Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
HYG vs IEMG: how they differ
HYG is a bond index fund and IEMG an equity index fund, and over the year IEMG returned more, +30.6% against +2.9%.
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF.
| HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | IEMG iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | US high yield bonds | Core MSCI Emerging Markets |
| Total return, 1 year | +2.9% | +30.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −14.6 pts | +13.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 2695 |
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.
IEMG in plain words
IEMG is an index equity fund tracking the Core MSCI Emerging Markets. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +30.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2695 positions, with the top ten at 34.1%. It sat 4.0% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or IEMG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and IEMG returned +30.6%, so IEMG returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or IEMG?
- HYG charges 0.49% a year and IEMG charges 0.09%, so IEMG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, HYG against IEMG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/HYG-IEMG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources