HYG vs. SEIX
HYG (iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF) and SEIX (Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - HYG is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index, while SEIX is a Bank Loan fund actively managed by Virtus. HYG is passively managed, while SEIX is actively managed. Over the past 5 years, HYG returned 3.73%/yr vs 5.79%/yr for SEIX. Their 0.17 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. HYG charges 0.49%/yr vs 0.57%/yr for SEIX.
Performance
HYG vs. SEIX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, HYG achieves a 1.81% return, which is significantly lower than SEIX's 3.10% return.
HYG
- 1D
- 0.27%
- 1M
- -0.02%
- 6M
- 1.13%
- YTD
- 1.81%
- 1Y
- 5.12%
- 3Y*
- 8.25%
- 5Y*
- 3.73%
- 10Y*
- 4.64%
- ALL TIME*
- 4.95%
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $2.88B | $2.52B | $2.69B | |
| $1.85M | $1.52M | $1.74M |
HYG vs. SEIX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 1.81% | 8.59% | 7.97% | 11.54% | -10.98% | 3.76% | 4.47% | 5.28% |
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 HYG and SEIX is 0.34, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.34 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.27 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.24 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 25, 2019 | 0.17 |
The correlation between HYG and SEIX shifts across timeframes, from 0.17 (all time) to 0.34 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
HYG vs. SEIX — Risk / Return Rank
HYG
SEIX
HYG vs. SEIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) 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.
| HYG | SEIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.12 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.50 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.76 | -0.51 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.20 | 4.97 | -2.77 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.47 | 19.73 | -10.26 |
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Drawdowns
HYG vs. SEIX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum HYG drawdown since its inception was -34.25%, which is greater than SEIX's maximum drawdown of -17.51%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HYG and SEIX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| HYG | SEIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.25% | -17.51% | -16.74% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.34% | -1.13% | -1.21% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -4.56% | -3.01% | -1.55% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -15.79% | -6.69% | -9.10% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -22.03% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.22% | -0.04% | -0.18% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.22% | -0.85% | -2.37% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.54% | 0.28% | +0.26% |
Volatility
HYG vs. SEIX - Volatility Comparison
iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) has a higher volatility of 0.83% compared to Virtus Seix Senior Loan ETF (SEIX) at 0.44%. This indicates that HYG'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
| HYG | SEIX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.83% | 0.44% | +0.39% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.17% | 1.32% | +1.85% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.87% | 1.63% | +2.24% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.53% | 2.92% | +4.61% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 8.21% | 4.29% | +3.92% |
HYG vs. SEIX - Expense Ratio Comparison
HYG has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is lower than SEIX's 0.57% expense ratio.
Dividends
HYG vs. SEIX - Dividend Comparison
HYG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.91%, less than SEIX's 7.15% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 5.91% | 5.71% | 6.01% | 5.74% | 5.30% | 4.02% | 4.88% | 4.99% | 5.54% | 5.12% | 5.27% | 5.90% |
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
HYG and SEIX have a correlation of 0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
HYG has higher volatility (0.83%) compared to SEIX (0.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, HYG dropped -34.25% vs SEIX's -17.51%.
On 5-year performance, SEIX leads with 5.79% vs 3.73% for HYG. On fees, HYG is cheaper at 0.49% 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 3.73%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
HYG is cheaper with a 0.49% expense ratio, compared with 0.57% for SEIX.
SEIX has the higher dividend yield at 7.15%, compared with 5.91% for HYG.
HYG is categorized as High Yield Bonds, while SEIX is Bank Loan. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Virtus. Their fees differ too: 0.49% for HYG and 0.57% for SEIX.
SEIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.45 vs 1.33), 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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