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 17.1% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 36.4%.

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$997.4B
Dividend Yield1.14%1.04%
Holdings166509
YTD Return+14.06%Best+12.50%
1Y Return+15.90%+17.58%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+21.27%
5Y Return (annualized)-+12.95%
Volatility (annualized)11.9%Best12.0%
Max Drawdown-15.7%-12.0%Best
$10,000 over 1.4 years$12,744$13,724Best
Top 10 Weight17.1%Best36.4%
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 1.4 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Mar 31, 2025 to Sep 11, 2026 (1.4 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 1.4 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 +15.90% while VOO returned +17.58%. Year to date, HWSM is up 14.06% versus a gain of 12.50% for VOO.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

VOO has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 12.0% compared with 11.9% for HWSM. 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 0.59. 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 1.14% against 1.04% for VOO.

Holdings Overlap

HWSM already in VOO34.9%
VOO already in HWSM1.6%

34.9% of HWSM's money is in holdings VOO also owns. 1.6% of VOO's money is in holdings HWSM also owns.

The two portfolios partly overlap.

The two holdings books were reported 48 days apart, HWSM as of Aug 17, 2026 and VOO as of Jun 30, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.

41 positions in common, counted across the 165 positions we hold weights for in HWSM and 505 in VOO, against full books of 166 and 509.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 457 positions for VOO that do not appear in our book for HWSM (97.9% of the fund), and 118 for HWSM that do not appear in VOO (61.3%).

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
FFIVF5 Networks Inc.2.34%0.04%2.30%
WDAYWorkday, Inc., Class A2.28%0.04%2.24%
DDominion Energy Inc.1.86%0.09%1.77%
PPGPpg Industries Inc.1.89%0.04%1.85%
GEHCGe Healthcare Technologies Inc1.69%0.05%1.64%
APAApa Corp1.67%0.02%1.65%
STTState Street Corp.1.34%0.07%1.27%
AIGAmerican International Gr1.26%0.06%1.20%
HUMHumana Inc.1.13%0.07%1.06%
TRVTravelers Cos., Inc.1.05%0.11%0.94%

34.9% 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

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

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 +15.90% vs +17.58% for VOO, so VOO leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), HWSM annualized +18.91% vs +25.37% for VOO. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, HWSM or VOO?

VOO has been the more volatile fund at 12.0% annualized versus 11.9% for HWSM. 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 0.59, 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?

34.9% of HWSM's money is in holdings VOO also owns. 1.6% of VOO's is in holdings HWSM also owns. They hold 41 positions in common, counted across the 165 positions we hold weights for in HWSM and 505 in VOO.

Which pays a higher dividend, HWSM or VOO?

HWSM yields 1.14% while VOO yields 1.04%, 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 17.1% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 36.4%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.