Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VO?

In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and VO returned +12.0%, so VO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, HYG or VO?

HYG charges 0.49% a year and VO charges 0.03%, so VO is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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 VO: how they differ

HYG is a bond index fund and VO an equity index fund, and over the year VO returned more, +12.0% against +2.9%.

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund.

HYG and VO on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	VO Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	Vanguard
What it is	US high yield bonds	Mid-Cap
Total return, 1 year	+2.9%	+12.0%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−14.6 pts	−5.5 pts
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.03%
Holdings	not filed	282

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.

VO in plain words

VO is an index equity fund tracking the Mid-Cap. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 91% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 282 positions, with the top ten at 9.6%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VO?: In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and VO returned +12.0%, so VO returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, HYG or VO?: HYG charges 0.49% a year and VO charges 0.03%, so VO 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 VO, 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 VO, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/HYG-VO Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources