SCHD vs SDY: Dividend Yield, Total Return & Fees Compared

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETFState Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF

Data as of the close · refreshed automatically every trading day

Higher yieldSCHD3.18% vs 2.54%
Better 1-year total returnSCHD+27.35% vs +10.47%
Better 5-year total returnSCHD+57.83% vs +42.38%

SCHD vs SDY at a glance

This page compares Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) with State Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) using prices and distributions through September 25, 2026. The numbers update automatically after each trading session.

With dividends reinvested, SCHD has led over the last 12 months at +27.35% versus +10.47% for SDY. SCHD currently yields 3.18% (trailing 12-month) against 2.54% for SDY. Across five years the total-return gap is +57.83% for SCHD vs +42.38% for SDY.

SCHD leads on both current yield and 1-year total return. Yields and returns move with markets, so check the longer periods below before drawing conclusions.

Key figures for SCHD and SDY
MetricSCHDSDY
Last close$33.21$148.59
Dividend yield3.18% (TTM)2.54% (TTM)
Expense ratio0.06%—
Paysquarterlyquarterly
Dividends, last 12 months$1.06 (4 payments)$3.78 (4 payments)
IssuerSchwabState Street
InceptionOct 21, 2011—

Performance: SCHD vs SDY

Total return assumes every distribution is reinvested. Switch to price return to see the change in share price alone.

SCHDSDY

Total Return (%) · dividends reinvested · Sep 25, 2025 – Sep 25, 2026

DividendDuel.com

Overview

Key fund stats as of the latest close.

ETFTTM yield1Y total returnLast closeLast dividendPaysIssuer
SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
3.18%
+27.35%Best$33.21$0.267QuarterlySchwab
SDYState Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF
2.54%
+10.47%$148.59$0.917QuarterlyState Street

Total returns

Price change plus dividends paid, by holding period. Best in each period is outlined.

ETF1M3M6M1Y2Y5Y
SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF-4.65%+4.74%+10.49%+27.35%+28.43%+57.83%
SDYState Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF-5.53%-1.74%+3.46%+10.47%+11.74%+42.38%

Dividends

Latest payout, trailing 12-month total and the last 12 distributions.

ETFLatest payoutvs. priorTrailing 12MRecent payouts
SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF$0.267Sep 23, 2026+5.53%$1.0554 payoutsDec 6, 2023: $0.25Mar 20, 2024: $0.20Jun 26, 2024: $0.27Sep 25, 2024: $0.25Dec 11, 2024: $0.265Mar 26, 2025: $0.249Jun 25, 2025: $0.26Sep 24, 2025: $0.26Dec 10, 2025: $0.278Mar 25, 2026: $0.257Jun 24, 2026: $0.253Sep 23, 2026: $0.267
SDYState Street SPDR S&P Dividend ETF$0.917Sep 21, 2026-5.27%$3.7764 payoutsDec 15, 2023: $0.978Mar 15, 2024: $0.708Jun 21, 2024: $0.859Sep 20, 2024: $0.785Dec 20, 2024: $1.03Mar 24, 2025: $0.818Jun 23, 2025: $0.927Sep 22, 2025: $0.871Dec 22, 2025: $1.017Mar 23, 2026: $0.874Jun 22, 2026: $0.968Sep 21, 2026: $0.917

Recent dividend payments

The latest 12 distributions per share for each fund, newest first.

SCHDSDY
Sep 23, 2026$0.267Sep 21, 2026$0.917
Jun 24, 2026$0.253Jun 22, 2026$0.968
Mar 25, 2026$0.257Mar 23, 2026$0.874
Dec 10, 2025$0.278Dec 22, 2025$1.02
Sep 24, 2025$0.260Sep 22, 2025$0.871
Jun 25, 2025$0.260Jun 23, 2025$0.927
Mar 26, 2025$0.249Mar 24, 2025$0.818
Dec 11, 2024$0.265Dec 20, 2024$1.03
Sep 25, 2024$0.250Sep 20, 2024$0.785
Jun 26, 2024$0.270Jun 21, 2024$0.859
Mar 20, 2024$0.200Mar 15, 2024$0.708
Dec 6, 2023$0.250Dec 15, 2023$0.978

SCHD vs SDY: common questions

Which pays a higher dividend, SCHD or SDY?

As of September 25, 2026, SCHD yields 3.18% (trailing 12-month) and SDY yields 2.54% (trailing 12-month), so SCHD currently pays the higher yield. A higher yield does not guarantee a higher total return.

Which has performed better, SCHD or SDY?

Over the past year with dividends reinvested, SCHD returned +27.35% and SDY returned +10.47%. Over five years, SCHD returned +57.83% and SDY returned +42.38%. Past performance does not predict future results.

What would $10,000 in SCHD vs SDY be worth after one year?

With dividends reinvested, $10,000 invested one year before September 25, 2026 would have grown to about $12,735 in SCHD and $11,047 in SDY.

How often do SCHD and SDY pay dividends?

SCHD pays quarterly (4 payments in the last 12 months) and SDY pays quarterly (4 payments).

Is SCHD or SDY the better investment?

It depends on your goals, time horizon and tax situation. Income-focused investors often weigh yield and payment frequency, while long-term investors usually compare total return and fees. Dividend Duel is an educational tool and does not provide investment advice.

Related comparisons

More side-by-side comparisons with SCHD and SDY.

Figures come from end-of-day prices and distributions and are recalculated after every trading session; see our methodology. This page is for education only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Read the full disclosure.