HYG — iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

HYG Price Performance — Growth of $10,000

Value of a $10,000 investment in HYG over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.

HYG Drawdown

The "underwater" chart: HYG's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.

Overview

The iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) is a corporate bond ETF, issued by iShares, and falls under the US Bonds - Corporate category. With an overall rank of #290 out of 458 tracked ETFs, it is positioned in the middle of the pack. The fund has an expense ratio of 0.49%, which is relatively low, indicating efficient management. Its dividend yield of 4.78% provides a steady income stream for investors. The fund's price stands at $79.61, and with an AUM of $17.1B, it suggests a moderate level of investor adoption, as it is neither the sole nor the most popular ETF in its category.

Over the past year, the HYG has delivered a return of 5.03%, which is in line with its closest peers, USHY and SPHY, both of which have slightly higher returns at 5.56% and 5.65%, respectively. Looking at the longer-term performance, the fund has shown a steady increase in returns, with a 3-year return of 26.92%. The 1-month return of +0.97% and the 1-year return of +5.03% indicate a consistent upward trend, while the 1-day return of +0.06% and the 1-week return of -0.13% suggest some short-term volatility. The 3-month return of +1.10% and the 6-month return of +1.23% further support the overall positive trend, showing that the fund has been performing well over various time horizons.

The HYG is labeled as having a Very Low volatility, which suggests that it is less prone to price fluctuations compared to more volatile funds. However, its beta of 0.66 indicates a slightly higher sensitivity to market movements compared to the overall market, implying that it may experience more pronounced gains or losses during market upswings or downturns. The Sharpe ratio of 0.01 is relatively low, indicating that the fund's returns are not significantly higher than the risk-free rate, which could mean that the fund's risk-adjusted performance is not particularly strong. The maximum drawdown of -4.56% reflects the fund's worst decline from a peak to a trough, which is a moderate level of risk. Overall, the combination of low volatility and a moderate beta suggests that the fund is suitable for investors who are looking for a relatively stable income stream with some exposure to market movements, but it may not be the best choice for those seeking high returns or those who are highly risk-averse.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

HYG Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-05-31 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 15.9% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how HYG's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.

Which Funds Overlap With HYG

Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with HYG's top 10 — USHY overlaps most, holding 7 of the same companies as HYG's top 10 (15.3% of HYG's assets).

Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.69% (as of 2026-08-20) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 16.01 (as of 2026-08-20) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-07-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

High-Yield Credit Spread: 2.75% (as of 2026-08-20) — The extra yield investors demand to hold high-yield corporate bonds over Treasuries — a real-time gauge of credit risk appetite relevant to this fund’s holdings.

HYG Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment

Liquidity: Quoted bid/ask spread is 0.15% and average daily volume is 31.7M/day. Tighter spreads and higher volume mean lower round-trip trading costs; this is a live-market snapshot and can widen during volatile sessions. AUM of $17.1B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.

Domicile & tax treatment: HYG is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.

HYG Performance History

How HYG Compares to Other US Bonds - Corporate ETFs