1 Year +18.78% +11.38% +7.40%
3 Years +38.25% +37.24% +1.01%
5 Years +23.49% +27.84% -4.35%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SCHM Fees VO Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $80 $60 $20
$10.000 20 years $344 $258 $86
$10.000 30 years $1.112 $835 $277
$50.000 10 years $399 $299 $100
$50.000 30 years $5.560 $4.176 $1.385
$100.000 30 years $11.121 $8.352 $2.769

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SCHM VO
Annualized Volatility 19.5% 17.6%
Max Drawdown -27.4% -28.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.08 0.11

Dividend Comparison

Metric SCHM VO
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.44 $4.33
Dividend Yield 1.40% 1.50%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

SCHM Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.95%
Ciena CorporationCIEN1.21%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE1.07%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.98%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.74%
Texas Pacific Land CorporationTPL0.63%
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.62%
Tapestry, Inc.TPR0.60%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.57%
FTAI Aviation Ltd.FTAI0.53%

VO Top Holdings

NameWeight
Newmont CorporationNEM1.46%
Corning IncorporatedGLW1.20%
Howmet Aerospace Inc.HWM1.09%
Constellation Energy CorporationCEG1.06%
Vertiv Holdings CoVRT0.99%
Western Digital CorporationWDC0.99%
Seagate Technology Holdings plcSTX0.90%
Quanta Services, Inc.PWR0.87%
Cummins Inc.CMI0.83%
CRH plcCRH0.83%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHM if...

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

Either works if...

you just need broad us mid cap exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

Related Comparisons