What is the fee difference between SCHY and VXUS?

SCHY charges 0.08% a year and VXUS charges 0.05%. On a $10,000 investment that is about $8 for SCHY and $5 for VXUS, a $3 difference. Both are low-cost funds, and the extra cost of SCHY reflects its screened dividend strategy rather than a simple broad market index.

What does each fund track?

SCHY tracks the Dow Jones International Dividend 100 index, which selects non-US companies for dividend consistency and quality, giving 133 holdings. VXUS tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex US index, which covers large, mid and small companies in developed and emerging markets outside the US, giving about 8,860 holdings.

How much do SCHY and VXUS overlap?

Every SCHY holding is a non-US company, so most of them are also somewhere inside VXUS's 8,860 stocks. At the top the funds look very different, though. Only Roche appears in both top 10 lists. VXUS is led by Taiwan Semiconductor at 3.97% and Samsung, while SCHY is led by Unilever, Roche and DHL.

Which pays a higher dividend?

SCHY, with a yield of 3.39% against 2.28% for VXUS. That is the purpose of the fund: it selects companies with strong dividend records, while VXUS holds the whole market including many low-yield growth companies. Both pay in US dollars after converting income from local currencies.

Which fund suits which goal?

SCHY suits an investor who wants international exposure mainly for income and prefers a concentrated list of established payers. VXUS suits an investor who wants the entire non-US stock market, including growth companies and emerging markets, at the lowest cost. The two can also be combined.

How do the funds compare on size and liquidity?

VXUS is far larger, with $164.04 billion in net assets versus $2.6 billion for SCHY, and has traded since January 2011 compared with April 2021 for SCHY. Both are accessible to retail investors on US exchanges, but VXUS's scale generally means higher volumes and tighter spreads.

How are dividends from SCHY and VXUS taxed?

Both are US-listed ETFs holding foreign stocks, so dividends may be taxed twice on the way to a non-US investor: once by the companies' home countries and once by US withholding. Treaty rates and account types change the outcome, and SCHY's higher yield makes this more significant. Check local rules.

Can I hold both SCHY and VXUS?

Yes. A common approach is to hold VXUS as the core international position and add SCHY to raise the portfolio's dividend yield. Because SCHY's holdings mostly sit inside VXUS already, adding it tilts the mix toward mature dividend payers in Europe, Australia and Asia rather than adding new markets.

Is VXUS too concentrated in semiconductors?

Four of VXUS's five largest holdings are chip-related: Taiwan Semiconductor at 3.97%, Samsung Electronics at 1.9%, SK hynix at 1.46% and ASML at 1.42%. Together they are about 8.8% of the fund. That is a visible tilt at the top, but with roughly 8,860 holdings the fund remains very diversified overall.

SCHY vs VXUS

Two funds, one decision: we compare cost, performance and what each ETF actually holds in September 2026.

SCHY tracks the Dow Jones International Dividend 100, holding 133 non-US dividend payers such as Unilever and Roche, with a 3.39% yield for 0.08% a year. VXUS tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex US index with about 8,860 stocks, yields 2.28% and costs 0.05%. SCHY suits investors who want international income; VXUS covers the whole ex-US market. Educational content, not financial advice.

SCHY tracks the Dow Jones International Dividend 100, holding 133 non-US dividend payers such as Unilever and Roche, with a 3.39% yield for 0.08% a year. VXUS tracks the FTSE Global All Cap ex US inde...

Fund Snapshot

Key Fund Metrics

SCHY

Metric

VXUS

0.08%

Expense Ratio

0.05%

3.39%

Dividend Yield

2.28%

$2.60B

Net Assets

$164.04B

133

Holdings

8,860

Apr 29, 2021

Inception Date

Jan 26, 2011

Dow Jones International Dividend 100 Index

Index Tracked

FTSE Global All Cap x US

Foreign Large Value

Fund Category

Foreign Large Blend

VXUS costs about $3.00 less per year for every $10,000 invested.

Shared Top Holdings

Holding	SCHY	VXUS
SWX: ROPRoche Holding AG	4.31%	0.67%

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Investment Analysis

SCHY

Pros

Dividend yield of 3.39%, well above the 2.28% paid by VXUS.
Focuses on 133 companies screened for dividend history and financial quality.
Largest holding, Unilever, is just 4.32%, so no single stock dominates.

Considerations

Expense ratio of 0.08% is higher than VXUS's 0.05%.
Small fund at $2.6 billion in net assets, launched only in April 2021.
Only 133 holdings, so it misses most of the roughly 8,860 stocks VXUS covers.

VXUS

Pros

Expense ratio of 0.05%, or about $5 a year per $10,000 invested.
About 8,860 holdings spanning developed and emerging markets outside the US.
Large, established fund with $164.04 billion in net assets since 2011.

Considerations

Dividend yield of 2.28% is over a percentage point below SCHY's 3.39%.
Top five holdings are mostly semiconductor makers: TSMC, Samsung, SK hynix and ASML.
Includes emerging markets and small caps, which can add volatility.

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About SCHY and VXUS

SCHY (SCHY)

Schwab International Dividend Equity ETF (SCHY) is an exchange-traded fund designed to offer investors exposure to dividend-paying companies located outside the United States, primarily in developed markets. The fund aims to provide income through regular distributions while also offering geographic diversification away from US equities. As an ETF, SCHY trades like a stock on exchanges and holds a basket of international equities that meet its dividend criteria. Investors should be aware that returns depend on both dividend payments and market price movements; dividends are not guaranteed and may be cut. Currency fluctuations, geopolitical events and differing corporate governance standards can add volatility versus domestic funds. This information is general and educational only and is not personal financial advice — consider whether the ETF’s objectives, risk profile and fees suit your needs before investing.

VXUS (VXUS)

Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS) offers investors broad exposure to non‑US equities across developed and emerging markets. The fund tracks a global index that excludes the United States and holds thousands of stocks spanning large-, mid- and small-cap companies. It is structured as a passive, market‑capitalisation‑weighted ETF, which aims to replicate international equity market performance while keeping trading simplicity and diversification benefits. VXUS is typically unhedged to sterling or other home currencies, so returns can be affected by currency movements as well as underlying stock performance. Investors should note that, like all equity funds, values can fall as well as rise and past performance does not guarantee future results. This summary provides general, educational information and is not personalised investment advice; suitability depends on an individual’s circumstances, risk tolerance and investment horizon.

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SCHY vs VXUS

Fund Snapshot