Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
HYG vs VGLT: Differences, Returns & Fees
HYG's duration was 2.9 years on Aug 31, 2026 and VGLT's 13.5 on May 31, 2026; VGLT charges 0.03% to HYG's 0.49%.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about HYG and VGLT
Net assets: $17.5bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF, and $10.4bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Long-Term Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGLT costs 0.46 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 8.0 points; HYG is 1.6 times larger.
| Measure | HYG | VGLT |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.3% | −6.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 38.8%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index | Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $16.8bn | $10.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, HYG and VGLT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Aug 31, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
HYG and VGLT 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.
VGLT
VGLT tracks an index of Long-term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −6.7% with distributions reinvested, against −6.7% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Long Treasury Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. It sat 38.8% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VGLT?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +1.3% and VGLT −6.7%.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or VGLT?
- VGLT is cheaper, by 0.46 percentage points a year. That is about $46 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, HYG against VGLT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vglt
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). HYG against VGLT. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vglt
[HYG against VGLT (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vglt)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.