RFDA vs. HYG
RFDA (RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF) and HYG (iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - RFDA is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund actively managed by SS&C, while HYG is a High Yield Bonds fund tracking the Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index. RFDA is actively managed, while HYG is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, RFDA returned 13.37%/yr vs 5.00%/yr for HYG. A 0.68 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. RFDA charges 0.52%/yr vs 0.49%/yr for HYG.
Performance
RFDA vs. HYG - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, RFDA achieves a 10.53% return, which is significantly higher than HYG's 1.65% return. Over the past 10 years, RFDA has outperformed HYG with an annualized return of 13.37%, while HYG has yielded a comparatively lower 5.00% annualized return.
RFDA
- 1D
- 0.15%
- 1M
- 0.14%
- YTD
- 10.53%
- 6M
- 10.30%
- 1Y
- 27.30%
- 3Y*
- 18.71%
- 5Y*
- 12.98%
- 10Y*
- 13.37%
HYG
- 1D
- -0.09%
- 1M
- 0.55%
- YTD
- 1.65%
- 6M
- 1.90%
- 1Y
- 6.23%
- 3Y*
- 8.78%
- 5Y*
- 3.77%
- 10Y*
- 5.00%
RFDA vs. HYG - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
RFDA RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | 10.53% | 16.42% | 20.12% | 16.98% | -8.58% | 25.94% | 11.26% | 27.15% | -9.27% | 19.86% |
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 1.65% | 8.59% | 7.97% | 11.54% | -10.98% | 3.76% | 4.47% | 14.09% | -2.02% | 6.07% |
Correlation
The correlation between RFDA and HYG is 0.66, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.66 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.64 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.67 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.68 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 7, 2016 | 0.68 |
The correlation between RFDA and HYG has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.64 to 0.68 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
RFDA vs. HYG — Risk / Return Rank
RFDA
HYG
RFDA vs. HYG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF (RFDA) and iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG). 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.
| RFDA | HYG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.73 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.79 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.43 | 1.31 | +0.12 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 5.04 | 2.67 | +2.36 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 18.04 | 11.73 | +6.31 |
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Drawdowns
RFDA vs. HYG - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum RFDA drawdown since its inception was -34.60%, roughly equal to the maximum HYG drawdown of -34.25%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RFDA and HYG.
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Drawdown Indicators
| RFDA | HYG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.60% | -34.25% | -0.35% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.45% | -2.34% | -3.11% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -19.35% | -4.56% | -14.79% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.35% | -15.79% | -3.56% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.60% | -22.03% | -12.57% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.89% | -0.12% | -1.77% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.73% | -3.23% | -0.50% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.52% | 0.53% | +0.99% |
Volatility
RFDA vs. HYG - Volatility Comparison
RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF (RFDA) has a higher volatility of 3.31% compared to iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) at 1.12%. This indicates that RFDA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HYG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| RFDA | HYG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.31% | 1.12% | +2.19% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 8.79% | 3.12% | +5.67% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.75% | 3.89% | +7.86% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 15.75% | 7.54% | +8.21% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.87% | 8.29% | +8.58% |
RFDA vs. HYG - Expense Ratio Comparison
RFDA has a 0.52% expense ratio, which is higher than HYG's 0.49% expense ratio.
Dividends
RFDA vs. HYG - Dividend Comparison
RFDA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.80%, less than HYG's 5.90% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 5.90% | 5.71% | 6.01% | 5.74% | 5.30% | 4.02% | 4.88% | 4.99% | 5.54% | 5.12% | 5.27% | 5.90% |
RFDA RiverFront Dynamic US Dividend Advantage ETF | 1.80% | 1.89% | 2.23% | 2.68% | 3.57% | 1.44% | 1.62% | 1.87% | 2.44% | 1.90% | 0.98% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
RFDA and HYG have a correlation of 0.66, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
RFDA has higher volatility (3.31%) compared to HYG (1.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, RFDA dropped -34.60% vs HYG's -34.25%.
On 10-year performance, RFDA leads with 13.37% vs 5.00% for HYG. On fees, HYG is cheaper at 0.49% per year. On volatility, HYG has been the lower-risk option at 1.12%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, RFDA has performed better with a 13.37% return vs 5.00%. 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 0.52% for RFDA.
HYG has the higher dividend yield at 5.90%, compared with 1.80% for RFDA.
RFDA is categorized as Large Cap Growth Equities, while HYG is High Yield Bonds. They also come from different issuers: SS&C and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.52% for RFDA and 0.49% for HYG.
RFDA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.34 vs 1.61), 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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