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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 VHT: how they differ

HYG is a bond index fund and VHT an equity index fund, and over the year VHT returned more, +21.6% against +2.9%.

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and Vanguard Health Care Index Fund.

HYG and VHT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
HYG
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF
VHT
Vanguard Health Care Index Fund
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesVanguard
What it isUS high yield bondsHealth Care
Total return, 1 year+2.9%+21.6%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500−14.6 pts+4.1 pts
Expense ratio0.49%0.09%
Holdingsnot filed401

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.

VHT in plain words

VHT is an index equity fund tracking the Health Care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +21.6% 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, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 401 positions, with the top ten at 52.0%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VHT?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and VHT returned +21.6%, so VHT returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, HYG or VHT?
HYG charges 0.49% a year and VHT charges 0.09%, so VHT 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.

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

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources