HYEM vs. VGHY

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) and Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF (VGHY).

HYEM and VGHY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HYEM is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch Diversified High Yield US Emerging Markets Corporate Plus Index. It was launched on May 8, 2012. VGHY is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Sep 16, 2025.

Performance

HYEM vs. VGHY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) and Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF (VGHY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HYEM vs. VGHY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
HYEM VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF	0.36%	0.73%
VGHY Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF	-0.05%	1.80%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HYEM achieves a 0.36% return, which is significantly higher than VGHY's -0.05% return.

HYEM

• 1D: 0.10%
• 1M: -1.79%
• YTD: 0.36%
• 6M: 1.52%
• 1Y: 7.53%
• 3Y*: 9.25%
• 5Y*: 2.64%
• 10Y*: 4.66%

VGHY

• 1D: 0.32%
• 1M: -0.78%
• YTD: -0.05%
• 6M: 1.49%
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HYEM vs. VGHY - Expense Ratio Comparison

HYEM has a 0.40% expense ratio, which is higher than VGHY's 0.22% expense ratio.

HYEM

VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF

VGHY

Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF

Return for Risk

HYEM vs. VGHY — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

HYEM

HYEM Risk / Return Rank: 63
HYEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
HYEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
HYEM Omega Ratio Rank: 67
HYEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
HYEM Martin Ratio Rank: 70

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

HYEM vs. VGHY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF (HYEM) and Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF (VGHY). 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.

	HYEM	VGHY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.14	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.61	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.54	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.62	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HYEM	VGHY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.14	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.50	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.52	0.74	-0.23

Correlation

The correlation between HYEM and VGHY is 0.31, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

HYEM vs. VGHY - Dividend Comparison

HYEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.77%, more than VGHY's 3.00% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HYEM VanEck Vectors Emerging Markets High Yield Bond ETF	6.77%	6.67%	6.34%	6.27%	6.47%	5.33%	5.56%	6.14%	5.71%	5.86%	6.25%	7.64%
VGHY Vanguard High-Yield Active ETF	3.00%	1.49%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

HYEM vs. VGHY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HYEM drawdown since its inception was -30.96%, which is greater than VGHY's maximum drawdown of -2.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HYEM and VGHY.

Drawdown Indicators

	HYEM	VGHY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-30.96%	-2.66%	-28.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.85%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.30%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-30.96%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.13%	-1.20%	-0.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.45%	-0.45%	-4.00%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.98%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	HYEM	VGHY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.06%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.41%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.64%	4.46%	+2.18%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.47%	4.46%	+3.01%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.27%	4.46%	+4.81%