US-listed · NYSE Arca · FIF-eligible (above NZ$50K)
iShares HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF
Tracks the Markit iBoxx US Liquid High Yield Index — below-investment-grade US corporate bonds with monthly distributions.
Updated Reviewed quarterly
HYG holds below-investment-grade ("junk") corporate bonds. Default rates rise sharply in recessions (historical peaks 5-10% per annum); the ETF price typically falls 20-30% in credit-stress events. The 7.0% yield reflects credit-spread compensation, not a free lunch — read iShares' prospectus and the credit-cycle risk disclosure before investing.
About this fund
What is HYG?
HYG is the US-listed ticker for iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF, issued by iShares. Tracks the Markit iBoxx US Liquid High Yield Index — below-investment-grade US corporate bonds with monthly distributions. TER is 0.49% per year, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of approximately 7.0%. Distributions are paid monthly.
Next typical distribution: June.HYG typically pays every month. Issuer sets the exact date — verify on the distribution calendar before relying on a payment date.
Platform availability
Where to buy HYG from New Zealand
Based on each platform's advertised market coverage and fee schedule. Verify with the platform before transacting — instrument coverage can change.
| Platform | Per-trade fee | FX | Min | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Sharesies Sharesies | 1.9% per trade | 0.5% | NZ$0 | Beginners, fractional shares, mixing NZ + US ETFs |
 Hatch Hatch | US$3 per trade (≤300 shares) | 0.5% | NZ$0 (US$1 to invest) | NZ investors who want US-only ETFs (SPY, VOO, QQQ, SCHD, JEPI) |
 Stake Stake | US$0 trades | 0.70% | NZ$0 | Frequent US-share traders who hate per-trade fees |
 Interactive Brokers Interactive Brokers | From US$0.35 / trade (Tiered) or US$1 flat (Fixed) | ~0.002% (US$2 min) | US$0 | Larger portfolios, frequent traders, multi-market investors |
 Tiger Brokers Tiger Brokers | US$1.99 per US trade | 0.50% | NZ$0 | NZ investors who want NZ + US + Asian markets in one account |
 Jarden Direct Jarden Direct | NZ$29.90 per NZX trade | ~0.40% | NZ$0 | Larger NZX trades and global market access through one NZ broker |
 ASB Securities ASB Securities | NZ$30 per NZX trade | Bank rates (~1%) | NZ$0 (ASB customer) | Existing ASB customers wanting one login for banking + brokerage |
Showing 7 platforms that list this ETF. Full platform comparison: all 11 NZ brokers → · Full coverage matrix: availability matrix →
NZ tax treatment
How is HYG taxed for NZ investors?
HYG is US-domiciled. NZ investors apply Foreign Investment Fund rules once total overseas-share cost basis crosses the de-minimis threshold. Below it, only dividends are taxable.
The FIF de-minimis threshold is NZ$50,000 (source) of overseas-share cost basis. Below it, FIF rules do not apply and only dividends are taxable.
Most NZ retail investors use Fair Dividend Rate (FDR): deemed income = 5% × opening market value × your marginal rate. Comparative Value (CV) can be lower in flat or down years.
US dividends carry 15% (source) withholding under the NZ–US tax treaty (file W-8BEN; default rate without it is 30% (source) ). The withheld amount can be claimed as a foreign tax credit on your IR3.
FDR vs CV method → · PIE vs FIF comparison →
🧮 Model your own after-tax outcome
Mechanical NZ-tax calculator comparing PIE @ PIR vs FIF @ FDR vs FIF @ CV on your principal, assumed return, time horizon, PIR, and marginal rate. → Open the after-tax calculator
General information only — not personalised tax advice. Confirm your treatment with a registered NZ tax adviser before transacting.
Add up to 4 more tickers to compare TER · yield · distribution · NZ tax structure.
Similar ETFs
ETFs with similar focus to HYG
Same asset class, issuer cousins, and exchange peers — ranked by closest match. Click any row to compare side-by-side in the multi-compare tool.
| Ticker | Name | TER | Yield | Distribution | NZ tax | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZB | NZ Bonds (NZB) Smartshares · NZX | 0.54% | — | Quarterly | PIE | HYG vs NZB |
| NGB | NZ Govt Bonds (NGB) Smartshares · NZX | 0.54% | — | Quarterly | PIE | HYG vs NGB |
| BND | BND Vanguard · NASDAQ | 0.03% | 4.6% | Monthly | FIF | HYG vs BND |
| SGOV | SGOV iShares · NYSE Arca | 0.09% | 5.2% | Monthly | FIF | HYG vs SGOV |
| IWM | IWM iShares · NYSE Arca | 0.19% | 1.4% | Quarterly | FIF | HYG vs IWM |
Distribution history
Last 12 distributions — HYG
HYG typically distributes every month. Per-payment history (amount + ex-date + payment date for the last 12 distributions) is published authoritatively on the issuer's own fact sheet and corporate-actions page. We do not yet aggregate per-payment history into the canonical dataset on this site — that work is gated on the live-data-feed roadmap item (#42 in our roadmap).
Next typical distribution month: June. The exact ex-date and payment date are set by iShares — verify on the issuer source below before relying on a specific date.
Authoritative sources for distribution history
- iShares HYG product page — corporate actions + distribution announcements
See /calendar/distributions/ for the rolling 12-month forward calendar across all covered ETFs.
FAQ
Common questions about HYG
What is the HYG ETF? ⌄
HYG is the iShares iBoxx US Liquid High Yield Corporate Bond ETF — it tracks the Markit iBoxx US Liquid High Yield Index, holding below-investment-grade ("junk") US corporate bonds. TER is 0.49%, distributions paid monthly. The fund holds ~1,200 issues and is one of the most liquid junk-bond ETFs.
Why does HYG pay such a high yield? ⌄
Junk bonds (rated BB or lower) compensate investors for higher default risk than investment-grade corporate bonds. HYG's ~7.0% trailing yield reflects credit-spread compensation. In recessions, junk-bond default rates rise sharply (5-10% historically), and the ETF price typically falls 20-30%. The high yield is not free — it is risk premium.
HYG vs JNK — what's the difference? ⌄
Both track US high-yield corporate bonds. HYG (iShares) tracks the iBoxx index; JNK (SPDR) tracks the Bloomberg index. Holdings overlap heavily; performance is typically within 0.1-0.3% of each other. HYG has higher trading volume and tighter bid-ask spreads. For NZ buy-and-hold investors the choice is mostly cosmetic.
How is HYG taxed for NZ residents? ⌄
Above NZ$50,000 cost basis, FIF rules apply (FDR method most common — 5% × opening MV × marginal rate). Bond distributions are interest income; depending on your broker's tax-statement classification this may be taxed differently from equity dividends. The 15% US withholding treaty rate may not apply to corporate bond interest — confirm with your broker's annual statement.
Where to buy HYG from New Zealand
The platforms below all support HYG. Each link opens the platform's site directly — we don't take any payment for placement or for clicks.
Hatch 
Sharesies 
Interactive Brokers 
Stake 
Tiger Brokers Fees + platform details verified against each provider's published rate card. Always check the current schedule before transacting. Full platform comparison →
Sources for this HYG data
Every TER, yield, and holdings figure on this page traces to one of the documents below. We do not pull live prices; the data is reviewed monthly against issuer fact sheets and exchange listings (last reviewed 2026-05-04).
External links open in a new tab. We do not earn commission on issuer product pages. See our methodology + disclosure.
Related ETFs and resources
SCHZ — Schwab Intermediate Treasury ETF
Investment-grade alternative; lower yield, lower credit risk.
BKLN — Invesco Senior Loan ETF
Floating-rate senior loans; ranks above junk bonds in capital structure.
JEPI — JPMorgan Equity Premium Income
Equity-income alternative for high-yield seekers.
FIF tax explained
When FIF applies and how to file.
Compare NZ platforms
Hatch, Sharesies, Stake, Interactive Brokers — fee comparison.
