HYEM vs. SEIX
HYEM (VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF) and SEIX (Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - HYEM is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the ICE BofA Diversified High Yield US Emerging Markets Corporate Plus Index, while SEIX is a Bank Loan fund actively managed by Virtus. HYEM is passively managed, while SEIX is actively managed. Over the past 5 years, HYEM returned 3.15%/yr vs 5.79%/yr for SEIX. Their 0.15 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. HYEM charges 0.40%/yr vs 0.57%/yr for SEIX.
Performance
HYEM vs. SEIX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, HYEM achieves a 4.38% return, which is significantly higher than SEIX's 3.10% return.
HYEM
- 1D
- 0.15%
- 1M
- 0.25%
- 6M
- 2.70%
- YTD
- 4.38%
- 1Y
- 7.54%
- 3Y*
- 10.22%
- 5Y*
- 3.15%
- 10Y*
- 4.33%
- ALL TIME*
- 4.72%
SEIX
- 1D
- 0.15%
- 1M
- 0.83%
- 6M
- 3.15%
- YTD
- 3.10%
- 1Y
- 5.59%
- 3Y*
- 7.18%
- 5Y*
- 5.79%
- 10Y*
- —
- ALL TIME*
- 5.36%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.89M | $2.23M | $4.32M | |
| $1.85M | $1.52M | $1.74M |
HYEM vs. SEIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYEM VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF | 4.38% | 9.24% | 12.14% | 8.35% | -13.39% | -1.31% | 6.87% | 6.46% |
SEIX Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF | 3.10% | 5.10% | 8.42% | 12.51% | -1.77% | 5.49% | 3.17% | 3.44% |
Correlation
The correlation between HYEM and SEIX is 0.26, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.26 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.18 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.19 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 25, 2019 | 0.15 |
The correlation between HYEM and SEIX shifts across timeframes, from 0.15 (all time) to 0.26 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
HYEM vs. SEIX — Risk / Return Rank
HYEM
SEIX
HYEM vs. SEIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) and Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF (SEIX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
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.
| HYEM | SEIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.73 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.00 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.33 | 1.76 | -0.43 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.78 | 4.97 | -2.19 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.12 | 19.73 | -8.60 |
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Drawdowns
HYEM vs. SEIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum HYEM drawdown since its inception was -30.96%, which is greater than SEIX's maximum drawdown of -17.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HYEM and SEIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| HYEM | SEIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -30.96% | -17.51% | -13.45% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.73% | -1.13% | -1.60% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -5.23% | -3.01% | -2.22% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -26.29% | -6.69% | -19.60% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -30.96% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.10% | -0.04% | -0.06% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.35% | -0.85% | -3.50% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.68% | 0.28% | +0.40% |
Volatility
HYEM vs. SEIX - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) has a higher volatility of 0.72% compared to Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF (SEIX) at 0.44%. This indicates that HYEM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SEIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| HYEM | SEIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.72% | 0.44% | +0.28% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.16% | 1.32% | +1.84% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.40% | 1.63% | +2.77% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.50% | 2.92% | +4.58% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 9.26% | 4.29% | +4.97% |
HYEM vs. SEIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
HYEM has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is lower than SEIX's 0.57% expense ratio.
Dividends
HYEM vs. SEIX - Dividend Comparison
HYEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.79%, less than SEIX's 7.15% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYEM VanEck Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF | 6.79% | 6.67% | 6.34% | 6.27% | 6.47% | 5.33% | 5.56% | 6.14% | 5.71% | 5.86% | 6.25% | 7.64% |
SEIX Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF | 7.15% | 7.52% | 8.09% | 8.74% | 5.76% | 4.16% | 3.75% | 3.82% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
HYEM and SEIX have a correlation of 0.26, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
HYEM has higher volatility (0.72%) compared to SEIX (0.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, HYEM dropped -30.96% vs SEIX's -17.51%.
On 5-year performance, SEIX leads with 5.79% vs 3.15% for HYEM. On fees, HYEM is cheaper at 0.40% per year. On volatility, SEIX has been the lower-risk option at 0.44%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, SEIX has performed better with a 5.79% return vs 3.15%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
HYEM is cheaper with a 0.40% expense ratio, compared with 0.57% for SEIX.
SEIX has the higher dividend yield at 7.15%, compared with 6.79% for HYEM.
HYEM is categorized as High Yield Bonds, while SEIX is Bank Loan. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and Virtus. Their fees differ too: 0.40% for HYEM and 0.57% for SEIX.
SEIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.45 vs 1.72), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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