Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

HYG vs IEF: how they differ

HYG and IEF are both bond index funds, and over the year HYG returned more, +2.9% against −2.7%.

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF.

HYG and IEF on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
HYG
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF
IEF
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesiShares
What it isUS high yield bonds7-10 Year Treasury Bond
Total return, 1 year+2.9%−2.7%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500−14.6 pts−20.2 pts
Expense ratio0.49%0.15%
Holdingsnot filed15

HYG in plain words

HYG is a bond fund tracking the US high yield bonds. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +2.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year.

IEF in plain words

IEF is a bond fund tracking the 7-10 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −2.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 13.3% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, HYG or IEF?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and IEF returned −2.7%, so HYG returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, HYG or IEF?
HYG charges 0.49% a year and IEF charges 0.15%, so IEF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

HYG against IEF, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, HYG against IEF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/HYG-IEF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources