Is SMTRX or VYM a better dividend investment in 2026?

SMTRX currently yields 4.21% with a 5% 5-year dividend growth rate. VYM yields 2.37% with 7.8% growth. The better choice depends on your goal: SMTRX offers higher current income.

What is the dividend yield difference between SMTRX and VYM?

SMTRX has a forward dividend yield of 4.21% ($0.41/share annually). VYM yields 2.37% ($3.51/share annually). The yield gap is 1.84 percentage points.

Home › Compare › SMTRX vs VYM

SMTRX vs VYM: Dividend Comparison 2026

SMTRX yields 4.21% · VYM yields 2.37%● Live data

vsPost on X →

After 10 years · $10,000 invested · DRIP enabled

🏆 VYM wins by $1.5K in total portfolio value

INVESTMENT

TIME HORIZON10 years

SMTRX

● Live price

4.21%

Share price

$9.64

Annual div

$0.41

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$26.3K

Annual income

$550.93

Full SMTRX calculator →

VYM

Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF

● Live price

2.37%

Share price

$148.10

Annual div

$3.51

5Y div CAGR

Payout ratio

50%

After 10 yrs · $10,000 · DRIP

Portfolio value

$27.8K

Annual income

$272.94

Full VYM calculator →

Portfolio growth — SMTRX vs VYM

📍 VYM pulled ahead of the other in Year 1

Annual dividend income

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Recession Test — Did They Cut Dividends?

How each stock treated shareholders during the 3 biggest crises of the last 20 years

Crisis Period	SMTRX	VYM
2008–2009 GFC	— No data	— No data
2020 Q1–Q2 COVID	— No data	— No data
2022 Q4 Rate Hike	— No data	— No data

Based on dividend payment history. "Increased" = dividend grew during crisis. "Maintained" = held within 3%. "Cut" = reduced by more than 3%.

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Dividend Calendar Overlap

Combined, SMTRX + VYM cover 0 of 12 months — good coverage

Jan

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Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

—

Jul

—

Aug

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Sep

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Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

SMTRX pays

VYM pays

Both pay

Neither

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Tax Bracket Optimizer

Which stock is actually better after tax? Adjust your rate to find out.

SMTRX

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$357.54/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$468.29/yr

VYM

Annual income on $10K today (after 15% tax)

$201.60/yr

After 10yr DRIP, annual income (after tax)

$232.00/yr

At 15% tax rate, SMTRX beats the other by $236.29/year in after-tax income after 10 years on $10,000

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Lazy Portfolio Split Optimizer

What's the optimal mix of SMTRX + VYM for your $10,000?

SMTRX: 50%VYM: 50%

100% VYM50/50100% SMTRX

Portfolio after 10yr

$27.0K

Annual income

$411.93/yr

Blended yield

1.52%

🏛️

Copy Congress — What Are Politicians Buying?

Senate & House STOCK Act disclosures (last 90 days)

SMTRX buys

VYM buys

No recent congressional trades found for SMTRX or VYM in the last 90 days.

STOCK Act mandates disclosure within 45 days of transaction. Data via FMP.Full tracker →

MetricSMTRXVYM

Forward yield	4.21% ✓	2.37%
Annual dividend / share	$0.41	$3.51 ✓
Payout ratio	50%	50%
1-year div growth	0%	0%
5-year div CAGR	0%	0%
Portfolio after 10y	$26.3K	$27.8K ✓
Annual income after 10y	$550.93 ✓	$272.94
Total dividends collected	$4.9K ✓	$2.6K
Payment frequency	quarterly	quarterly
Sector	Stock	ETF

Year-by-year: SMTRX vs VYM ($10,000, DRIP)

Year	SMTRX Portfolio	SMTRX Income/yr	VYM Portfolio	VYM Income/yr	Gap
1← crossover	$11,121	$420.63	$11,147	$237.17	$26.00 → VYM
2	$12,336	$437.17	$12,404	$242.33	$68.00 → VYM
3	$13,653	$453.23	$13,780	$247.16	$127.00 → VYM
4	$15,078	$468.79	$15,285	$251.67	$207.00 → VYM
5	$16,617	$483.84	$16,932	$255.88	$315.00 → VYM
6	$18,278	$498.35	$18,733	$259.81	$455.00 → VYM
7	$20,070	$512.31	$20,701	$263.46	$631.00 → VYM
8	$22,001	$525.73	$22,852	$266.86	$851.00 → VYM
9	$24,079	$538.60	$25,201	$270.01	$1.1K → VYM
10	$26,316	$550.93	$27,768	$272.94	$1.5K → VYM

SMTRX vs VYM: Complete Analysis 2026

SMTRX — Stock

The fund pursues its investment objective by primarily investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds. Bonds include, but are not limited to, government notes and bonds, corporate bonds, convertible bonds, commercial and residential mortgage-backed securities, and zero-coupon bonds. It may also invest in asset-backed securities, money market instruments, commercial loans, and foreign debt securities (including investments in emerging markets).

Full SMTRX Calculator →

VYM — ETF

Seeks to track the performance of the FTSE High Dividend Yield Index, which measures the investment return of common stocks of companies characterized by high dividend yields. Provides a convenient way to track the performance of stocks that are forecasted to have above-average dividend yields. Follows a passively managed, full-replication approach.

Full VYM Calculator →

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⚠️ Educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Congressional trades sourced from SEC STOCK Act filings via FMP. Past performance does not guarantee future results.