HYS vs. IBHE

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

HYS (PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF) and IBHE (iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF) are both High Yield Bonds funds - HYS tracks the ICE BofA US High Yield Constrained (0-5 Y) while IBHE tracks the Bloomberg 2025 Term High Yield and Income Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, HYS returned 5.08%/yr vs 3.89%/yr for IBHE. A 0.69 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. HYS charges 0.56%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for IBHE.

Performance

HYS vs. IBHE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF (HYS) and iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF (IBHE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

HYS

• 1D: -0.09%
• 1M: 0.47%
• YTD: 1.33%
• 6M: 1.83%
• 1Y: 7.07%
• 3Y*: 8.58%
• 5Y*: 5.08%
• 10Y*: 5.35%

IBHE

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: 0.00%
• 6M: 0.09%
• 1Y: 2.31%
• 3Y*: 6.07%
• 5Y*: 3.89%
• 10Y*: —

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

HYS vs. IBHE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
HYS PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF	1.33%	8.80%	8.42%	11.38%	-5.42%	4.77%	3.27%	3.43%
IBHE iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF	0.00%	4.45%	7.62%	10.32%	-4.08%	4.40%	4.16%	5.91%

Correlation

The correlation between HYS and IBHE is 0.04, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.04
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.47
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.67
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 10, 2019	0.69

Over the past year, the correlation between HYS and IBHE has dropped to 0.04 - well below their long-term average of 0.69, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

HYS vs. IBHE - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	HYS	IBHE
Communication Services	100.0%	-
Basic Materials	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	-
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Industrials	-	-
Real Estate	-	100.0%
Technology	-	-
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

HYS vs. IBHE — Risk / Return Rank

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

HYS

HYS Risk / Return Rank: 68
HYS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
HYS Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
HYS Omega Ratio Rank: 63
HYS Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
HYS Martin Ratio Rank: 78

IBHE

IBHE Risk / Return Rank: 97
IBHE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
IBHE Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
IBHE Omega Ratio Rank: 98
IBHE Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
IBHE Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

HYS vs. IBHE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF (HYS) and iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF (IBHE). 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.

	HYS	IBHE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.04	3.51	-1.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.17	6.33	-3.16
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	2.19	-0.80
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.77	12.78	-9.02
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	15.35	63.40	-48.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HYS vs. IBHE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HYS Sharpe Ratio is 2.04, which is lower than the IBHE Sharpe Ratio of 3.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HYS and IBHE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HYS	IBHE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.04	3.51	-1.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.82	0.83	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.78	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.81	0.41	+0.41

Drawdowns

HYS vs. IBHE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HYS drawdown since its inception was -20.91%, smaller than the maximum IBHE drawdown of -26.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HYS and IBHE.

Drawdown Indicators

	HYS	IBHE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.91%	-26.91%	+6.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-1.88%	-0.22%	-1.66%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-4.98%	-0.94%	-4.04%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-10.61%	-8.51%	-2.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-20.91%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.14%	0.00%	-0.14%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.53%	-1.42%	-0.11%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.46%	0.05%	+0.41%

Volatility

HYS vs. IBHE - Volatility Comparison

PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF (HYS) has a higher volatility of 1.23% compared to iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF (IBHE) at 0.00%. This indicates that HYS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IBHE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HYS	IBHE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.23%	0.00%	+1.23%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.74%	0.39%	+2.35%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.47%	0.78%	+2.69%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.26%	4.87%	+1.39%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.84%	11.53%	-4.69%

HYS vs. IBHE - Expense Ratio Comparison

HYS has a 0.56% expense ratio, which is higher than IBHE's 0.35% expense ratio.

Dividends

HYS vs. IBHE - Dividend Comparison

HYS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.36%, more than IBHE's 2.29% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HYS PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond Index ETF	7.36%	7.20%	7.43%	6.44%	5.01%	3.74%	4.52%	4.98%	4.64%	5.01%	5.13%	5.22%
IBHE iShares iBonds 2025 Term High Yield & Income ETF	2.29%	4.53%	6.92%	7.17%	5.77%	4.84%	5.74%	3.73%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both HYS and IBHE in my portfolio?

HYS and IBHE have a correlation of 0.04, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, HYS or IBHE?

HYS has higher volatility (1.23%) compared to IBHE (0.00%). In terms of maximum drawdown, HYS dropped -20.91% vs IBHE's -26.91%.

Which ETF is better, HYS or IBHE?

On 5-year performance, HYS leads with 5.08% vs 3.89% for IBHE. On fees, IBHE is cheaper at 0.35% per year. On volatility, IBHE has been the lower-risk option at 0.00%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, HYS or IBHE?

Over the 5-year period, HYS has performed better with a 5.08% return vs 3.89%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, HYS or IBHE?

IBHE is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.56% for HYS.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, HYS or IBHE?

HYS has the higher dividend yield at 7.36%, compared with 2.29% for IBHE.

What is the main difference between HYS and IBHE?

HYS tracks ICE BofA US High Yield Constrained (0-5 Y), while IBHE tracks Bloomberg 2025 Term High Yield and Income Index. They also come from different issuers: PIMCO and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.56% for HYS and 0.35% for IBHE.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

IBHE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.51 vs 2.04), 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.