CAGR

Quality factors demonstrated a 12.3% CAGR over the last decade, offering the tightest risk-adjusted compounding metrics among single factors.Momentum strategies suffered a massive 34% peak-to-trough drawdown in 2022, severely impacting the long-term compounding base.Value ETF performance diverges from historical norms, acting more as a structural overweight on mature cyclical sectors rather than a pure valuation capture. The Long-Term Compounding Reality of Single Factors Monthly $30K investment 20-year compound growth simulation Factor investing isolates specific equity drivers to generate excess returns. Over a 10-year horizon, slight variations in compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and drawdown severity create immense disparities in terminal wealth. The chart below, simulating a monthly $300 investment over 20 years at 4%, 7%, and 10% annual rates, demonstrates this perfectly. Looking at the chart, the 10% curve is the most impressive, showing over +85% total growth in the latter half purely through the acceleration of retained compounding. ...

SCHD current yield 3.29% at $31.8 — 94.9% of 52W range ($25.69–$32.13), not a distressed-entry scenario1Y return +27.0%; 5Y cumulative +47.1% — dividends contributed ~3.3 pts, price drove the restVIG 5Y return +61.9% outpaces SCHD by 14.8 pts — the yield premium has a total-return costSCHD P/E 18.9 vs VIG 26.8 — value tilt is real but concentrated in rate-sensitive sectorsAUM $91.1B, avg daily volume 23M shares — liquidity not a constraint at any allocation size SCHD trades at $31.8, sitting at 94.9% of its 52-week range. For yield-maximizers, that positioning matters: buying near highs compresses starting yield and extends the payback window on any drawdown. The real question is not entry timing — it is whether the dividend growth engine underneath compounds fast enough to justify that cost. ...