ISD vs SPY

ISD vs SPY

Which is better, ISD or SPY?

High Yield Bond against Large Cap Blend.

SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window.

Higher Returns: SPY

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricISDSPY
Expense Ratio-0.09%
AUM$468M$804.7B
Dividend Yield9.31%0.98%
Holdings780505
YTD Return-11.87%+10.96%Best
1Y Return-10.26%+15.52%Best
3Y Return (annualized)+9.50%+20.73%Best
5Y Return (annualized)+3.19%+12.53%Best
Volatility (annualized)12.2%Best14.1%
Max Drawdown-54.3%-34.1%Best
$10,000 over 5 years$11,700$18,044Best
Fund FamilyPGIM InvestmentsState Street Investment Management
CategoryFixed IncomeEquity
StyleHigh Yield BondLarge Cap Blend
InceptionApr 26, 2012Jan 22, 1993

Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Apr 26, 2012 to Sep 16, 2026 (14.4 years).

ISD vs SPY growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view is available from the range buttons; it is not the opening view here because over the whole period one of these two funds moves so much further than the other that its line would sit flat on the axis.

ISD vs SPY Performance

PGIM High Yield Bond Fund, Inc (ISD) is an ETF from PGIM Investments and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year ISD returned -10.26% while SPY returned +15.52%. Year to date, ISD is down 11.87% versus a gain of 10.96% for SPY.

Over three years, ISD compounded at +9.50% per year against +20.73% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are +3.19% and +12.53% respectively. Across the full 14-year window we track, SPY has the edge at +12.99% annualized vs +0.10%.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SPY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 14.1% compared with 12.2% for ISD. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -54.3% for ISD and -34.1% for SPY. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.71. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.

Holdings Overlap

SPY already in ISD0.4%

At least 0.4% of SPY's money is in holdings ISD also owns.

Stated as a floor: for ISD, our book for it covers 81.3% of that fund, so a holding it does not list is one we cannot count as shared. The real figure is this or higher.

We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.

The two holdings books were reported 214 days apart, ISD as of Jan 30, 2026 and SPY as of Sep 1, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.

3 positions in common, counted across the 609 positions we hold weights for in ISD and 504 in SPY, against full books of 780 and 505.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in ISDWeight in SPYDifference
CCitigroup Inc.0.06%0.34%0.28%
EXEExpand Energy Corp0.10%0.04%0.06%
GENGen Digital Inc0.06%0.03%0.03%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of ISD and SPY you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

ISDSPY

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which performed better, ISD or SPY?

Over the past year ISD returned -10.26% vs +15.52% for SPY, so SPY leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (14 years), ISD annualized +0.10% vs +12.99% for SPY. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, ISD or SPY?

SPY has been the more volatile fund at 14.1% annualized versus 12.2% for ISD. Worst drawdown: ISD -54.3% vs SPY -34.1%.

Should I hold both ISD and SPY?

ISD and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.71, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which pays a higher dividend, ISD or SPY?

ISD yields 9.31% while SPY yields 0.98%, so ISD currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SPY better than ISD?

SPY led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.