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

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and IAU returned +19.2%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, HYG or IAU?

HYG charges 0.49% a year and IAU charges 0.25%, so IAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

HYG vs IAU: how they differ

HYG is a bond index fund and IAU a commodity fund, and over the year IAU returned more, +19.2% against +2.9%.

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and iShares Gold Trust.

HYG and IAU on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	IAU iShares Gold Trust
Where it sits	Core index fund	Core index fund
Issuer	iShares	iShares
What it is	US high yield bonds	Gold
Total return, 1 year	+2.9%	+19.2%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−14.6 pts	+1.7 pts
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.25%
Holdings	1326	not filed

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.

IAU in plain words

IAU is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.25% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, HYG or IAU?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and IAU returned +19.2%, so IAU returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, HYG or IAU?: HYG charges 0.49% a year and IAU charges 0.25%, so IAU is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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 IAU, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 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 IAU, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-iau Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources