ETF Versus

IYR vs LQD

iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF vs iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IYR iShares

iShares U.S. Real Estate ETF (IYR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.38%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 2.37%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $3.9B ER: 0.38% Yield: 2.37% Since: Jun 12, 2000
LQD iShares

iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to investment-grade U.S. corporate bonds. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.14%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.53%. Launched in 2002, the fund has a 24-year track record.

AUM: $29.2B ER: 0.14% Yield: 4.53% Since: Jul 22, 2002

Quick Verdict

LQD is significantly cheaper at 0.14% vs 0.38% expense ratio, saving you approximately $469 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Both funds have delivered similar 1-year returns (-1.0% vs 0.0%), tracking closely. Income investors may prefer LQD for its higher yield (4.5% vs 2.4%).

Key Metrics

Metric IYR LQD
Expense Ratio 0.38% 0.14%
Dividend Yield 2.4% 4.5%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category US Real Estate US Investment Grade Corporate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 85 95 105 115 125 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IYR +1.0%
LQD -16.4%

Performance Comparison

Period IYR LQD Difference
1 Month -6.56% -2.04% -4.52%
3 Months +0.95% -1.36% +2.31%
6 Months -2.23% -2.59% +0.36%
YTD +0.95% -1.36% +2.31%
1 Year -0.97% +0.00% -0.97%
3 Years +12.64% -1.16% +13.80%
5 Years +0.99% -16.40% +17.39%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IYR Fees LQD Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $748 $278 $469
$10.000 20 years $3.173 $1.194 $1.979
$10.000 30 years $10.097 $3.841 $6.257
$50.000 10 years $3.739 $1.391 $2.347
$50.000 30 years $50.486 $19.203 $31.283
$100.000 30 years $100.972 $38.406 $62.566

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IYR LQD
Annualized Volatility 18.8% 8.7%
Max Drawdown -36.9% -27.9%
Sharpe Ratio -0.13 -0.89

Dividend Comparison

Metric IYR LQD
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.25 $4.92
Dividend Yield 2.37% 4.53%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Monthly

Top Holdings

IYR Top Holdings

NameWeight
Welltower Inc.WELL10.03%
Prologis, Inc.PLD9.11%
Equinix, Inc.EQIX4.68%
Digital Realty Trust, Inc.DLR4.59%
Simon Property Group, Inc.SPG4.50%
Realty Income CorporationO4.44%
American Tower CorporationAMT4.39%
Public StoragePSA3.40%
Ventas, Inc.VTR3.15%
CBRE Group, Inc.CBRE3.10%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose LQD if...

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

Choose LQD if...

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

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