VEA vs VYM: how much do they really overlap?
VEA (Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF, tracking the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US) and VYM (Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, tracking the FTSE High Dividend Yield) overlap by roughly 0% by weight. 0 of VEA's top 10 holdings also appear in VYM. A 50/50 blend of the two behaves like about 247 equally-weighted bets (diversification grade A). In short, the two funds hold almost none of the same securities — they are complementary, not redundant.
The same companies, in both funds
These 0 holdings appear in both VEA and VYM. The weight columns show how much of each fund each name represents.
| Holding | in VEA | in VYM |
|---|
Only in VEA
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF — developed ex-US. Its biggest holdings that VYM doesn’t have:
| 005930 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | 3.12% |
| 000660 SK hynix Inc. | 2.98% |
| ASML ASML Holding NV | 2.33% |
| HSBA HSBC Holdings plc | 0.99% |
| NOVN Novartis AG | 0.89% |
| RY Royal Bank of Canada | 0.88% |
| ROP Roche Holding AG | 0.88% |
| AZN AstraZeneca plc | 0.85% |
Only in VYM
Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF — US high-dividend. Its biggest holdings that VEA doesn’t have:
| AVGO Broadcom Inc. | 7.29% |
| JPM JPMorgan Chase & Co. | 3.38% |
| JNJ Johnson & Johnson | 2.54% |
| XOM Exxon Mobil Corp. | 2.36% |
| CAT Caterpillar Inc. | 2.01% |
| CSCO Cisco Systems Inc. | 1.92% |
| ABBV AbbVie Inc. | 1.85% |
| BAC Bank of America Corp. | 1.56% |
So — essentially different. Should you hold both?
VEA and VYM hold almost none of the same securities — they are complementary, not redundant. Held together they genuinely broaden your exposure — a 50/50 blend reaches ~247 effective positions (grade A), because they hold largely different securities.
Holdings as of — VEA: Jun 30, 2026 (Vanguard); VYM: Jun 30, 2026 (Vanguard). Refreshed monthly. Overlap is measured across each fund’s largest holdings (top 50); the diffuse long tail barely moves the math.
See this for YOUR whole portfolio, free →VEA vs VYM — FAQ
- How much do VEA and VYM overlap?
- VEA and VYM overlap by approximately 0% measured by portfolio weight — that is the share of the smaller fund's holdings (by weight) that also sit inside the other. 0 of VEA's 10 largest holdings are also held by VYM. They share 0 of their listed top holdings in total.
- Is it redundant to hold both VEA and VYM?
- Because they hold almost none of the same securities — they are complementary, not redundant, holding both is not redundant — each fund covers largely different holdings, so together they broaden your exposure. A 50/50 blend has an effective 247 positions and a A diversification grade.
- What does VYM hold that VEA doesn't?
- VYM's largest holdings that VEA doesn't hold include AVGO, JPM, JNJ, XOM, CAT. Its category is US high-dividend, versus VEA's developed ex-US.
- Which is more concentrated, VEA or VYM?
- VEA's top 10 holdings are 44% of its listed weight; VYM's are 45%. The more concentrated fund leans harder on its largest names.