HYDB vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees

On May 31, 2026 HYDB's duration was 3.2 years and HYG's 3.0; HYDB charges 0.35% to HYG's 0.49%. Net assets on Oct 20, 2026: $1.5bn for iShares High Yield Systematic Bond ETF and $16.2bn for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF.

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Answers cite the figures on this page.

HYDB costs 0.14 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.4 points; HYG is 10.8 times larger.

HYDB vs HYG: Differences, Returns & Fees
HYDBHYG
Expense ratio0.35%0.49%
Net assets$1.5bn$16.2bn
Total return, 1 year+0.3%+0.7%
What it tracksBlackRock High Yield Systematic Bond IndexMarkit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index
Holdings in common13%
Below its high3.6%, high on Aug 25, 2026

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026.

+0.3%
HYDB total return, 1 year
+0.7%
HYG total return, 1 year
0.35%
HYDB expense ratio
0.49%
HYG expense ratio

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Client brief · page 1 of 2Report BR-4EDEF01069

HYDB and HYG are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

  1. What each follows. HYDB follows BlackRock High Yield Systematic Bond Index and HYG follows Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index.
  2. Holdings in common. 13% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated May 31, 2026).
  3. Number of holdings. HYDB holds 257 positions and HYG holds 1334.

Data as of Oct 20, 2026. The differences are picked by a fixed rule, in a fixed order; the PDF prints it. Page 2 has the returns, overlap, risks and sources.

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What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, HYDB and HYG hold 13% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026.

half

13% in common

Positions both hold, largest shared weight first
Holding HYDB HYG
EchoStar Corp, due Nov 30, 2029 0.28% 0.44%
WULF Compute LLC, due Oct 15, 2030 0.73% 0.26%
DaVita Inc, due Jun 1, 2030 0.67% 0.25%
TransDigm Inc, due Mar 1, 2029 0.29% 0.23%
Discovery Global Holdings Inc, due Mar 15, 2032 0.73% 0.22%
CoreWeave Inc, due Jun 1, 2030 0.72% 0.21%
Venture Global LNG Inc, due Jun 1, 2031 0.75% 0.21%
QXO Building Products Inc, due Apr 30, 2032 0.74% 0.20%
Windstream Services LLC / Windstream Escrow Finance Corp, due Oct 1, 2031 0.72% 0.19%
Venture Global LNG Inc, due Feb 1, 2032 0.72% 0.19%
Rakuten Group Inc, due Apr 15, 2029 0.71% 0.19%
CoreWeave Inc, due Feb 1, 2031 0.33% 0.18%
Only in HYDB
Paramount Global, due Apr 30, 2036 0.77%
Diebold Nixdorf Inc, due Mar 31, 2030 0.69%
Zegona Finance PLC, due Jul 15, 2029 0.62%
Nickel Industries Ltd, due Sep 30, 2030 0.60%
Biocon Biologics Global PLC, due Oct 9, 2029 0.59%
Garrett Motion Holdings Inc / Garrett LX I Sarl, due May 31, 2032 0.57%
Summit Midstream Holdings LLC, due Oct 31, 2029 0.57%
Sisecam UK PLC, due May 2, 2032 0.57%
Only in HYG
1261229 BC Ltd, due Apr 15, 2032 0.54%
Cloud Software Group Inc, due Sep 30, 2029 0.34%
Quikrete Holdings Inc, due Mar 1, 2032 0.33%
Cloud Software Group Inc, due Mar 31, 2029 0.33%
DISH Network Corp, due Nov 15, 2027 0.32%
SV RNO Property Owner 1 LLC, due Mar 1, 2031 0.30%
Nexstar Media Inc, due Sep 15, 2033 0.30%
HUB International Ltd, due Jun 15, 2030 0.29%

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On the same fields

HYDB
iShares High Yield Systematic Bond ETF
HYG
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF
What it is Tracks an index Tracks an index of US high yield bonds
Total return, 1 year +0.3% +0.7%
Its benchmark over the same days −1.6% (IUSB) −1.6% (IUSB)
Gap to its benchmark +1.9 pts vs IUSB +2.3 pts vs IUSB
Expense ratio 0.35% 0.49%
Holdings 257 1334
Net assets $1.5bn $16.2bn

HYDB and HYG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 20, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

About HYDB

HYDB tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +0.3% with distributions reinvested, against −1.6% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. It sat 3.6% below its high of Aug 25, 2026 on Oct 20, 2026.

About HYG

HYG tracks an index of US high yield bonds. Over the year to Oct 20, 2026 it returned +0.7% with distributions reinvested, against −1.6% 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, HYDB or HYG?
In the year to Oct 20, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYDB returned +0.3% and HYG +0.7%.
Which is cheaper, HYDB or HYG?
HYDB is cheaper, by 0.14 percentage points a year. That is about $14 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, HYDB against HYG, data as of Oct 20, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hydb-vs-hyg

Open data

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