ETF Versus

HYG vs IWF

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF vs iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

HYG iShares

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to below-investment-grade U.S. corporate bonds offering higher yields. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.49%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 5.88%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $16.3B ER: 0.49% Yield: 5.88% Since: Apr 4, 2007
IWF iShares

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.39%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $108.0B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.39% Since: May 22, 2000

Quick Verdict

IWF is significantly cheaper at 0.18% vs 0.49% expense ratio, saving you approximately $603 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, IWF has significantly outperformed with a 18.2% return vs 0.9%. Income investors may prefer HYG for its higher yield (5.9% vs 0.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric HYG IWF
Expense Ratio 0.49% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 5.9% 0.4%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US High Yield Bond US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 103 126 149 172 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
HYG -8.9%
IWF +71.3%

Performance Comparison

Period HYG IWF Difference
1 Month -1.13% -4.73% +3.60%
3 Months -1.61% -8.83% +7.22%
6 Months -1.82% -8.48% +6.66%
YTD -1.61% -8.83% +7.22%
1 Year +0.86% +18.20% -17.34%
3 Years +5.62% +75.80% -70.18%
5 Years -8.89% +71.26% -80.15%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period HYG Fees IWF Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $960 $357 $603
$10.000 20 years $4.052 $1.529 $2.523
$10.000 30 years $12.832 $4.912 $7.921
$50.000 10 years $4.799 $1.786 $3.013
$50.000 30 years $64.162 $24.558 $39.604
$100.000 30 years $128.324 $49.116 $79.208

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric HYG IWF
Annualized Volatility 7.6% 21.4%
Max Drawdown -19.3% -33.1%
Sharpe Ratio -0.80 0.40

Dividend Comparison

Metric HYG IWF
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.67 $1.69
Dividend Yield 5.88% 0.39%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

IWF Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA12.82%
Apple Inc.AAPL11.79%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT8.78%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO4.81%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.57%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.28%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.83%
Eli Lilly and CompanyLLY2.62%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IWF if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IWF if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose HYG if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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