Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
HYG vs VIG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, HYG returned +1.3% to VIG's +13.9%; 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 $109.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Div Appreciation ETF.
Pair scorecard
VIG costs 0.45 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 12.6 points; VIG is 6.5 times larger.
| Measure | HYG | VIG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.3% | +13.9% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index | S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.04% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $16.8bn | $109.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 93% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 34.5% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 20, 2007 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,018 weekly returnsVIG returned more: +541.9% to +148.8%. HYG swung less: 11.1% to 15.9%. HYG fell less at its worst: −33.0% to −45.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | HYG | VIG | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +148.8% | +541.9% | VIG | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +4.8% | +10.0% | VIG | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | −26.2% | +333.8% | VIG | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 11.1% | 15.9% | HYG | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 8.1% | 11.2% | HYG | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −33.0% | −45.9% | HYG | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.34 | 0.58 | VIG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.46 | 0.83 | VIG | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.14 | 0.22 | VIG | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,018 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, HYG and VIG 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 VIG on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
HYG and VIG do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. HYG follows Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index and VIG follows S&P U.S. Dividend Growers Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 HYG returned +1.3% and VIG +13.9% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 12.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
VIG
VIG tracks an index of Dividend growth. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.9% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.04% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 93% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 335 positions, with the top ten at 34.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or VIG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +1.3% and VIG +13.9%.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or VIG?
- VIG is cheaper, by 0.45 percentage points a year. That is about $45 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 VIG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vig
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). HYG against VIG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vig
[HYG against VIG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-vig)
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