Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
HYG vs VBK: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, HYG returned +1.3% to VBK's +10.3%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $17.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF, and $22.8bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap Growth ETF.
Pair scorecard
VBK costs 0.44 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.0 points; VBK is 1.4 times larger.
| Measure | HYG | VBK |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.3% | +10.3% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.0%, high on Aug 17, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index | Morningstar US Small Cap Growth Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.05% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $16.8bn | $22.8bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 10% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 12.2% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, HYG and VBK hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
HYG and VBK on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
VBK
VBK tracks an index of Small-Cap Growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +10.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 10% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 554 positions, with the top ten at 12.2%. It sat 8.0% below its high of Aug 17, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VBK?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +1.3% and VBK +10.3%.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or VBK?
- VBK is cheaper, by 0.44 percentage points a year. That is about $44 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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.
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ETFIQ, HYG against VBK, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vbk
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). HYG against VBK. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vbk
[HYG against VBK (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vbk)
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