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Preview data: all rankings, scores, votes, refresh labels, methodology, testing and editorial-process statements in Top 49 are illustrative demo content, not live measurements or documented reviews.
Rank 053Down 3
#5 in Dividend ETFs
of 16 ranked entries
SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY)
State Street · Launched 2005
SDY tracks the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats index, which structurally requires at least twenty consecutive years of dividend increases for inclusion — a longer track record requirement than most peer funds. Recorded specifics: launched 2005, issuer State Street, category Dividend Growth. Panel highlighted twenty-year consecutive-increase requirement is structurally stringent, tracks a well-established S&P Dividend Aristocrats methodology and long track record since 2005. The reservation on record is strict tenure requirement structurally excludes many younger dividend payers.
Dividend Growth
Score breakdown
How SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) earned 91.4
Each criterion is scored independently, then combined using the weights published on Dividend ETFs.
- Cost efficiencyweight 30%
- 90.4
- Screening methodologyweight 25%
- 89.0
- Diversificationweight 25%
- 94.0
- Track recordweight 20%
- 92.5
On the record
Recorded detail
| Launched | 2005 |
|---|---|
| Issuer | State Street |
| Category | Dividend Growth |
| Expense ratio | 0.35% |
Panel verdict
Strengths and reservations
What it gets right
- Twenty-year consecutive-increase requirement is structurally stringent
- Tracks a well-established S&P Dividend Aristocrats methodology
- Long track record since 2005
Where it gives ground
- Strict tenure requirement structurally excludes many younger dividend payers
1 appearance
Where this entry ranks
From the same list
Ranked alongside it
Rank 01Editor’s pickSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD)
Charles Schwab · Launched 2011
SCHD screens for companies with at least ten consecutive years of dividend payments alongside quality metrics like cash flow and return on equity, a structurally more selective methodology than funds that simply rank by current yield.
98.2/100 Top 49 score—No change
Rank 02Editor’s pickVanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF (VIG)
Vanguard · Launched 2006
VIG requires a minimum ten-year streak of consecutive dividend increases for index inclusion, structurally prioritising growth consistency over the highest current payout among eligible companies.
95.7/100 Top 49 score1Down 1
Rank 03Editor’s pickVanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM)
Vanguard · Launched 2006
VYM is structured around current payout level rather than growth consistency, tracking an index of US companies with above-average dividend yields at the time of each rebalance.
95.5/100 Top 49 score1Up 1
Rank 04iShares Select Dividend ETF (DVY)
BlackRock · Launched 2003
DVY applies a five-year consecutive-payment screen combined with a payout-ratio filter, a structurally older methodology than several newer entrants on this list but with one of the longest continuous track records.
92.8/100 Top 49 score3Down 3
Rank 06ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF (NOBL)
ProShares · Launched 2013
NOBL applies the strictest tenure screen on this list — twenty-five consecutive years of dividend increases and S&P 500 membership — resulting in a structurally smaller, more concentrated holdings list than broader dividend funds.
90.1/100 Top 49 score1Down 1
Rank 07Editor’s pickJPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI)
JPMorgan Asset Management · Launched 2020
JEPI is structured differently from the rest of this list — it combines equity holdings with a written options overlay to generate income, a fundamentally different mechanism than a straightforward dividend-screened equity fund.
88.4/100 Top 49 score3Up 3
Rank 08Invesco S&P 500 High Dividend Low Volatility ETF (SPHD)
Invesco · Launched 2012
SPHD combines a high-dividend screen with a low-volatility filter, structurally narrowing its universe to companies that meet both criteria simultaneously rather than optimising for yield alone.
85.4/100 Top 49 score3Up 3
Rank 09iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO)
BlackRock · Launched 2014
DGRO applies a payout-ratio sustainability filter alongside its dividend-growth screen, structurally designed to exclude companies whose payouts appear stretched relative to earnings.
84.4/100 Top 49 score1Down 1
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Top 49 rankings are editorial. Scores are produced from the published criteria on each list and are refreshed on the cadence stated there. Figures shown across this section are curated demonstration data.