The Best High Yield Bonds ETFs

The table below compares the performance and other essential indicators like dividend yield and expense ratio of High Yield Bonds ETFs.

High-yield bonds ETFs are exchange-traded funds that invest in a diversified portfolio of bonds with lower credit ratings, also known as "junk bonds". These bonds are issued by companies or municipalities with a higher risk of default and thus offer higher yields to compensate for the added risk. As a result, high-yield bonds are considered to be a higher-risk, higher-return investment than investment-grade bonds, which are issued by companies or municipalities with better credit ratings.

Number of ETFs: 119
Avg. Expense Ratio: 0.44%
Avg. Dividend Yield: 5.86%
Avg. 1 Year Return: 6.23%
Median Risk/Return Score: 62 / 100

119 results

Symbol	Full Name	Category	Inception	Expense Ratio	YTD Return	10Y Return (Annualized)	Dividend Yield	Risk / Return Rank
MYHB	State Street My2028 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Feb 25, 2026	0.39%	—	—	1.71%	—
MYHC	State Street My2029 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Feb 25, 2026	0.39%	—	—	1.86%	—
MYHD	State Street My2030 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Feb 25, 2026	0.39%	—	—	1.85%	—
MYHE	State Street My2031 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Feb 25, 2026	0.39%	—	—	1.82%	—
NJNK	Columbia U.S. High Yield ETF	High Yield Bonds	Sep 5, 2024	0.46%	1.17%	—	6.45%	56
NUHY	Nuveen ESG High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Sep 25, 2019	0.30%	1.08%	—	6.66%	55
ODHY	Obra Defensive High Yield ETF	High Yield Bonds, Actively Managed	Jun 30, 2025	0.50%	0.83%	—	4.79%	—
PCHI	Polen High Income ETF	High Yield Bonds	Mar 24, 2025	0.56%	-0.56%	—	8.14%	22
PGHY	Invesco Global Short Term High Yield Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Jun 20, 2013	0.35%	1.92%	4.29%	7.13%	48
PHYD	Putnam ESG High Yield ETF -	High Yield Bonds	Jan 19, 2023	0.55%	2.23%	—	9.05%	80
PHYL	PGIM Active High Yield Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Sep 24, 2018	0.53%	1.11%	—	7.02%	68
PSH	PGIM Short Duration High Yield ETF	High Yield Bonds	Dec 14, 2023	0.45%	1.83%	—	6.67%	70
PTBD	Pacer Trendpilot US Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Oct 22, 2019	0.60%	0.52%	—	5.90%	26
QHY	WisdomTree U.S. Short-Term Corporate Bond Fund	High Yield Bonds	Apr 27, 2016	0.38%	1.11%	4.87%	6.28%	62
RIGS	RiverFront Strategic Income Fund	High Yield Bonds	Oct 9, 2013	0.48%	-1.97%	2.81%	5.01%	12
SCYB	Schwab High Yield Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Jul 10, 2023	0.03%	1.33%	—	6.95%	60
SHYG	iShares 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Oct 15, 2013	0.30%	1.27%	5.10%	7.04%	71
SHYL	Xtrackers Short Duration High Yield Bond ETF	High Yield Bonds	Jan 10, 2018	0.20%	1.05%	—	6.94%	69
SIHY	Harbor Scientific Alpha High-Yield ETF	High Yield Bonds	Sep 14, 2021	0.48%	1.54%	—	7.28%	63
SJNK	SPDR Bloomberg Barclays Short Term High Yield Bond...	High Yield Bonds	Mar 15, 2012	0.40%	1.16%	5.42%	7.04%	69

Best High Yield Bonds ETFs by Risk/Return Score

The top High Yield Bonds ETFs by PortfoliosLab Risk/Return Score are IBHE (98) and BSJQ (96). The score measures risk-adjusted performance over the past year, accounting for volatility, drawdown, and return consistency.

Symbol	Name	Risk / Return Rank	AUM	Inception
IBHE	iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF	98	364.90M	May 2019
BSJQ	Invesco BulletShares 2026 High Yield Corp Bond ETF	96	1.03B	Aug 2018
XHYE	BondBloxx US High Yield Energy Sector ETF	95	5.96M	Feb 2022
LDRH	iShares iBonds 1-5 Year High Yield and Income Ladd...	87	8.41M	Nov 2024
FLRT	Pacific Global Senior Loan ETF	85	615.17M	Feb 2015

Best-Performing High Yield Bonds ETFs Over 5 Years

The top High Yield Bonds ETFs is HYHG (6.99%). Across the lineup, High Yield Bonds ETFs show an average 1-year return of 6.23% and an average 5-year return of 3.83%, providing a clearer view of performance across different investment horizons.

Symbol	Name	Return 5Y	AUM	Inception
HYHG	ProShares High Yield-Interest Rate Hedged	6.99%	173.54M	May 2013
HYGH	iShares Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond ETF	6.93%	529.12M	May 2014
HYZD	WisdomTree Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond Fu...	6.23%	234.27M	Dec 2013
FLRT	Pacific Global Senior Loan ETF	5.94%	615.17M	Feb 2015
FLBL	Franklin Liberty Senior Loan ETF	5.18%	853.20M	May 2018

Lowest-Cost High Yield Bonds ETFs

The top High Yield Bonds ETFs is SCYB (0.03%). With an average expense ratio of 0.44%, High Yield Bonds ETFs remain a low-cost option for investors seeking broad market exposure, sector allocations, and diversified portfolio building blocks.

Symbol	Name	Expense Ratio	AUM	Inception
SCYB	Schwab High Yield Bond ETF	0.03%	2.54B	Jul 2023
SPHY	SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF	0.05%	11.07B	Jun 2012
BBHY	JPMorgan BetaBuilders USD High Yield Corporate Bon...	0.15%	608.96M	Sep 2016
HYLB	Xtrackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	0.15%	3.48B	Dec 2016
USHY	iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	0.15%	26.83B	Oct 2017

Highest-Yield High Yield Bonds ETFs

The top High Yield Bonds ETFs is HYGW (11.59%). Across the lineup, High Yield Bonds ETFs show an average dividend yield of 5.86%, offering investors a steady stream of income through regular dividend payments, making them attractive for income-seeking portfolios.

Symbol	Name	Dividend Yield	AUM	Inception
HYGW	iShares High Yield Corporate Bond Buywrite Strateg...	11.59%	108.68M	Aug 2022
XCCC	BondBloxx CCC Rated USD High Yield Corporate Bond ...	10.08%	274.02M	May 2022
PHYD	Putnam ESG High Yield ETF -	9.05%	7.67M	Jan 2023
CDX	Simplify High Yield PLUS Credit Hedge ETF	8.35%	406.85M	Feb 2022
PCHI	Polen High Income ETF	8.14%	21.55M	Mar 2025

Top ETFs Categories

Leveraged Equities · 533 ETFs Europe Equities · 519 ETFs Global Equities · 461 ETFs Large Cap Blend Equities · 451 ETFs Derivative Income · 433 ETFs Technology Equities · 383 ETFs Defined Outcome · 330 ETFs S&P 500 · 282 ETFs Large Cap Growth Equities · 248 ETFs Dividend · 214 ETFs Emerging Markets Equities · 208 ETFs Foreign Large Cap Equities · 207 ETFs Corporate Bonds · 199 ETFs Asia Pacific Equities · 188 ETFs Cryptocurrency · 182 ETFs Government Bonds · 176 ETFs Large Cap Value Equities · 173 ETFs Options Trading · 158 ETFs Energy Equities · 151 ETFs Municipal Bonds · 148 ETFs Health & Biotech Equities · 136 ETFs Nasdaq-100 · 130 ETFs REIT · 130 ETFs Precious Metals · 124 ETFs Diversified Portfolio · 118 ETFs China Equities · 116 ETFs European Government Bonds · 115 ETFs Financials Equities · 114 ETFs Japan Equities · 113 ETFs Commodities · 108 ETFs

Top ETFs Comparisons

Compare the top ETFs symbols based on PortfoliosLab usage data.

Risk vs. Return Scatterplot

The Risk vs. Return Scatterplot allows you to quickly compare funds, stocks, and ETFs in one view. It displays the yearly return of an instrument on one axis and the risk (volatility) on the other.

Loading charts...

Time Period