Do ETF funds pay dividends?
Yes, some ETFs give dividends to their investors. The amount and frequency of the dividend payments depend on the ETF's underlying assets, such as stocks, bonds, or other securities.
High-dividend ETFs may generate income
Dividend-paying ETFs can be a great tool for those looking to increase cash flow and diversify their investments. They offer a simple solution to getting exposure to a specific investing niche — in this case, stocks that pay a regular dividend.
Some but not all equity ETFs pay dividends to their shareholders. Not all ETF dividends are taxed the same; they are broken down into qualified and unqualified dividends. Qualified dividends are taxed between 0% and 20%. Unqualified dividends are taxed from 10% to 37%.
Allocating Dividends
If an ETF has 100 shares of a company outstanding, the investor who owns ten shares has the right to 10% of the dividends earned by the ETF. The financial institution managing the ETF will receive the distribution and pass it to investors, usually quarterly.
Vanguard is a large investment advisor offering mutual funds and ETFs, many of which pay dividends. Most of Vanguard's ETF products pay monthly or quarterly dividends.
Cons. No guarantee of future dividends. Stock price declines may offset yield. Dividends are taxed in the year they are distributed to shareholders.
Dividend ETFs can be a good option for investors looking for a low-cost, diversified and reliable source of income from their investments. Dividend stocks may be a better option for investors who prefer to choose their own investments.
| Symbol | Name | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| NVD | GraniteShares 2x Short NVDA Daily ETF | 59.50% |
| KMET | KraneShares Electrification Metals Strategy ETF | 55.71% |
| TILL | Teucrium Agricultural Strategy No K-1 ETF | 53.10% |
| TSLY | YieldMax TSLA Option Income Strategy ETF | 52.44% |
How Do Dividends Work in an ETF? ETF issuers collect any dividends paid by the companies whose stocks are held in the fund, and they then pay those dividends to their shareholders. They may pay the money directly to the shareholders, or reinvest it in the fund.
In order to meet the "qualified" criteria, certain conditions must be met. Chief among them is the holding period for the security in question. If you hold the ETF for more than 60 days over the prior 121 day period, the dividend is generally considered "qualified".
Do you pay taxes on ETF dividends?
Dividends and interest payments from ETFs are taxed similarly to income from the underlying stocks or bonds inside them. For U.S. taxpayers, this income needs to be reported on form 1099-DIV. 2 If you earn a profit by selling an ETF, they are taxed like the underlying stocks or bonds as well.
Monthly dividends can be a big benefit to income-oriented investors, especially those who are in retirement or relying on dividends as an important source of income. Low commission rates start at $0 for U.S. listed stocks & ETFs*. Margin loan rates from 5.83% to 6.83%.
Automatic dividend reinvestment plans (DRIPs) directly from the fund sponsor aren't yet available on all ETFs although most brokerages will allow you to set up a DRIP for any ETF that pays dividends. This can be a smart idea because there's often a longer settlement time required by ETFs.
| Symbol Symbol | ETF Name ETF Name | % In Top 10 % In Top 10 |
|---|---|---|
| VIG | Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | 32.18% |
| VYM | Vanguard High Dividend Yield Index ETF | 25.50% |
| VYMI | Vanguard International High Dividend Yield ETF | 14.60% |
| VIGI | Vanguard International Dividend Appreciation ETF | 35.23% |
VTI is a total U.S. market fund and holds more than 3,500 stocks. VTI is better diversified and benefits from small and mid-cap stocks that grow into large caps. VOO is less diversified, tracking the performance of the S&P 500 Index. VOO excludes small and mid-cap stocks.
What Is a Good Dividend Yield? Yields from 2% to 6% are generally considered to be a good dividend yield, but there are plenty of factors to consider when deciding if a stock's yield makes it a good investment. Your own investment goals should also play a big role in deciding what a good dividend yield is for you.
An investor may have difficulties selling when the ETF is thinly traded, which means it trades at low volume and often high volatility. This can be seen in the difference between what an investor will pay for an ETF (the bid) and the price it can be sold for (the ask).
For most personal investors, an optimal number of ETFs to hold would be 5 to 10 across asset classes, geographies, and other characteristics.
There are a couple of reasons that make dividend-paying stocks particularly useful. First, the income they provide can help investors meet liquidity needs. And second, dividend-focused investing has historically demonstrated the ability to help to lower volatility and buffer losses during market drawdowns.
9 In other words, dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to macroeconomic and company-specific risks. Another downside to dividend-paying stocks is that companies that pay dividends are not usually high-growth leaders.
Should I focus on dividends or growth?
If you are looking to create wealth and have a longer time horizon, staying invested in growth will enable you to enjoy longer returns. But if you are looking for a more immediate return and steady cash flow, dividend investing could be the best choice for you.
The Bottom Line. Both index mutual funds and ETFs can provide investors with broad, diversified exposure to the stock market, making them good long-term investments suitable for most investors. ETFs may be more accessible and easier to trade for retail investors because they trade like shares of stock on exchanges.
Some ETFs might provide passive income given enough capital invested, but this depends on market conditions. Dividend ETFs can be a good passive income generator, but again, it depends on market conditions and how much you have invested and hold.
| Stock | Forward dividend yield |
|---|---|
| Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) | 3.5% |
| Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) | 3% |
| Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) | 2.3% |
| Home Depot Inc. (HD) | 2.4% |
Do Dividend ETFs Outperform the S&P 500? Not necessarily. While dividend ETFs can offer stable income, their growth potential is generally lower over the long run. That said, dividend ETFs may outperform the S&P 500 during particular time frames, such as during a recession or a period of easing interest rates.
