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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and HYG +1.3%.

Which is cheaper, EWJ or HYG?

Neither: EWJ and HYG both charge 0.49% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EWJ vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% to HYG's +1.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets: $23.9bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI Japan ETF, and $17.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF.

EWJ on its own →HYG on its own →

At a glance

+18.1%

EWJ total return, 1 year

+1.3%

HYG total return, 1 year

0.49%

EWJ expense ratio

0.49%

HYG expense ratio

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.49% a year; their one-year returns differ by 16.8 points; EWJ is 1.4 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

EWJ vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EWJ	HYG
Return
Measure	EWJ	HYG
Total return, 1 year	+18.1%	+1.3%
Drawdown
Measure	EWJ	HYG
Below its high	4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EWJ	HYG
What it tracks	MSCI Japan Index	Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index
Cost and size
Measure	EWJ	HYG
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.49%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$23.8bn	$17.5bn
Holdings
Measure	EWJ	HYG
Holdings in common	0%
In the S&P 500, by weight	0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	29.5%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and HYG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EWJ HYG

Only in one fund ↓

Only in EWJ

MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 4.40%

TOYOTA MOTOR 3.59%

ADVANTEST 3.03%

HITACHI 3.03%

RECRUIT HOLDINGS LTD 3.03%

SONY GROUP 2.89%

SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP 2.83%

TOKYO ELECTRON 2.55%

Only in HYG

1261229 BC LTD 144A 0.56%

MERIDIAN ARC HOLDCO LLC 144A 0.44%

ECHOSTAR CORP 0.40%

QUIKRETE HOLDINGS INC 144A 0.35%

PR RNO PROPERTY OWNER 1 LLC 144A 0.34%

CLOUD SOFTWARE GROUP LLC 144A 0.32%

SOFTBANK GROUP CORP 144A 0.32%

CENTENE CORPORATION 0.31%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks the MSCI Japan Tracks an index of US high yield bonds

Total return, 1 year +18.1% +1.3%

Its benchmark over the same days +14.3% (ACWX) −1.2% (IUSB)

Gap to its benchmark +3.8 pts vs ACWX +2.5 pts vs IUSB

Expense ratio 0.49% 0.49%

Holdings 169 1332

Net assets, EWJ as of Oct 28, 2026 and HYG as of Oct 27, 2026 $23.9bn $17.5bn

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

Alert

About each fund

EWJ

EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 169 positions, with the top ten at 29.5%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Oct 6, 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.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or HYG?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and HYG +1.3%.
Which is cheaper, EWJ or HYG?: Neither: EWJ and HYG both charge 0.49% a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

EWJ vs USHY EWJ vs JNK EWJ vs LQD EWJ vs IEI EWT vs HYG EWZ vs HYG EZU vs HYG HYG vs VPL

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

EWJ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EWJ prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EWJ ↗

HYG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

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

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