# DGRO ETF: fees, returns, drawdowns and holdings

> What DGRO holds, its 0.08% yearly fee, returns by year, its worst drop, and which Tactfolio strategies hold it. Updated daily.

iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) run by iShares (BlackRock). This fund owns US companies that have raised their dividends year after year. It charges 0.08% a year. From June 2014 to October 2026 it returned about 12.4% a year, and its worst drop was −35.1%.

Written by [the Tactfolio research team](https://tactfolio.com/about/editorial-policy). Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.

## Key points

- Expense ratio: 0.08% a year (about $8 on $10,000).
- Started trading on June 10, 2014.
- Last close: $78.87 on October 16, 2026.
- Return over the last year: 19.2%.
- Worst drop since 2014: −35.1%.
- No Tactfolio classic strategies hold it.

## How has DGRO done since 2014?

From June 2014 to October 2026, DGRO returned about 12.4% a year. The S&P 500 returned about 13.7% a year over the same dates. Say you put in $10,000 at the start. It would have been worth about $42,218 at the end, with every dividend reinvested.

| Period | DGRO | S&P 500 (SPY) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| 3 months | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| 6 months | 9.8% | 9.3% |
| Year to date | 15.2% | 12.8% |
| 1 year | 19.2% | 16.8% |
| 3 years, per year | 19.1% | 22.0% |
| 5 years, per year | 11.2% | 12.8% |
| 10 years, per year | 13.9% | 15.4% |
| Since 2014, per year | 12.4% | 13.7% |

Periods longer than a year show the return per year (CAGR). Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.

## DGRO returns by month and year

DGRO rose in 100 of its 149 months (67%). Its best month was November 2020, at 12.1%. Its worst was March 2020, at −12.8%.

| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Full year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026 (part) | 3.5% | 2.9% | −4.6% | 5.0% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.9% | 1.3% | −4.1% | 4.6% |  |  | 15.2% |
| 2025 | 3.5% | 1.0% | −3.2% | −2.6% | 3.3% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 0.0% | 2.7% | −0.1% | 15.7% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | 3.1% | 3.9% | −3.6% | 2.9% | 0.5% | 4.7% | 3.0% | 1.5% | −1.2% | 4.8% | −5.0% | 16.6% |
| 2023 | 2.6% | −2.8% | 0.8% | 1.8% | −3.5% | 5.5% | 3.4% | −2.4% | −4.0% | −2.6% | 7.1% | 4.9% | 10.5% |
| 2022 | −3.2% | −2.5% | 2.4% | −5.3% | 1.6% | −6.9% | 6.2% | −3.5% | −8.3% | 10.2% | 6.8% | −3.8% | −7.9% |
| 2021 | −1.6% | 2.7% | 7.1% | 3.4% | 1.8% | −0.4% | 2.6% | 2.2% | −4.5% | 5.8% | −1.5% | 6.7% | 26.7% |
| 2020 | −1.5% | −9.1% | −12.8% | 11.6% | 3.7% | 0.4% | 4.3% | 4.8% | −2.6% | −2.1% | 12.1% | 3.2% | 9.5% |
| 2019 | 6.2% | 3.8% | 1.1% | 3.8% | −5.8% | 7.0% | 1.4% | −1.4% | 3.1% | 2.0% | 3.4% | 2.5% | 29.9% |
| 2018 | 4.8% | −3.9% | −2.7% | −0.1% | 1.6% | 0.1% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 0.6% | −5.4% | 3.7% | −8.3% | −2.4% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | 4.8% | 0.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.4% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 4.2% | 1.2% | 23.0% |
| 2016 | −3.4% | 0.8% | 5.5% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 3.0% | −0.1% | −0.9% | −1.5% | 4.8% | 1.8% | 14.5% |
| 2015 | −3.7% | 5.3% | −1.6% | 0.1% | 1.3% | −2.5% | 1.9% | −5.8% | −1.6% | 8.0% | 0.0% | −1.4% | −0.7% |
| 2014 (part) |  |  |  |  |  | 1.4% | −2.4% | 4.0% | −0.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.4% | 8.6% |

Each month runs from the last close of the month before. The first month counts from the first close.

## How risky is DGRO compared with the S&P 500?

Measured from October 2021 to October 2026, on the days both traded.

- **Beta 0.71.** When the S&P 500 moved 1% in a day, DGRO tended to move about 0.71%.
- **Correlation 0.89.** DGRO mostly moved with the S&P 500.
- **Up and down months.** In months the S&P 500 rose, DGRO rose 85% as much on average. In months it fell, DGRO fell 84% as much.

| Measure | DGRO | S&P 500 (SPY) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Return per year | 11.2% | 12.8% |
| Volatility | 13.7% | 17.1% |
| Worst drop | −19.3% | −24.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.85 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.23 | 1.15 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.58 | 0.52 |

Volatility is how much the price swings in a year. The Sharpe ratio is return per unit of volatility, the Sortino ratio counts only the falls, and the Calmar ratio is the return per year over the worst drop. Higher ratios mean more return for the risk taken.

## Is DGRO above its 200-day average?

DGRO closed 6.4% above its 200-day average on October 16, 2026. A rule that holds DGRO only above that average would hold it today.

- Its 50-day average is 5.1% above its 200-day average.
- It closed 1.0% below its highest close of the last 52 weeks.

A moving average is the average close over the last so many days. Trend rules such as [the 10-month moving average strategy](https://tactfolio.com/strategies/faber-10-month-moving-average.md) hold a fund only while it is above one. You can [build that rule for DGRO](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and backtest it in a minute.

## What was DGRO's worst drop?

A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. DGRO's worst fall was −35.1%, from February 12, 2020 to March 23, 2020. It got back to that high on November 9, 2020. On October 16, 2026 it was 1.0% below its highest close.

| Drop | Started | Bottom | Back to the high | Fall took | Recovery took |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| −35.1% | Feb 12, 2020 | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 9, 2020 | 40 days | 8 months |
| −19.3% | Jan 4, 2022 | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 14, 2023 | 9 months | 14 months |
| −16.7% | Sep 21, 2018 | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 4, 2019 | 3 months | 3 months |
| −14.0% | Nov 29, 2024 | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | 4 months | 3 months |
| −11.3% | May 20, 2015 | Aug 25, 2015 | Mar 18, 2016 | 3 months | 7 months |

Big drops are normal for some funds. They matter because selling during a drop locks in the loss.

## What does DGRO hold?

This fund owns US companies that have raised their dividends year after year. A dividend is cash a company pays to its owners. The fund pays out that cash every three months, but its price still goes up and down with stocks.

It tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. It had 391 holdings as of October 15, 2026, according to iShares (BlackRock).

| Fact | DGRO |
| --- | --- |
| Full name | iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF |
| Issuer | iShares (BlackRock) |
| Expense ratio | 0.08% a year |
| Started trading | June 10, 2014 |
| Tracks | Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index |
| Type | US stocks, ETF |
| Holdings | 391 holdings as of October 15, 2026 |
| Facts checked | October 17, 2026 on the [iShares (BlackRock) fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/264623/ishares-core-dividend-growth-etf) |

## What is the DGRO expense ratio?

DGRO charges 0.08% a year. An expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes to run itself. On $10,000, a 0.08% fee comes to about $8 a year. Of the 162 ETFs on Tactfolio, 60% charge more.

You never get a bill for it. The fund takes the fee out of its own value a little each day.

## Which Tactfolio strategies hold DGRO?

No classic strategy holds DGRO yet. You can add it to your own rules in the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder) and see how they would have done.

## How does DGRO compare with similar ETFs?

Funds that can stand in for DGRO:

- [VIG](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VIG.md): Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF, 0.04% a year
- [DGRW](https://tactfolio.com/etf/DGRW.md): WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund, 0.28% a year
- [NOBL](https://tactfolio.com/etf/NOBL.md): ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF, 0.35% a year
- [VYM](https://tactfolio.com/etf/VYM.md): Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF, 0.04% a year

See [all 8 DGRO alternatives](https://tactfolio.com/alternatives/DGRO.md), compared on the same dates as DGRO.

## Test DGRO in your own rules

Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the [builder](https://tactfolio.com/builder), add DGRO, and see how a rule such as "hold it only above its 200-day average" would have done. Strategies run on daily prices and hold US stocks and ETFs only.

## The details

Prices come from Tactfolio's stored daily prices for DGRO and SPY. Each close is adjusted for splits, and dividends are reinvested on the day the fund pays them out. CAGR is the steady yearly return that turns the starting value into the ending value. Volatility is the yearly standard deviation of daily returns. Beta and correlation compare daily returns with the S&P 500 over the same dates.

Fund facts come from iShares (BlackRock). We checked them on October 17, 2026. Read [what a backtest simulates](https://tactfolio.com/docs/backtests.md) and [how to read drawdown and CAGR](https://tactfolio.com/docs/concepts/reading-a-backtest.md) for more on these measures.

## Research and test it

- [S&P 500 index](https://tactfolio.com/learn/sp500-index): The S&P 500 tracks about 500 large US companies. Learn how stocks get in, how the index is weighted, how to invest in it, and how far it has fallen before.
- [What is an ETF](https://tactfolio.com/learn/what-is-an-etf): An ETF is a fund that trades like a stock. Learn how ETFs work, what they cost, the main types, and the risks, with SEC sources.
- [ETF screener](https://tactfolio.com/screener.md): A free ETF screener for 162 US-listed funds. Filter by type, issuer and fee, sort by returns or worst drop, and compare funds side by side.
- [ETF expense ratio](https://tactfolio.com/learn/etf-expense-ratio): What an ETF expense ratio is, how the fund charges it, and how 0.03% vs 1% adds up over 10 and 30 years, with real fund examples.
- [Backtest a portfolio](https://tactfolio.com/trading-tools/backtest-portfolio): Backtest a portfolio of US stocks and ETFs. Enter tickers and shares, pick when to rebalance, and get the results with a link to share.
- [Backtesting](https://tactfolio.com/backtesting): Free backtesting software for stocks, ETFs, and crypto perps.

## Common questions

### What is the expense ratio of DGRO?

DGRO charges 0.08% a year, according to iShares (BlackRock) as of October 17, 2026. That is about $8 a year for every $10,000 you hold.

### When did DGRO start trading?

DGRO started trading on June 10, 2014. It is run by iShares (BlackRock).

### What does DGRO track?

DGRO tracks the Morningstar US Dividend Growth Index. This fund owns US companies that have raised their dividends year after year.

### How much has DGRO returned per year?

From June 2014 to October 2026, DGRO returned about 12.4% a year with dividends reinvested. Its worst drop was −35.1%. Past returns do not tell you what it will do next.

### Is DGRO above its 200-day moving average?

On October 16, 2026, DGRO closed 6.4% above its 200-day moving average. This page updates after each US market close.

### Which strategies use DGRO?

None of Tactfolio's classic strategies hold DGRO yet. You can test it in your own rules in the builder.

## Sources

- [iShares (BlackRock): iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF fund page](https://www.ishares.com/us/products/264623/ishares-core-dividend-growth-etf)

> Not financial advice. Tactfolio is a research and automation tool. It is not a broker or a financial adviser. This page is for education only. Backtests are hypothetical. They show how rules would have done on past prices, not how they will do. All investing involves risk, including losing the money you put in.