Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
HYG vs XLG: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, HYG returned +1.3% to XLG's +6.4%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $17.5bn for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF and $11.9bn for Invesco S&P 500 Top 50 ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLG costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.1 points; HYG is 1.5 times larger.
| Measure | HYG | XLG |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +1.3% | +6.4% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index | S&P 500 Top 50 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.20% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $17.5bn | $11.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 98% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 60.3% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, HYG and XLG hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
HYG and XLG 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.
XLG
XLG tracks the S&P 500 top 50. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +13.7% for its benchmark, the S&P 500 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.20% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 98% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 53 positions, with the top ten at 60.3%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, HYG or XLG?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, HYG returned +1.3% and XLG +6.4%.
- Which is cheaper, HYG or XLG?
- XLG is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 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 XLG, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-xlg
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). HYG against XLG. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-xlg
[HYG against XLG (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hyg-vs-xlg)
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