ETF Versus

HYG vs ITOT

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF vs iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market 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
ITOT iShares

iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to the total U.S. stock market across all capitalizations. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.12%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $77.6B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.12% Since: Jan 20, 2004

Quick Verdict

ITOT is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.49% expense ratio, saving you approximately $900 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, ITOT has significantly outperformed with a 17.2% return vs 0.9%. Income investors may prefer HYG for its higher yield (5.9% vs 1.1%).

Key Metrics

Metric HYG ITOT
Expense Ratio 0.49% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 5.9% 1.1%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US High Yield Bond US Total Market

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

80 97 114 131 148 165 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
HYG -8.9%
ITOT +52.8%

Performance Comparison

Period HYG ITOT Difference
1 Month -1.13% -4.55% +3.42%
3 Months -1.61% -3.83% +2.22%
6 Months -1.82% -2.08% +0.26%
YTD -1.61% -3.83% +2.22%
1 Year +0.86% +17.17% -16.31%
3 Years +5.62% +57.97% -52.35%
5 Years -8.89% +52.82% -61.71%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period HYG Fees ITOT Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $960 $60 $900
$10.000 20 years $4.052 $258 $3.794
$10.000 30 years $12.832 $835 $11.997
$50.000 10 years $4.799 $299 $4.499
$50.000 30 years $64.162 $4.176 $59.986
$100.000 30 years $128.324 $8.352 $119.972

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric HYG ITOT
Annualized Volatility 7.6% 17.4%
Max Drawdown -19.3% -26.2%
Sharpe Ratio -0.80 0.32

Dividend Comparison

Metric HYG ITOT
Annual Dividend (per share) $4.67 $1.61
Dividend Yield 5.88% 1.13%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Quarterly

Top Holdings

ITOT Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA6.59%
Apple Inc.AAPL5.91%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.29%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.15%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.31%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.07%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META1.86%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.65%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.39%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose ITOT if...

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

Choose ITOT 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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