Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
HYG vs LQD: how they differ
HYG and LQD hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and HYG returned more over the year.
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, HYG and LQD hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | HYG | LQD |
|---|---|---|
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY | 0.68% | 0.88% |
| ALLY FINANCIAL INC | 0.04% | 0.05% |
| ENERGY TRANSFER LP | 0.03% | 0.02% |
| HA SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE CAPI | 0.04% | 0.02% |
| HUMANA INC | 0.08% | 0.02% |
| ROGERS COMMUNICATIONS INC | 0.03% | 0.02% |
| SBA COMMUNICATIONS CORP | 0.12% | 0.02% |
| VODAFONE GROUP PLC | 0.07% | 0.02% |
| AES CORPORATION (THE) | 0.04% | 0.01% |
| APTIV SWISS HOLDINGS LTD | 0.04% | 0.01% |
| PACIFICORP | 0.09% | 0.01% |
| SYNCHRONY FINANCIAL | 0.08% | 0.01% |
| Only in HYG | Only in LQD |
|---|---|
| 1261229 BC LTD 144A 0.56% | ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES LLC 0.12% |
| MERIDIAN ARC HOLDCO LLC 144A 0.47% | DEUTSCHE TELEKOM INTERNATIONAL FIN 0.11% |
| PR RNO PROPERTY OWNER 1 LLC 144A 0.35% | CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS OPERATING L 144A 0.10% |
| WULF COMPUTE LLC 144A 0.29% | JPMORGAN CHASE & CO MTN 0.09% |
| GALAXY HELIOS DATA CENTERS II LLC 144A 0.28% | BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLC 0.08% |
| PANTHER ESCROW ISSUER LLC 144A 0.28% | MORGAN STANLEY (FXD-FRN) MTN 0.08% |
| SV RNO PROPERTY OWNER 1 LLC 144A 0.28% | CITIGROUP INC (FX-FRN) 0.07% |
| CORE SCIENTIFIC FINANCE I LLC 144A 0.27% | MORGAN STANLEY PRIVATE BANK NA 0.07% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.
| HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | US high yield bonds | US investment grade bonds |
| Total return, 1 year | +2.9% | −2.7% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −14.6 pts | −20.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.14% |
| Holdings | 1326 | 3149 |
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.
LQD in plain words
LQD is a bond fund tracking the US investment grade bonds. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −2.7% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.14% a year. It sat 6.4% below its high of Sep 22, 2021 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or LQD?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +2.9% and LQD returned −2.7%, so HYG returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or LQD?
- HYG charges 0.49% a year and LQD charges 0.14%, so LQD 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 LQD, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-lqd Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources