Statistics · 2026 · ETFs
Bond ETF Statistics (2026)
2 of the 9 bond ETFs compared had a positive one-year total return as of October 2, 2026: JNK and HYG. LQD was lowest at -3.9%. Over ten years the funds returned 1.1% to 4.2% a year with dividends reinvested. Expense ratios run 0.03% to 0.49%, and iShares puts the 30-day SEC yield at 5.04% for AGG and 6.99% for HYG on September 30, 2026.
Key takeaways
- One-year total returns ran from -3.9% (LQD) to 1.3% (JNK); 7 of 9 funds were negative.
- Expense ratios run from 0.03% (AGG, BND, and VCIT) to 0.49% (HYG).
- Over ten years every fund compounded at 1.1% to 4.2% a year with dividends reinvested.
- The high-yield funds paid 6.11% to 6.85% over the past 12 months, against 4.96% to 5.12% for the investment-grade corporate funds.
- The 10-year Treasury constant-maturity yield rose from 1.52% to 3.88% during 2022.
- SIFMA counts $51.4T of U.S. fixed income outstanding in the second quarter of 2026.
Which bond ETFs performed best?
JNK led the 9 bond ETFs over one year at 1.3% with dividends reinvested, and LQD trailed at -3.9%. Over ten years JNK and HYG tied for first at 4.2% a year and BND and AGG nearly tied for last at 1.2% and 1.1%. 2 of 9 funds had a positive one-year total return.
Each return runs from a month-end close to the October 2, 2026 price and is annualized over the actual days: the one-year figure covers September 30, 2025 to October 2, 2026, so it will not match an issuer's month-end one-year return.
1. One-year spread: 5.2 percentage points
JNK returned 1.3% over the past year and LQD returned -3.9%. 2 of 9 were positive (JNK and HYG) (WealthyBud data · 1-yr total return, dividends reinvested · October 2, 2026).
2. JNK and HYG were nearly tied for the three-year lead at 7.82% and 7.76% a year
The gap between JNK and HYG is under 0.1 point. MUB came last at 2.7%, a 5.1-point spread (WealthyBud data · 3-yr annualized total return · October 2, 2026).
3. 3 of 9 funds had a positive five-year return (2 rounded to 0.0%); 9 of 9 had a positive ten-year return
Over five years HYG returned 3.2% a year and LQD returned -1.3%. BNDX and MUB rounded to 0.0%, which counts as flat, not positive. Over ten years the median was 1.7% a year, and the spread from lowest to highest was 3.1 points (WealthyBud data · 5- and 10-yr annualized total return · October 2, 2026).
4. AGG lost 6.0% in price over one year and returned -1.8% in total
AGG’s one-year price return was -6.0%; adding reinvested distributions lifts the total return to -1.8%, a 4.2-point difference. The dividend and bond ETF statistics page shows the same -6.0% AGG price return over the same window, September 30, 2025 to October 2, 2026 (WealthyBud data · price vs total return · October 2, 2026).
| Ticker | Fund | Expense ratio | 1-yr total return | 5-yr total return (ann.) | Volatility (ann.) | Trailing yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGG | iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.03% | -1.8% | -0.6% | 6.6% | 4.21% |
| BND | Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 0.03% | -1.8% | -0.6% | 6.5% | 4.20% |
| BNDX | Vanguard Total International Bond ETF | 0.07% | -0.7% | 0.0% | 5.3% | 4.69% |
| HYG | iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 0.49% | 0.9% | 3.2% | 7.8% | 6.11% |
| JNK | State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF | 0.40% | 1.3% | 3.1% | 8.0% | 6.85% |
| LQD | iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.14% | -3.9% | -1.3% | 9.8% | 4.96% |
| MUB | iShares National Muni Bond ETF | 0.05% | -1.8% | 0.0% | 6.1% | 3.38% (tax-exempt) |
| TIP | iShares TIPS Bond ETF | 0.18% | -2.1% | -0.2% | 6.1% | 4.52% |
| VCIT | Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF | 0.03% | -2.3% | 0.3% | 7.8% | 5.12% |
How much do bond ETFs cost?
Expense ratios run from 0.03% for AGG, BND, and VCIT to 0.49% for HYG, with a median of 0.07%. On $10,000 that is $3 to $49 a year. The two high-yield funds cost 0.40% and 0.49%, while the aggregate funds AGG and BND charge 0.03%.
5. AGG, BND, and VCIT cost 0.03%; HYG costs 0.49%
AGG, BND, and VCIT share the lowest fee at 0.03%. HYG charges 0.49%, a 16.3-fold difference, or $3 against $49 per $10,000 a year. WealthyBud’s calculation: HYG’s fee is 8.0% of its 6.11% trailing yield and AGG’s is 0.7% of 4.21% (WealthyBud data · issuer-verified expense ratios · October 2, 2026).
Compare major ETFs by fees and returns
How volatile are bond ETFs?
LQD was the most volatile of the 9 bond ETFs, with annualized volatility of 9.8%, against 5.3% for BNDX. The median fund ran at 6.6%. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of the last 60 complete monthly returns through September 30, 2026, a measure of month-to-month swings.
6. LQD swung most: 9.8% annualized
LQD had the highest volatility, followed by JNK at 8.0%. BNDX had the lowest at 5.3% (WealthyBud data · annualized stdev of monthly returns · October 2, 2026).
How do corporate, high-yield and municipal bond ETFs compare?
The 2 high-yield funds paid trailing yields of 6.11% to 6.85%, against 4.96% to 5.12% for the 2 investment-grade corporate funds. Over five years the high-yield funds returned 3.1% to 3.2% a year and the corporate funds -1.3% to 0.3%. MUB, the only municipal fund, paid a tax-exempt 3.38%.
7. High-yield funds yielded 6.11% to 6.85%; corporate funds 4.96% to 5.12%
HYG and JNK (n=2) both paid more than LQD and VCIT (n=2). These are ranges, not medians (WealthyBud data · trailing yield by dataset category · October 2, 2026).
8. Five-year return: high-yield 3.1% to 3.2%, corporate -1.3% to 0.3%
Both high-yield funds out-returned both investment-grade corporate funds over five years. HYG returned 3.2%, JNK 3.1%, LQD -1.3% and VCIT 0.3% (WealthyBud data · 5-yr total return · October 2, 2026).
9. Worst drawdown (month-end prices): high-yield 15.2% to 16.2%, corporate 18.8% to 23.3%
The high-yield funds fell less than the investment-grade corporate funds on month-end prices (lows within a month are not captured). iShares lists effective duration of 3.32 years for HYG and 7.54 years for LQD as of October 1, 2026; this page does not test whether duration explains the gap.
10. iShares reports option-adjusted spreads of 30, 88 and 292 basis points for AGG, LQD and HYG
As of October 1, 2026, the AGG page lists 30.46, the LQD page 88.22 and the HYG page 291.71. The spread measures extra yield over comparable government bonds.
11. MUB paid 3.38% tax-exempt, ranking 9 of 9 on trailing yield
MUB is the only municipal fund (n=1, so no group median). iShares describes it as a way “to seek tax-exempt income” and notes that some investors may owe federal or state income tax or the Alternative Minimum Tax. Its 3.38% is not comparable with the other 8 funds’ taxable yields (WealthyBud data · trailing yield · October 2, 2026).
| Group | Funds (n) | Trailing yield | 5-yr total return (ann.) | Volatility | Worst drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US total bond market (aggregate) | 2: AGG and BND | 4.20% to 4.21% | -0.6% | 6.5% to 6.6% | 17.1% to 17.3% |
| International bonds (USD hedged) | 1: BNDX | 4.69% | 0.0% | 5.3% | 14.9% |
| Inflation-protected Treasuries | 1: TIP | 4.52% | -0.2% | 6.1% | 13.9% |
| Corporate, investment-grade | 2: LQD and VCIT | 4.96% to 5.12% | -1.3% to 0.3% | 7.8% to 9.8% | 18.8% to 23.3% |
| High-yield corporate | 2: HYG and JNK | 6.11% to 6.85% | 3.1% to 3.2% | 7.8% to 8.0% | 15.2% to 16.2% |
| National municipal | 1: MUB | 3.38% | 0.0% | 6.1% | 11.6% |
How hard did the 2022 rate shock hit bond ETFs?
The 10-year Treasury yield rose from 1.52% to 3.88% during 2022, per FRED. Separately, the 9 bond ETFs' worst peak-to-trough falls on month-end prices ranged from 11.6% (MUB) to 23.3% (LQD). Lows within a month are not captured, and the dataset does not date the troughs.
12. The 10-year Treasury yield rose from 1.52% to 3.88% in 2022
FRED’s DGS10 series (10-year Treasury constant-maturity yield) closed 2021 at 1.52% (December 31, 2021) and 2022 at 3.88% (December 30, 2022), with a 2022 high of 4.25% on October 24, 2022. The 3-month T-bill secondary-market rate (DTB3, discount basis) rose from 0.06% to 4.30%. On September 30, 2026 the 10-year yield was 5.29%, above that 2022 high.
13. Worst drawdowns ran from 11.6% (MUB) to 23.3% (LQD) on month-end prices
LQD fell furthest and MUB fell least. The window is 121 month-end prices from September 30, 2016 to September 30, 2026 plus the October 2, 2026 price; lows within a month are not captured and the dataset does not record when each low occurred. This page therefore reports no calendar-2022 return and labels none of these falls a 2022 loss (WealthyBud data · max drawdown, month-end prices · October 2, 2026).
| Fund | Worst drawdown | 10-yr total return (ann.) | Effective duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| LQD | 23.3% | 1.7% | 7.54 years |
| VCIT | 18.8% | 2.3% | n/a |
| BND | 17.3% | 1.2% | n/a |
| AGG | 17.1% | 1.1% | 5.71 years |
| JNK | 16.2% | 4.2% | n/a |
| HYG | 15.2% | 4.2% | 3.32 years |
| BNDX | 14.9% | 1.3% | n/a |
| TIP | 13.9% | 2.0% | n/a |
| MUB | 11.6% | 1.4% | 7.02 years |
What do bond ETFs yield, and how big is the bond market?
Trailing 12-month yields ran from 3.38% (tax-exempt) for MUB to 6.85% for JNK. The 30-day SEC yield is a different measure; iShares lists 5.04% for AGG and 6.99% for HYG as of September 30, 2026. SIFMA counts $51.4 trillion of U.S. fixed income outstanding.
14. Trailing yields: JNK 6.85%, MUB 3.38% (tax-exempt)
Trailing yield is the last 12 months of distributions divided by the current price, not the SEC 30-day yield. JNK paid the most and MUB the least; the median of the 8 taxable funds (MUB excluded) was 4.82% (WealthyBud data · trailing-12-month distributions / price · October 2, 2026).
15. iShares lists a 30-day SEC yield of 5.04% for AGG and 6.99% for HYG
The AGG page and HYG page give those as of September 30, 2026 and list 12-month trailing yields of 4.19% and 6.14%, within 0.03 points of WealthyBud’s 4.21% and 6.11%, which count distributions with ex-dates in the 365 days to October 2, 2026 over the October 2, 2026 price.
16. SIFMA counts $51.4 trillion of U.S. fixed income outstanding, $12.1 trillion of it corporate bonds
SIFMA’s Research Quarterly: Fixed Income - Outstanding reports $51.4T outstanding in the second quarter of 2026, with Treasuries at $31.1T and corporate bonds second at $12.1T. WealthyBud’s calculation from those figures: corporate bonds are 23.5% of the total.
What this means for bond investors
Match the yield to the question. Trailing yield looks back; the SEC 30-day yield is the issuer’s measure. Do not compare the tax-exempt 3.38% from MUB with a taxable yield without adjusting for your tax rate. For Treasury-only funds, see Treasury and T-bill ETF statistics.
Pay for credit risk on purpose. The high-yield funds charged 0.40% to 0.49%, against 0.03% for the aggregate funds. See covered call ETF statistics for income funds that use options. For rates and stocks, read interest rates and stocks statistics.
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