At a glance
VSDA charges 0.35% a year, above the 0.28% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 5th cheapest of 8). It has $244.3M in assets, the 5th largest of that group; it paid 2.46% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +14.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +15.7% a year. At its worst it fell 32.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 16.1% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 5 months and 4 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 30.6% of the fund, out of 75 in all.
The short version
VictoryShares Dividend Accelerator ETF (VSDA) is a Victory Capital index fund. It tracks the Nasdaq Victory Dividend Accelerator Index, a rules-based mix of US mid- and large-company stocks picked because a model rates them likely to raise their dividends. It pays monthly and leans toward consumer staples and asset managers such as T. Rowe Price. Its 0.35% yearly cost is well above Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF's 0.05%.
Price history
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VSDA +14.0% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VSDA official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +6.58% | — | +8.10% | — | +10.91% |
| VSDA price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +14.6% | +14.0% | +15.7% | +7.9% | — | +11.5% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, VSDA returned +14.0%, 6th of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +7.9%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 32.1% and regained its old high 5.2 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-4.4%); its best was 2019 (+31.3%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 32.1% (Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Aug 28, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +14.6% | — |
| 2025 | +6.7% | +6.58% |
| 2024 | +9.4% | +9.43% |
| 2023 | +8.8% | +8.63% |
| 2022 | -4.4% | -4.34% |
| 2021 | +21.9% | +21.79% |
| 2020 | +12.8% | +12.76% |
| 2019 | +31.3% | +31.18% |
| 2018 | -1.4% | -0.70% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 32.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 32.1%, back to its old high 5.2 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 14.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 16.1%, back to its old high 4.1 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.1000 | |
| 2025 | $1.4000 | +17.6% |
| 2024 | $1.1900 | +29.3% |
| 2023 | $0.9200 | +10.8% |
| 2022 | $0.8300 | +23.9% |
| 2021 | $0.6700 | +11.7% |
| 2020 | $0.6000 | +29.6% |
| 2019 | $0.4628 | -1.9% |
| 2018 | $0.4720 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 75 securities; the ten largest made up 30.59% of assets. It also reported 4.26% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC. | 3.94% | |
| FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC. | 3.92% | |
| KIMBERLY-CLARK CORPORATION | 3.66% | |
| Altria Group, Inc. | 3.49% | |
| HORMEL FOODS CORPORATION | 3.45% | |
| STANLEY BLACK & DECKER, INC. | 3.03% | |
| BROWN-FORMAN CORPORATION | 2.49% | |
| MCCORMICK & COMPANY, INCORPORATED | 2.24% | |
| THE CLOROX COMPANY | 2.24% | |
| GENUINE PARTS COMPANY | 2.14% | |
| COLGATE-PALMOLIVE COMPANY | 2.11% | |
| TARGET CORPORATION | 2.10% | |
| MEDTRONIC PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY | 2.04% | |
| Pepsico, Inc. | 1.79% | |
| PPG INDUSTRIES, INC. | 1.77% |
By country
United States 93.88%Ireland 3.84%Switzerland 1.78%By asset type
Stocks 99.51%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 57.2% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors added a net $8.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +2.94%, -1.61%, +5.97%.
How it works
VSDA is passively managed. It tries to match the Nasdaq Victory Dividend Accelerator Index, which Nasdaq runs independently of Victory Capital. The index starts from the Nasdaq US Large Mid Cap Index, which covers the companies that make up the top 90% of the US stock market by value. It then screens that pool using proprietary company measures, chosen through a quantitative "multi-factor" process, to find dividend payers with a higher chance of raising their payouts. That makes it a forecast of future dividend growth rather than a simple list of past raises.
Holdings are not weighted by company size. Instead, the index sets weights to get the most expected dividend growth across the whole portfolio, within caps on single stocks and sectors. As of June 30, 2026, the fund held 75 issuers. The largest were T. Rowe Price (3.9%), Franklin Resources (3.9%), Kimberly-Clark (3.7%), Altria (3.5%) and Hormel Foods (3.4%), and the top 10 made up 30.6% of assets.
The index is rebuilt every April and rebalanced every quarter, using data as of the prior month-end. The fund aims to hold every stock in the index at its index weight, a method called full replication. Portfolio turnover, the share of holdings replaced in a year, was 44%. Trading costs from that turnover are not part of the expense ratio. The adviser does not take defensive positions when markets fall.
What it really costs
- VSDA charges 0.35% a year, versus an average of 0.28% for the similar funds below (5th of 8, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.3% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- The fee includes a 0.04% waiver from the adviser, which may end.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $36 in the first year and $489 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VSDA | $36 | $121 | $215 | $489 |
In a retirement portfolio
VSDA pays monthly distributions from a basket of dividend-paying US stocks chosen for their potential to raise payouts, though its yield is modest.
VSDA could serve as an income-focused stock holding. Over the trailing 12 months it paid $1.46 a share, a 2.46% yield as of October 27, 2026, in monthly distributions. Its record in downturns is mixed. In the 2020 COVID crash, it fell 32.1% between February 19 and March 23, 2020, then recovered by August 28, 2020, about five months later. In 2022 it dropped 16.1% from peak to trough but lost only 4.34% over the full calendar year, its worst year. The fund launched in 2017, so there is no 2008 record. Anyone who had to sell in March 2020 would have locked in a steep loss. In the SEC's standard example, its 0.35% yearly cost comes to $489 over 10 years on $10,000. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting monthly dividends from US stocks, with a 2.46% trailing yield as of October 27, 2026, and an index aimed at future dividend growth.
- Those comfortable with a tilt toward consumer staples like Kimberly-Clark, Hormel and Clorox, plus asset managers T. Rowe Price and Franklin Resources.
- People who prefer a rules-based Nasdaq index over a manager's judgment and accept that stock picks rest on a model's dividend-growth forecast.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF charges 0.05% and Xtrackers S&P Dividend Aristocrats Screened ETF 0.15%, versus VSDA's 0.35%.
- Those wanting broad market exposure: VSDA held 75 issuers as of June 30, 2026, with technology at just 2.4% of assets.
- Investors needing higher income or crash protection: the yield is a modest 2.46%, and the fund still fell 32.1% in early 2020.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VSDA this fund | — | 0.35% | $244.3M | +14.0% | +15.7% |
| NOBL ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF | 51% | 0.35% | $11.80B | -42.4% | -9.5% |
| SDY SPDR S&P Dividend ETF | 40% | 0.35% | $21.39B | +21.8% | +15.5% |
| SNPD Xtrackers S&P Dividend Aristocrats Screened… | 36% | 0.15% | $3.1M | +17.2% | +14.4% |
| XLP Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund | 22% | 0.08% | $13.65B | +20.1% | +12.8% |
| DURA VanEck Durable High Dividend ETF | 22% | 0.3% | $37.2M | +23.2% | +15.9% |
| HUSV First Trust Horizon Managed Volatility Dome… | 21% | 0.7% | $73.8M | +7.4% | +12.4% |
| VIG Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF | 21% | 0.05% | $130.90B | +15.6% | +19.8% |
Questions investors ask
Does VSDA pay monthly dividends?
Yes. VSDA pays distributions monthly. Over the trailing 12 months it paid $1.46 per share, a yield of 2.46% as of October 27, 2026. The amount can change from month to month because it depends on the dividends the fund's stocks pay. The index aims to hold companies likely to raise their dividends, but neither the fund nor its index promises a fixed or rising payout.
What is VSDA's expense ratio?
VSDA's expense ratio is 0.35% a year, according to its prospectus filed October 27, 2026. That figure is after a fee waiver, and it includes a 0.30% management fee. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 earning 5% a year would cost about $36 after one year, $121 after three, $215 after five and $489 after ten. The average among similar funds is 0.28%, and Vanguard Dividend Appreciation ETF charges 0.05%.
What's the difference between VSDA and NOBL?
Both charge 0.35% a year and hold many of the same dividend stocks. Based on their latest N-PORT reports, NOBL has the highest holdings overlap with VSDA of any similar fund, at 51%. NOBL, ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF, is far larger: $11.8 billion in net assets as of August 31, 2026, versus $244.3 million for VSDA as of June 30, 2026. VSDA's index uses a model to predict future dividend growth and weights stocks to maximize that growth.
How has VSDA performed over the long term?
As of December 31, 2025, VSDA returned 6.58% over one year, 8.10% a year over five years and 10.91% a year since its April 2017 launch, per its prospectus. Based on price, it was up 14.6% for 2026 through October 27, and it returned 15.7% a year over the three years to that date. Its best calendar year was 2019, at 31.18%. Its worst was 2022, at -4.34%.
Is VSDA good for retirement income?
It can play an income role, with trade-offs. VSDA pays monthly and yielded 2.46% as of October 27, 2026, from about 75 dividend-paying US stocks. On the downside, it fell 32.1% in the early 2020 crash before recovering in about five months. It also leans heavily toward consumer staples, and at 0.35% a year it costs more than several similar funds. It may suit investors who value dividend growth over a high starting yield.