Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
HYG vs VUSB: how they differ
HYG is a bond index fund and VUSB a short-term Treasury fund, and over the year VUSB returned more, +3.7% against +2.9%.
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.
| HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | VUSB Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | US high yield bonds | Ultra-Short Bond |
| Total return, 1 year | +2.9% | +3.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −14.6 pts | −13.8 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.10% |
| Holdings | not filed | 1281 |
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.
VUSB in plain words
VUSB is a cash and treasury bills tracking the Ultra-Short Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +3.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VUSB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and VUSB returned +3.7%, so VUSB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or VUSB?
- HYG charges 0.49% a year and VUSB charges 0.10%, so VUSB 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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, HYG against VUSB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/HYG-VUSB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources