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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and HYG +1.3%.

Which is cheaper, EMB or HYG?

EMB is cheaper, by 0.10 percentage points a year. That is about $10 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EMB vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees

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EMB's duration was 6.5 years on Jul 31, 2026 and HYG's 2.9 on Aug 31, 2026; EMB charges 0.39% to HYG's 0.49%.

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Net assets: $13.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF, and $17.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF.

EMB on its own →HYG on its own →

At a glance

−0.4%

EMB total return, 1 year

+1.3%

HYG total return, 1 year

0.39%

EMB expense ratio

0.49%

HYG expense ratio

Pair scorecard

EMB costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.7 points; HYG is 1.3 times larger.

EMB vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EMB	HYG
Return
Measure	EMB	HYG
Total return, 1 year	−0.4%	+1.3%
Drawdown
Measure	EMB	HYG
Below its high	3.5%, high on Jun 29, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EMB	HYG
What it tracks	J.P. Morgan EMBI Global Core Index	Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index
Cost and size
Measure	EMB	HYG
Expense ratio	0.39%	0.49%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$13.2bn	$17.5bn
Holdings
Measure	EMB	HYG
Holdings in common	0%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, EMB and HYG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EMB HYG

Only in one fund ↓

Only in EMB

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2035 1.21%

Ecuador Government International Bonds, due Jul 31, 2035 0.78%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jan 9, 2038 0.70%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2030 0.65%

Argentina Republic Government International Bonds, due Jul 9, 2041 0.57%

Ghana Government International Bonds, due Jul 3, 2035 0.55%

Uruguay Government International Bonds, due Jun 18, 2050 0.51%

Eagle Funding Luxco Sarl, due Aug 17, 2030 0.50%

Only in HYG

1261229 BC Ltd, due Apr 15, 2032 0.50%

Meridian Arc Holdco LLC, due Apr 30, 2031 0.45%

EchoStar Corp, due Nov 30, 2029 0.43%

PR RNO Property Owner 1 LLC, due May 1, 2031 0.34%

Quikrete Holdings Inc, due Mar 1, 2032 0.32%

Cloud Software Group LLC, due Mar 31, 2029 0.32%

Cloud Software Group LLC, due Sep 30, 2029 0.32%

Galaxy Helios Data Centers II LLC, due Aug 1, 2031 0.30%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EMB iShares J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond ETF HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond Tracks an index of US high yield bonds

Total return, 1 year −0.4% +1.3%

Its benchmark over the same days not measured −1.2% (IUSB)

Gap to its benchmark not measured +2.5 pts vs IUSB

Expense ratio 0.39% 0.49%

Holdings 622 1332

Net assets, EMB as of Oct 28, 2026 and HYG as of Oct 27, 2026 $13.2bn $17.5bn

EMB and HYG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

EMB

EMB tracks the J.P. Morgan USD Emerging Markets Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.39% a year. It sat 3.5% below its high of Jun 29, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

HYG

HYG tracks an index of US high yield bonds. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.3% with distributions reinvested, against −1.2% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EMB or HYG?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EMB returned −0.4% and HYG +1.3%.
Which is cheaper, EMB or HYG?: EMB is cheaper, by 0.10 percentage points a year. That is about $10 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EMB vs USHY EMB vs JNK EMB vs IGIB EMB vs VTIP HYG vs TIP HYG vs PFF HYG vs SPHY HYG vs SCHP

Where to next

EMB on its own →HYG on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →EMB dividend history →EMB holdings →HYG dividend history →HYG holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

EMB and HYG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EMB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EMB ↗

HYG prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for HYG ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, EMB against HYG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/emb-vs-hyg

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.