ETF Versus

JNK vs USHY

State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF vs iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond 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
USHY iShares

iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to below-investment-grade U.S. corporate bonds offering higher yields. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.08%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 6.88%. Launched in 2017, the fund has a 9-year track record.

AUM: $24.4B ER: 0.08% Yield: 6.88% Since: Oct 25, 2017

Quick Verdict

USHY is significantly cheaper at 0.08% vs 0.40% expense ratio, saving you approximately $627 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (4.6% vs 4.1%), tracking closely.

Key Metrics

Metric JNK USHY
Expense Ratio 0.40% 0.08%
Dividend Yield 6.6% 6.9%
Fund Family SPDR iShares
Category US High Yield Bond US High Yield Bond

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 85 90 95 100 105 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
JNK -11.4%
USHY -10.0%

Performance Comparison

Period JNK USHY Difference
1 Month +0.31% +0.20% +0.11%
3 Months -1.30% -1.42% +0.12%
6 Months -0.53% -0.92% +0.39%
YTD -0.85% -0.98% +0.13%
1 Year +4.60% +4.06% +0.54%
3 Years +4.83% +5.15% -0.32%
5 Years -11.39% -10.00% -1.39%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period JNK Fees USHY Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $786 $159 $627
$10,000 20 years $3,334 $686 $2,648
$10,000 30 years $10,601 $2,212 $8,388
$50,000 10 years $3,932 $797 $3,135
$50,000 30 years $53,003 $11,061 $41,941
$100,000 30 years $106,005 $22,123 $83,882

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric JNK USHY
Annualized Volatility 7.7% 7.5%
Max Drawdown -20.6% -19.9%
Sharpe Ratio -0.86 -0.84

Dividend Comparison

Metric JNK USHY
Annual Dividend (per share) $6.37 $2.55
Dividend Yield 6.61% 6.88%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose USHY if...

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

Either works if...

you just need broad us high yield bond exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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