ETF Versus

JNK vs SPLG

State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF vs State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

JNK SPDR

State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to below-investment-grade U.S. corporate bonds offering higher yields. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.40%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 6.60%. Launched in 2007, the fund has a 19-year track record.

AUM: $6.9B ER: 0.40% Yield: 6.60% Since: Nov 28, 2007
SPLG SPDR

State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 ETF (SPLG) is an exchange-traded fund issued by SPDR that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. equities across growth and value styles. Launched in 2009, the fund has a 17-year track record.

AUM: N/A ER: N/A Yield: N/A Since: 2009-01-02

Quick Verdict

SPLG is significantly cheaper at 0.00% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $786 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, SPLG has significantly outperformed with a 29.7% return vs 4.6%.

Key Metrics

Metric JNK SPLG
Expense Ratio 0.40% N/A
Dividend Yield 6.6% N/A
Fund Family SPDR SPDR
Category US High Yield Bond US Large Cap Blend

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 98 116 134 152 170 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
JNK -11.4%
SPLG +65.4%

Performance Comparison

Period JNK SPLG Difference
1 Month +0.31% +0.54% -0.23%
3 Months -1.30% -2.18% +0.88%
6 Months -0.53% +2.59% -3.12%
YTD -0.85% -0.46% -0.39%
1 Year +4.60% +29.69% -25.09%
3 Years +4.83% +66.15% -61.32%
5 Years -11.39% +65.40% -76.79%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period JNK Fees SPLG Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $786 $0 $786
$10,000 20 years $3,334 $0 $3,334
$10,000 30 years $10,601 $0 $10,601
$50,000 10 years $3,932 $0 $3,932
$50,000 30 years $53,003 $0 $53,003
$100,000 30 years $106,005 $0 $106,005

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric JNK SPLG
Annualized Volatility 7.7% 16.9%
Max Drawdown -20.6% -25.4%
Sharpe Ratio -0.86 0.42

Dividend Comparison

Metric JNK SPLG
Annual Dividend (per share) $6.37 $0.88
Dividend Yield 6.61% 1.10%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SPLG if...

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

Choose SPLG if...

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

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