SCHD vs NOBL: Dividend Aristocrats Battle

Quality dividend strategy vs pure dividend aristocrats. Which approach delivers superior returns for conservative investors?

SCHD

SCHD

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

3.27%
Dividend Yield
0.06%
Expense Ratio
11.2%
5-Year Return
104
Holdings

SCHD tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, focusing on high-quality U.S. companies with 10+ years of dividend payments. Uses multiple quality screens for financial health and dividend consistency.

Quality Focus Dividend Growth Financial Screens Low-Cost Large-Cap
NOBL

NOBL

ProShares S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats ETF

2.15%
Dividend Yield
0.35%
Expense Ratio
9.8%
5-Year Return
67
Holdings

NOBL tracks the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Index, investing exclusively in S&P 500 companies that have increased dividends for 25+ consecutive years. Pure play on dividend aristocrats.

Aristocrats 25+ Years S&P 500 Dividend Kings Conservative

Key Metrics Comparison

Metric SCHD NOBL Winner
Dividend Yield 3.27% 2.15% SCHD (+1.31%)
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.35% SCHD
5-Year Annual Return 11.2% 9.8% SCHD (+1.4%)
Dividend Growth (5Y) 8.5% 7.8% SCHD (+0.7%)
Number of Holdings 104 67 SCHD
Minimum Dividend History 10 Years 25 Years NOBL
Assets Under Management $95.2B $11.5B SCHD
Beta (5-Year) 0.85 0.80 NOBL

Performance Comparison

SCHD Performance

SCHD has significantly outperformed NOBL due to its broader quality screens and higher dividend yield approach.

11.2%
5-Year Return
12.8%
3-Year Return
8.5%
Div Growth
0.85
Beta

NOBL Performance

NOBL offers lower but steady returns with the lowest volatility among dividend ETFs due to its aristocrat focus.

9.8%
5-Year Return
10.2%
3-Year Return
7.8%
Div Growth
0.80
Beta

Dividend Strategy Analysis

SCHD Strategy

Quality-focused approach with multiple financial screens:

  • 10+ years of dividend payments required
  • Cash flow to total debt > 50%
  • Return on equity > 15%
  • Market cap > $500 million
  • Dividend yield > 2.5%
  • Five-year dividend growth rate considered

NOBL Strategy

Pure dividend aristocrats approach with strict requirements:

  • 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases
  • Must be S&P 500 constituent
  • Equal-weighted portfolio
  • No additional financial screens
  • Quarterly rebalancing
  • Focus on dividend consistency above all

Dividend Analysis

SCHD Dividend Profile

Higher yield with quality growth focus. Screens eliminate yield traps while maintaining growth potential.

Current Yield 3.27%
5-Year Growth 8.5%
Payout Ratio 48%
Years Required 10+

NOBL Dividend Profile

Lower yield but maximum safety. 25-year requirement ensures only the most reliable dividend payers.

Current Yield 2.15%
5-Year Growth 7.8%
Payout Ratio 52%
Years Required 25+

Sector Allocation

SCHD Sectors

Healthcare 18.5%
Financials 15.2%
Information Technology 14.8%
Consumer Staples 13.2%
Industrials 12.5%
Energy 8.2%

NOBL Sectors

Industrials 24.5%
Consumer Staples 21.8%
Healthcare 18.2%
Materials 12.5%
Consumer Discretionary 9.8%
Financials 8.2%

Top 5 Holdings

SCHD Top Holdings

Broadcom Inc. 4.8%
AbbVie Inc. 4.5%
Amgen Inc. 4.3%
Home Depot Inc. 4.2%
Texas Instruments 4.1%

NOBL Top Holdings

Expeditors International 1.8%
A.O. Smith Corp. 1.7%
AbbVie Inc. 1.6%
Albemarle Corp. 1.6%
Automatic Data Processing 1.6%

NOBL uses equal weighting (all holdings ~1.5%), SCHD uses market-cap weighting

Investment Recommendation

🏆 Choose SCHD If:

  • You want higher current yield (3.27% vs 2.15%)
  • You prefer better historical performance
  • Cost matters (0.06% vs 0.35% expense ratio)
  • You value quality screens over pure history
  • You want broader sector diversification

👑 Choose NOBL If:

  • Maximum dividend safety is your priority
  • You want the lowest volatility (beta 0.80)
  • 25+ year dividend history matters most
  • You prefer equal-weighted exposure
  • You want pure aristocrats exposure
Back to All ETF compare

Which should you choose: SCHD vs NOBL?

SCHD
Choose SCHD if you want a low-cost (0.06%) blend of an above-average ~3.27% yield and a strong dividend-growth record from screened, quality U.S. companies.
NOBL
Choose NOBL if you specifically want S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats — companies with 25+ consecutive years of dividend increases.
Bottom line: Both SCHD and NOBL are dividend-growth funds, so the decision comes down to the finer details — expense ratio, exact holdings, yield and dividend-growth rate. Compare the figures in the table above and pick the one whose costs and composition fit your plan.