CGDV vs DGRO: Active Selection or Dividend Growth?
CGDV uses active management, investing primarily in dividend-paying larger U.S. companies while allowing other holdings under its mandate. DGRO tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. Neither approach promises rising dividends, superior returns, or protection from equity losses.
Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.
Total returns
100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.
CGDV has outpaced DGRO over the trailing twelve months, posting a 18.06% total return against 13.61%. The lead holds up over 3 years too: CGDV has compounded at 24.69% a year, against 17.92% for DGRO. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.
Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of September 30, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Feb 2022” measures every fund from February 24, 2022 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.
Side-by-side snapshot
Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric;
each column is one fund.
Actively managed portfolio seeking dividend-paying U.S. companies with attractive valuations.
Seeks to track the investment results of the Morningstar U.S. Dividend Growth Index, which measures the performance of U.S. equities with a history of consistently growing dividends. Companies must have a payout ratio less than 75% and are excluded if in the top decile based on dividend yield.
Bottom lineChoose CGDV if you want active dividend-value selection and accept manager discretion. Choose DGRO if you want rules-based dividend-growth exposure and accept the index's constraints. CGDV gives managers discretion; DGRO follows index rules. Dividend histories and current distributions do not establish future growth or safety.
Active dividend-value selection versus dividend-growth rules
CGDV uses active management, investing primarily in dividend-paying larger U.S. companies while allowing other holdings under its mandate. DGRO tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. Neither approach promises rising dividends, superior returns, or protection from equity losses.
CGDV
DGRO
Approach
Active dividend-value portfolio
Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index
Risk review
Manager selection, equity, and portfolio concentration risks
Index selection, dividend cuts, and portfolio concentration risks
ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.
Capital Group is one of the largest ETF providers, known for offering diversified fund solutions across multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The company manages 291 ETFs organized across seven fund families including Allocation, American Funds, Bond, Dividend, Equity, International, and Municipal, enabling investors to build comprehensive portfolios from income-focused to growth-oriented strategies. Capital Group's broad lineup and established presence across equity, fixed income, and diversified allocation categories position it as a significant player serving both individual and institutional investors with varied investment objectives.
See our curated list of related YouTube videos on CGDV.
ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.
iShares is one of the largest ETF providers globally, known for offering a broad, diversified lineup of exchange-traded funds across multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The company operates 215 funds spanning 15 distinct families, including popular offerings in dividend income, covered call strategies, bonds, equities, ESG-focused investments, and factor-based approaches, with widely-held tickers like AGG (bond), ACWI (global equity), and AOA (allocation). iShares is characterized by its comprehensive fund ecosystem that serves both core portfolio holdings and specialized investment strategies, making it a prominent player for investors seeking both traditional and alternative income-generating ETF solutions.
See our curated list of related YouTube videos on DGRO.
CGDV (Capital Group Dividend Value ETF) and DGRO (iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF) are both quarterly-pay dividend ETFs, but they take different approaches.
DGRO offers the higher yield at 2.04% vs 1.50% for CGDV. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.
DGRO is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.08% compared to 0.33%.
They have different reference exposures: CGDV is linked to Actively managed basket of U.S. dividend-paying equities while DGRO is linked to Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index, which means their performance drivers differ.
DGRO is the larger fund by assets ($42.5B), but assets alone do not establish trading costs or liquidity.
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On a $10,000 investment, CGDV would generate roughly $37.50 cash per distribution, while DGRO would produce $51.00 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates. Both pay quarterly distributions.
CGDV yield1.50%
DGRO yield2.04%
Cash diff on $10K$13.50
Cost & efficiency
Over 10 years on $10,000, CGDV would cost approximately $330 in fees vs $80 for DGRO (simplified, not compounded). The $250.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.
CGDV ER0.33%
DGRO ER0.08%
Strategy & risk
CGDV uses active management, investing primarily in dividend-paying larger U.S. companies while allowing other holdings under its mandate. DGRO tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. Neither approach promises rising dividends, superior returns, or protection from equity losses. Beta describes historical benchmark sensitivity, not guaranteed downside protection.
CGDV beta0.83
DGRO beta0.66
Fund details
CGDV is managed by Capital Group (launched 02/22/2022) with $39.0B in assets. DGRO is managed by iShares (launched 06/10/2014) with $42.5B in assets.
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Frequently asked questions
Does CGDV's active management justify its fee automatically?
No. A fee pays for the strategy; it does not establish skill or future outperformance. Compare net total returns over matching periods, holdings, sector weights, and the role of each fund in your portfolio. Overlap matters in proportion to position sizes and does not by itself eliminate diversification.
How should I compare risk and ownership costs?
Use matching dates and definitions for returns, distributions, and fees. Beta describes historical benchmark sensitivity, not guaranteed downside protection. Check current bid-ask spreads and premiums or discounts; AUM alone does not determine the price available for your order.
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