- Issuer
- Franklin Templeton
- Inception Date
- Jan 1, 2009
- Category
- High Yield Bonds
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Bond
- Asset Class Size
- Multi-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Blend
Share Price Chart
Loading charts...
Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs
Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.
Performance
HIO Performance Chart
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc (HIO) is up 3.0% since the beginning of the year. HIO is currently trading at $4 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of HIO shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,145.
Loading charts...
Returns By Period
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc (HIO) has returned 2.95% so far this year and 3.61% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, HIO has returned 5.91% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc
- 1D
- 0.28%
- 1M
- 0.28%
- YTD
- 2.95%
- 6M
- 2.82%
- 1Y
- 3.61%
- 3Y*
- 9.61%
- 5Y*
- 2.74%
- 10Y*
- 5.91%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
HIO Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Oct 27, 1994, HIO's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.58%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 10.0 years.
Historically, 59% of months were positive and 41% were negative. The best month was Jan 2001 with a return of +13.4%, while the worst month was Sep 2008 at -18.2%. The longest winning streak lasted 8 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, HIO closed higher 45% of trading days. The best single day was Oct 13, 2008 with a return of +19.1%, while the worst single day was Mar 18, 2020 at -24.6%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2.59% | 0.40% | -2.24% | 2.64% | -0.11% | -0.27% | 2.95% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.19% | 2.41% | -0.62% | -2.85% | 2.25% | 3.51% | 0.39% | 1.42% | -2.66% | 1.45% | -0.88% | -1.18% | 5.33% |
| 2024 | 3.00% | 0.14% | 0.64% | -3.96% | 2.31% | 2.28% | 4.09% | 2.19% | 2.67% | -1.34% | 1.41% | -0.36% | 13.58% |
| 2023 | 3.81% | 0.02% | -4.94% | 0.52% | -0.77% | 1.87% | 2.65% | 0.54% | -4.31% | 1.82% | 5.35% | 1.71% | 8.07% |
| 2022 | -7.70% | -2.10% | -3.01% | -4.94% | 1.69% | -6.31% | 7.87% | -5.21% | -7.05% | 3.84% | 7.95% | -1.95% | -17.09% |
| 2021 | -0.15% | 0.86% | 3.87% | 1.97% | 0.98% | 2.72% | -0.18% | 0.76% | -0.58% | 1.16% | -2.12% | 2.98% | 12.80% |
Benchmark Metrics
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc has an annualized alpha of 3.40%, beta of 0.41, and R2 of 0.18 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since October 27, 1994.
- This fund participated in 51.92% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 49.08% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.41 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.18 this fund is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this fund's risk.
- R2 of 0.18 means this fund moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index - capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 3.40%
- Beta
- 0.41
- R²
- 0.18
- Upside Capture
- 49.08%
- Downside Capture
- 51.92%
Expense Ratio
HIO has an expense ratio of 0.02%, which is considered low.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
HIO ranks 5 for risk / return — in the bottom 5% of mutual funds on our site. This means you're taking on significantly more risk than the returns justify. Consider whether the potential upside is worth the volatility, or explore alternatives with better risk / return profiles.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc (HIO) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| HIO | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.68 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.21 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.07 | 1.37 | -0.30 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.54 | 2.78 | -2.24 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.16 | 12.44 | -11.28 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc provided a 11.70% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.43 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.43 | $0.43 | $0.43 | $0.38 | $0.36 | $0.37 | $0.39 | $0.35 | $0.32 | $0.36 | $0.42 | $0.43 |
Dividend yield | 11.70% | 11.48% | 10.84% | 9.90% | 9.11% | 7.02% | 7.86% | 6.91% | 7.31% | 7.04% | 8.44% | 9.08% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.00 | $0.18 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.43 |
| 2024 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.43 |
| 2023 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.04 | $0.38 |
| 2022 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.36 |
| 2021 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.37 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
Loading charts...
Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc was 49.69%, occurring on Nov 20, 2008. Recovery took 181 trading sessions.
The current Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc drawdown is 1.89%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -49.69%Nov 2008 | 1y 5mo | 8mo 25d | 2y 2moJun 2007 - Aug 2009 |
COVID crash2020 | -40.57%Mar 2020 | 26d | 5mo 9d | 6mo 5dFeb 2020 - Aug 2020 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -32.21%Jul 2002 | 1y 5mo | 10mo 22d | 2y 3moFeb 2001 - Jun 2003 |
Bear market2022 | -26.18%Oct 2022 | 1y 1mo | 1y 11mo | 3y 7dSep 2021 - Sep 2024 |
1999 bear market1999 | -22.16%Dec 1999 | 1y 9mo | 1y 1mo | 2y 11moFeb 1998 - Jan 2001 |
Drawdown Indicators
| HIO | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -49.69% | -56.78% | +7.09% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.70% | -9.10% | +2.40% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -13.29% | -18.90% | +5.61% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.18% | -25.43% | -0.75% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -40.57% | -33.92% | -6.65% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.89% | -1.80% | -0.09% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.45% | -10.71% | +4.26% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.11% | 2.03% | +1.08% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Loading charts...
Build a portfolio with HIO
Add Western Asset High Income Opportunity Fund Inc to a portfolio and analyze allocations for your target — whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing drawdowns, or balancing risk across holdings.
Open Portfolio Analyzer with HIO