USHY vs. SPHY

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) and SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF (SPHY).

USHY and SPHY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. USHY is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the ICE BofA US High Yield Constrained. It was launched on Oct 25, 2017. SPHY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the ICE BofAML US High Yield Index. It was launched on Jun 18, 2012. Both USHY and SPHY are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

USHY vs. SPHY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) and SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF (SPHY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

USHY vs. SPHY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
USHY iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	-0.05%	8.81%	8.45%	12.73%	-11.18%	5.02%	6.17%	14.24%	-2.41%	0.16%
SPHY SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF	-0.07%	8.59%	8.54%	12.81%	-10.57%	5.61%	6.65%	13.16%	-3.35%	1.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USHY achieves a -0.05% return, which is significantly higher than SPHY's -0.07% return.

USHY

• 1D: 0.33%
• 1M: -0.67%
• YTD: -0.05%
• 6M: 0.98%
• 1Y: 7.26%
• 3Y*: 8.45%
• 5Y*: 4.21%
• 10Y*: —

SPHY

• 1D: 0.25%
• 1M: -0.69%
• YTD: -0.07%
• 6M: 1.01%
• 1Y: 7.16%
• 3Y*: 8.49%
• 5Y*: 4.36%
• 10Y*: 5.32%

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

USHY vs. SPHY - Expense Ratio Comparison

USHY has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is higher than SPHY's 0.10% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

USHY

iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

SPHY

SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF

Return for Risk

USHY vs. SPHY — Risk / Return Rank

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

USHY

USHY Risk / Return Rank: 76
USHY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
USHY Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
USHY Omega Ratio Rank: 79
USHY Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
USHY Martin Ratio Rank: 83

SPHY

SPHY Risk / Return Rank: 75
SPHY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
SPHY Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
SPHY Omega Ratio Rank: 79
SPHY Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
SPHY Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

USHY vs. SPHY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) and SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF (SPHY). 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.

	USHY	SPHY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.32	1.31	+0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.94	1.94	+0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.31	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.91	1.81	+0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.64	9.48	+0.15
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

USHY vs. SPHY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USHY Sharpe Ratio is 1.32, which is comparable to the SPHY Sharpe Ratio of 1.31. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USHY and SPHY, 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

	USHY	SPHY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.32	1.31	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.58	0.61	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.67	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.63	-0.06

Correlation

The correlation between USHY and SPHY is 0.84, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

USHY vs. SPHY - Dividend Comparison

USHY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.95%, less than SPHY's 7.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
USHY iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF	6.95%	6.79%	6.89%	6.63%	6.08%	5.07%	5.30%	5.92%	6.30%	0.73%	0.00%	0.00%
SPHY SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF	7.37%	7.38%	7.80%	7.30%	6.47%	5.13%	5.63%	5.73%	4.09%	4.41%	4.27%	4.29%

Drawdowns

USHY vs. SPHY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USHY drawdown since its inception was -22.44%, roughly equal to the maximum SPHY drawdown of -21.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USHY and SPHY.

Drawdown Indicators

	USHY	SPHY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-22.44%	-21.97%	-0.47%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.92%	-4.07%	+0.15%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.56%	-15.29%	-0.27%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-21.97%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.03%	-1.06%	+0.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.71%	-2.32%	-0.39%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.77%	0.78%	-0.01%

Volatility

USHY vs. SPHY - Volatility Comparison

iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) and SPDR Portfolio High Yield Bond ETF (SPHY) have volatilities of 2.21% and 2.23%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	USHY	SPHY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.21%	2.23%	-0.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.84%	2.88%	-0.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	5.52%	5.50%	+0.02%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	7.33%	7.16%	+0.17%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.32%	7.97%	+0.35%