DGRO vs VTI: Correlation & Overlap
How closely do iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.85, which is very strong. The two funds also share 41.5% of their portfolios by weight.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are DGRO and VTI?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of DGRO and VTI correlate at 0.85, very strong, meaning they move nearly in lockstep. The past 12 months show a weaker link (0.65) than the 3-year average (0.85). Stretching to 5 years gives 0.90, with an annualized covariance of 141.6 %².
Within DGRO's tracked universe of 138 assets, VTI comes in at #15 by 3-year correlation. Neither side won the trailing year by much: +21.0% against +20.7%. Across three years, the rolling one-year figure varied moderately, from 0.65 to 0.94.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
DGRO vs VTI: side by side
| DGRO (iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF) | VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +21.0% | +20.7% |
| 5-year return | +67.9% | +74.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 11.4% | 14.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.65 | 1.01 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -14.0% | -19.3% |
| Dividend yield | 1.89% | 1.06% |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | $42.8B | $2,290.0B |
| Sector / category | ETF · Dividend | ETF · US Large Cap |
On the fund side, DGRO sits in the Large Value category at iShares, with $42.8B under management, 383 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 1.89% trailing dividend yield. VTI, Vanguard's Large Blend fund, carries $2,290.0B under management, 3140 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 1.06% trailing dividend yield.
Portfolio overlap between DGRO and VTI
The two portfolios overlap heavily. Weighing the shared positions, 41.5% of the two funds is identical, spread across 381 common holdings. That shared book is a large part of why the returns line up.
| Common holding | Weight in DGRO | Weight in VTI |
|---|---|---|
| MSFT | 3.39% | 4.80% |
| AAPL | 2.85% | 6.31% |
| AVGO | 2.28% | 2.56% |
| JPM | 3.14% | 1.31% |
| LLY | 1.21% | 1.36% |
| XOM | 2.86% | 0.90% |
| JNJ | 3.16% | 0.86% |
| V | 1.13% | 0.83% |
| WMT | 0.80% | 0.68% |
| MA | 0.73% | 0.63% |
| ABBV | 3.03% | 0.62% |
| CSCO | 1.27% | 0.57% |
| BAC | 1.80% | 0.55% |
| COST | 0.54% | 0.59% |
| UNH | 1.67% | 0.52% |
Largest positions held only by DGRO: NXPI (0.15%), RPRX (0.08%). Only by VTI: NVDA (6.42%), AMZN (3.66%), GOOGL (2.91%), GOOG (2.32%), META (1.70%).
Overlap = sum of the smaller of the two weights across common holdings, from issuer disclosures as of 2026-08-26. Top 15 common positions shown.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | DGRO | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -7.9% | -19.5% |
| 2023 | +10.5% | +26.0% |
| 2024 | +16.6% | +23.8% |
| 2025 | +15.7% | +17.1% |
| 2026 | +15.2% | +14.2% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are DGRO and VTI good diversifiers for each other?
No. With a correlation of 0.85, DGRO and VTI move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification. They also hold much of the same portfolio (41.5% overlap), so the exposure is doubly redundant.
FAQ
What is the correlation between DGRO and VTI?
The DGRO/VTI correlation stands at 0.85 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.65, 5 years: 0.90), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VTI a good diversifier for DGRO?
No. With a correlation of 0.85, DGRO and VTI move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification. They also hold much of the same portfolio (41.5% overlap), so the exposure is doubly redundant.
How much do DGRO and VTI overlap?
41.5% by weight, across 381 common holdings, based on issuer-disclosed portfolios as of 2026-08-26.
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Hubs: DGRO correlations · VTI correlations
