HYLS vs. ESHY

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) and Xtrackers J.P. Morgan ESG USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (ESHY).

HYLS and ESHY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. HYLS is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Feb 27, 2013. ESHY is a passively managed fund by Deutsche Bank that tracks the performance of the JPMorgan ESG DM Corporate High Yield USD Index. It was launched on Mar 3, 2015.

Performance

HYLS vs. ESHY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) and Xtrackers J.P. Morgan ESG USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (ESHY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HYLS vs. ESHY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)
HYLS First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF	-1.22%
ESHY Xtrackers J.P. Morgan ESG USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	0.00%

Returns By Period

HYLS

• 1D: 1.20%
• 1M: -0.72%
• YTD: -1.46%
• 6M: -0.32%
• 1Y: 5.53%
• 3Y*: 7.27%
• 5Y*: 2.66%
• 10Y*: 4.38%

ESHY

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: —
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

HYLS vs. ESHY - Expense Ratio Comparison

HYLS has a 1.01% expense ratio, which is higher than ESHY's 0.20% expense ratio.

HYLS

First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF

ESHY

Xtrackers J.P. Morgan ESG USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

Return for Risk

HYLS vs. ESHY — Risk / Return Rank

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

HYLS

HYLS Risk / Return Rank: 68
HYLS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
HYLS Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
HYLS Omega Ratio Rank: 69
HYLS Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
HYLS Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

HYLS vs. ESHY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF (HYLS) and Xtrackers J.P. Morgan ESG USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (ESHY). 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.

	HYLS	ESHY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.17	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.74	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.68	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.97	—	—
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

	HYLS	ESHY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.17	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.41	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.66	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.67	—	—

Dividends

HYLS vs. ESHY - Dividend Comparison

HYLS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.69%, while ESHY has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HYLS First Trust Tactical High Yield ETF	6.69%	6.38%	6.25%	5.98%	7.38%	5.48%	5.09%	5.17%	5.81%	5.53%	5.37%	6.11%
ESHY Xtrackers J.P. Morgan ESG USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

HYLS vs. ESHY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HYLS drawdown since its inception was -22.99%, which is greater than ESHY's maximum drawdown of 0.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HYLS and ESHY.

Drawdown Indicators

	HYLS	ESHY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-22.99%	0.00%	-22.99%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.33%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.75%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-22.99%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.93%	0.00%	-1.93%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.17%	0.00%	-2.17%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.80%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	HYLS	ESHY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.11%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.67%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.75%	0.00%	+4.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.59%	0.00%	+6.59%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.70%	0.00%	+6.70%