NHFIX vs. SPYI

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund (NHFIX) and NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF (SPYI).

NHFIX is managed by Northern Funds. It was launched on Dec 31, 1998. SPYI is an actively managed fund by Neos. It was launched on Aug 29, 2022.

Performance

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund (NHFIX) and NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF (SPYI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
NHFIX Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund	-0.85%	8.79%	8.03%	13.96%	-0.48%
SPYI NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF	-3.13%	16.67%	19.03%	18.09%	-2.44%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NHFIX achieves a -0.85% return, which is significantly higher than SPYI's -3.13% return.

NHFIX

• 1D: 0.17%
• 1M: -1.77%
• YTD: -0.85%
• 6M: 0.46%
• 1Y: 6.99%
• 3Y*: 8.50%
• 5Y*: 3.45%
• 10Y*: 5.51%

SPYI

• 1D: 2.91%
• 1M: -4.27%
• YTD: -3.13%
• 6M: 0.26%
• 1Y: 16.35%
• 3Y*: 14.25%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Expense Ratio Comparison

NHFIX has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is lower than SPYI's 0.68% expense ratio.

SPYI

NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF

NHFIX

Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund

Return for Risk

NHFIX vs. SPYI — Risk / Return Rank

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

NHFIX

NHFIX Risk / Return Rank: 82
NHFIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
NHFIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
NHFIX Omega Ratio Rank: 90
NHFIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
NHFIX Martin Ratio Rank: 75

SPYI

SPYI Risk / Return Rank: 69
SPYI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
SPYI Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
SPYI Omega Ratio Rank: 73
SPYI Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
SPYI Martin Ratio Rank: 81

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.

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund (NHFIX) and NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF (SPYI). 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.

	NHFIX	SPYI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.68	1.01	+0.67
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.45	1.53	+0.92
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.26	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.62	1.55	+0.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.24	8.15	-0.91
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NHFIX Sharpe Ratio is 1.68, which is higher than the SPYI Sharpe Ratio of 1.01. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NHFIX and SPYI, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NHFIX	SPYI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.68	1.01	+0.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.93	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.04	1.00	+0.04

Correlation

The correlation between NHFIX and SPYI is 0.48, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Dividend Comparison

NHFIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.03%, less than SPYI's 12.50% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NHFIX Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund	7.03%	6.87%	6.67%	6.57%	3.84%	4.92%	5.41%	6.35%	6.85%	6.66%	5.57%	6.19%
SPYI NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF	12.50%	11.70%	12.04%	12.01%	4.10%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NHFIX drawdown since its inception was -27.87%, which is greater than SPYI's maximum drawdown of -16.47%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NHFIX and SPYI.

Drawdown Indicators

	NHFIX	SPYI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.87%	-16.47%	-11.40%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.33%	-11.02%	+7.69%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.47%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-24.72%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.93%	-5.03%	+3.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.80%	-1.86%	-0.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.82%	2.09%	-1.27%

Volatility

NHFIX vs. SPYI - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Northern High Yield Fixed Income Fund (NHFIX) is 1.36%, while NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF (SPYI) has a volatility of 5.08%. This indicates that NHFIX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPYI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NHFIX	SPYI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.36%	5.08%	-3.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.45%	8.27%	-5.82%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.11%	16.22%	-12.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.06%	13.12%	-8.06%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.94%	13.12%	-7.18%