HYG vs JNK: Dividend Yield, Total Return & Fees Compared

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETFState Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF

Data as of the close · refreshed automatically every trading day

Higher yieldJNK6.77% vs 6.09%
Better 1-year total returnJNK+2.34% vs +2.08%
Better 5-year total returnHYG+17.31% vs +16.65%

HYG vs JNK at a glance

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) and State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF (JNK) are compared below using data through the September 25, 2026 close, refreshed after every trading day.

Over the past year, JNK returned +2.34% with dividends reinvested, compared with +2.08% for HYG. JNK currently yields 6.77% (trailing 12-month) against 6.09% for HYG. Across five years the total-return gap is +17.31% for HYG vs +16.65% for JNK.

JNK leads on both current yield and 1-year total return. Yields and returns move with markets, so check the longer periods below before drawing conclusions.

Key figures for HYG and JNK
MetricHYGJNK
Last close$77.86$93.61
Dividend yield6.09% (TTM)6.77% (TTM)
Expense ratio——
Paysmonthlymonthly
Dividends, last 12 months$4.74 (12 payments)$6.34 (12 payments)
IssueriSharesState Street
Inception——

Performance: HYG vs JNK

Total return assumes every distribution is reinvested. Switch to price return to see the change in share price alone.

HYGJNK

Total Return (%) · dividends reinvested · Sep 25, 2025 – Sep 25, 2026

DividendDuel.com

Overview

Key fund stats as of the latest close.

ETFTTM yield1Y total returnLast closeLast dividendPaysIssuer
HYGiShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF
6.09%
+2.08%$77.86$0.435MonthlyiShares
JNKState Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF
6.77%
+2.34%Best$93.61$0.532MonthlyState Street

Total returns

Price change plus dividends paid, by holding period. Best in each period is outlined.

ETF1M3M6M1Y2Y5Y
HYGiShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF-2.04%-1.06%+1.03%+2.08%+9.38%+17.31%
JNKState Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF-2.15%-1.15%+1.25%+2.34%+9.54%+16.65%

Dividends

Latest payout, trailing 12-month total and the last 12 distributions.

ETFLatest payoutvs. priorTrailing 12MRecent payouts
HYGiShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF$0.435Sep 1, 2026+13.28%$4.7412 payoutsOct 1, 2025: $0.381Nov 3, 2025: $0.41Dec 1, 2025: $0.375Dec 19, 2025: $0.381Feb 2, 2026: $0.399Mar 2, 2026: $0.394Apr 1, 2026: $0.384May 1, 2026: $0.419Jun 1, 2026: $0.409Jul 1, 2026: $0.369Aug 3, 2026: $0.384Sep 1, 2026: $0.435
JNKState Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF$0.532Sep 1, 2026+0.95%$6.3412 payoutsOct 1, 2025: $0.538Nov 3, 2025: $0.533Dec 1, 2025: $0.528Dec 18, 2025: $0.491Feb 2, 2026: $0.56Mar 2, 2026: $0.525Apr 1, 2026: $0.525May 1, 2026: $0.527Jun 1, 2026: $0.523Jul 1, 2026: $0.531Aug 3, 2026: $0.527Sep 1, 2026: $0.532

Recent dividend payments

The latest 12 distributions per share for each fund, newest first.

HYGJNK
Sep 1, 2026$0.435Sep 1, 2026$0.532
Aug 3, 2026$0.384Aug 3, 2026$0.527
Jul 1, 2026$0.369Jul 1, 2026$0.531
Jun 1, 2026$0.409Jun 1, 2026$0.523
May 1, 2026$0.419May 1, 2026$0.527
Apr 1, 2026$0.384Apr 1, 2026$0.525
Mar 2, 2026$0.394Mar 2, 2026$0.525
Feb 2, 2026$0.399Feb 2, 2026$0.560
Dec 19, 2025$0.381Dec 18, 2025$0.491
Dec 1, 2025$0.375Dec 1, 2025$0.528
Nov 3, 2025$0.410Nov 3, 2025$0.533
Oct 1, 2025$0.381Oct 1, 2025$0.538

HYG vs JNK: common questions

Which pays a higher dividend, HYG or JNK?

As of September 25, 2026, HYG yields 6.09% (trailing 12-month) and JNK yields 6.77% (trailing 12-month), so JNK currently pays the higher yield. A higher yield does not guarantee a higher total return.

Which has performed better, HYG or JNK?

Over the past year with dividends reinvested, HYG returned +2.08% and JNK returned +2.34%. Over five years, HYG returned +17.31% and JNK returned +16.65%. Past performance does not predict future results.

What would $10,000 in HYG vs JNK be worth after one year?

With dividends reinvested, $10,000 invested one year before September 25, 2026 would have grown to about $10,208 in HYG and $10,234 in JNK.

How often do HYG and JNK pay dividends?

HYG pays monthly (12 payments in the last 12 months) and JNK pays monthly (12 payments).

Is HYG or JNK the better investment?

It depends on your goals, time horizon and tax situation. Income-focused investors often weigh yield and payment frequency, while long-term investors usually compare total return and fees. Dividend Duel is an educational tool and does not provide investment advice.

Related comparisons

More side-by-side comparisons with HYG and JNK.

Figures come from end-of-day prices and distributions and are recalculated after every trading session; see our methodology. This page is for education only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Read the full disclosure.