HYG and JNK are the original high-yield bond ETFs. They behave almost the same, and for long-term holders neither may be the best value.
Updated October 31, 2026 · fund data as of October 30, 2026
| Metric | HYG | JNK |
|---|---|---|
| Trailing yield | 6.07% | 6.81% |
| Income on $10,000 / year | ~$607 | ~$681 |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.40% |
| Fund assets | $16.8B | $6.5B |
| Pays | Monthly | Monthly |
| 1-year total return | +1.1% | +1.3% |
| 3-year annualized return | +7.7% | +7.8% |
| 5-year annualized return | +3.2% | +3.0% |
| Strategy | Tracks the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index | Tracks the Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index |
| Inception | 2007 | 2007 |
Yield is trailing 12-month distributions divided by the latest price, calculated the same way for every fund, as of October 30, 2026. Distributions, prices, and fees change; confirm with the issuer before investing. Highlighted cells show the higher yield, lower fee, larger fund, or higher return, which is not the same as the better fund for you.
You trade frequently and want the deepest liquidity and options market in high-yield credit.
You want nearly the same exposure at a slightly lower fee.
For buy-and-hold investors, the fee gap matters more than the choice between these two. USHY charges 0.08% and SPHY charges 0.05%, against 0.49% for HYG. See every option in our high-yield bond ETF list.
They hold many bonds, which limits damage from any single default, but junk bonds tend to fall alongside stocks in recessions. They are income holdings with stock-like risk, not safe havens.
Yes, both pay interest monthly.