HWSM vs VOO

HWSM vs VOO

Which is better, HWSM or VOO?

Mid Cap Value against Large Cap Blend.

VOO has a lower expense ratio. VOO led over 1Y and the full window. HWSM is less concentrated, with 14.7% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.9%.

Lower Fees: VOOHigher Returns: VOOLess Concentrated: HWSM

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricHWSMVOO
Expense Ratio0.55%0.03%Best
AUM$3M$1.0T
Dividend Yield1.22%1.06%
Holdings332506
YTD Return+10.33%+13.57%Best
1Y Return+14.89%+17.55%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+22.46%
5Y Return (annualized)-+13.28%
Volatility (annualized)13.1%11.7%Best
Max Drawdown-15.7%-12.0%Best
$10,000 over 1.5 years$12,363$13,888Best
Top 10 Weight14.7%Best37.9%
Fund FamilyHotchkis & Wiley FundsVanguard (US)
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleMid Cap ValueLarge Cap Blend
InceptionMar 31, 2025Sep 7, 2010

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.5 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Mar 31, 2025 to Oct 14, 2026 (1.5 years).

HWSM vs VOO growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1.5 years both funds cover.

HWSM vs VOO Performance

Hotchkis & Wiley SMID Cap Diversified Value Fund ETF (HWSM) is an ETF from Hotchkis & Wiley Funds and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is an ETF from Vanguard (US). Over the past year HWSM returned +14.89% while VOO returned +17.55%. Year to date, HWSM is up 10.33% versus a gain of 13.57% for VOO.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

HWSM has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 13.1% compared with 11.7% for VOO. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -15.7% for HWSM and -12.0% for VOO. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.57. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

HWSM charges 0.55% per year while VOO charges 0.03%. On a $10,000 position that is $55 vs $3 annually, a gap of $52 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, HWSM currently yields 1.22% against 1.06% for VOO.

Holdings Overlap

HWSM already in VOO31.5%
VOO already in HWSM1.4%

31.5% of HWSM's money is in holdings VOO also owns. 1.4% of VOO's money is in holdings HWSM also owns.

The two portfolios partly overlap.

38 positions in common, counted across the 174 positions we hold weights for in HWSM and 504 in VOO, against full books of 332 and 506.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 461 positions for VOO that do not appear in our book for HWSM (98.3% of the fund), and 133 for HWSM that do not appear in VOO (66.5%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in HWSMWeight in VOODifference
WDAYWorkday, Inc., Class A2.05%0.06%1.99%
FFIVF5 Networks Inc.1.88%0.03%1.85%
GEHCGe Healthcare Technologies Inc1.82%0.05%1.77%
PPGPpg Industries Inc.1.54%0.04%1.50%
DDominion Energy Inc.1.48%0.09%1.39%
APAApa Corp1.50%0.02%1.48%
AIGAmerican International Gr1.28%0.06%1.22%
HSTHost Hotels & Resorts Inc1.07%0.02%1.05%
ACGLArch Capital Group Ltd 5.450%1.02%0.05%0.97%
BENFranklin Resources Inc.1.02%0.02%1.00%

31.5% of HWSM is already inside VOO.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

HWSMVOO

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, HWSM or VOO?

HWSM has an expense ratio of 0.55% while VOO charges 0.03%. VOO is the cheaper option, by $52 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, HWSM or VOO?

Over the past year HWSM returned +14.89% vs +17.55% for VOO, so VOO leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (2 years), HWSM annualized +15.19% vs +24.48% for VOO. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, HWSM or VOO?

HWSM has been the more volatile fund at 13.1% annualized versus 11.7% for VOO. Worst drawdown: HWSM -15.7% vs VOO -12.0%.

Should I hold both HWSM and VOO?

HWSM and VOO have a monthly-return correlation of 0.57, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between HWSM and VOO?

31.5% of HWSM's money is in holdings VOO also owns. 1.4% of VOO's is in holdings HWSM also owns. They hold 38 positions in common, counted across the 174 positions we hold weights for in HWSM and 504 in VOO.

Which pays a higher dividend, HWSM or VOO?

HWSM yields 1.22% while VOO yields 1.06%, so HWSM currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is VOO better than HWSM?

VOO has a lower expense ratio. VOO led over 1Y and the full window. HWSM is less concentrated, with 14.7% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 37.9%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.