At a glance
BBHY charges 0.07% a year, below the 0.31% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 2nd cheapest of 8). It has $622.6M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 7.19% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +1.5% with distributions reinvested, 3rd of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +8.6% a year. Its ten largest positions make up 3.4% of the fund, out of 1,669 in all.
The short version
JPMorgan BetaBuilders USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (BBHY) is an index fund. It holds a broad sample of US dollar junk bonds, meaning bonds rated below investment grade, to track the ICE BofA US High Yield Index. Its expense ratio of 0.07% is about a quarter of the 0.31% average among similar funds. It pays monthly income, with a trailing yield of 7.19% as of October 27, 2026.
Price history
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BBHY +1.5% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBHY official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +8.46% | — | +4.12% | — | +4.92% |
| BBHY price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +0.9% | +1.5% | +8.6% | — | — | +6.4% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, BBHY returned +1.5%, 3rd of 8 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (+7.8%); its best was 2025 (+8.5%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 5% (Feb 28, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by May 12, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +0.9% | — |
| 2025 | +8.5% | +8.46% |
| 2024 | +7.8% | +7.76% |
| 2023 | — | +12.53% |
| 2022 | — | -10.61% |
| 2021 | — | +4.06% |
| 2020 | — | +5.27% |
| 2019 | — | +14.81% |
| 2018 | — | -2.54% |
| 2017 | — | +6.12% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Not in the price data, which starts Feb 1, 2023 |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Not in the price data, which starts Feb 1, 2023 |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $2.3900 | |
| 2025 | $3.3700 | +2.1% |
| 2024 | $3.3000 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 1,669 securities; the ten largest made up 3.4% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| 1261229 BC Ltd. Bonds and notes | 0.39% | |
| Venture Global LNG, Inc. Bonds and notes | 0.39% | |
| EchoStar Corp. Bonds and notes | 0.39% | |
| Quikrete Holdings, Inc. Bonds and notes | 0.37% | |
| Meridian Arc Holdco LLC Bonds and notes | 0.37% | |
| Centene Corp. Bonds and notes | 0.31% | |
| CCO Holdings LLC Bonds and notes | 0.31% | |
| Cloud Software Group LLC Bonds and notes | 0.30% | |
| PR RNO Property Owner 1 LLC Bonds and notes | 0.29% | |
| TransDigm, Inc. Bonds and notes | 0.28% | |
| OAK-Eagle Acquireco, Inc. Bonds and notes | 0.28% | |
| Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. Bonds and notes | 0.27% | |
| Nexstar Media, Inc. Bonds and notes | 0.27% | |
| Carvana Co. Bonds and notes | 0.26% | |
| Allied Universal Holdco LLC Bonds and notes | 0.26% |
By country
United States 83.64%Canada 4.14%United Kingdom 1.43%Luxembourg 1.13%Bermuda 1.12%By issuer
Companies 96.41%The bonds mature in 5.3 years on average (weighted by size), with an average coupon of 6.62%.
Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $18.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.31%, -0.29%, +0.97%.
How it works
BBHY follows the ICE BofA US High Yield Index. That index covers US dollar corporate bonds rated below investment grade, based on an average of Moody's, S&P and Fitch ratings. To be included, a bond needs at least $250 million outstanding, a fixed coupon and at least one year left to maturity. Each issuer is weighted by how much debt it has outstanding, so the companies that borrow the most get the largest weights. Even so, the fund is very spread out. As of August 31, 2026, it held 1,669 issues and the top 10 made up just 3.4% of assets.
The fund does not buy every bond in the index. It uses "representative sampling," which means holding a subset of bonds chosen to match the index's yield, duration, credit quality and industry mix. At least 80% of assets must be in index bonds, and no single industry can reach 25%. The fund rebalances monthly, in step with the index. Portfolio turnover was 31%.
Because it is passive, the fund generally keeps a troubled company's bonds until they leave the index. As of May 29, 2026, the index's duration (a measure of interest-rate sensitivity) was 3.1 years. That means a one-point rise in rates would cut prices by roughly 3%, all else equal.
What it really costs
- BBHY charges 0.07% a year, versus an average of 0.31% for the similar funds below (2nd of 8, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $7 in the first year and $90 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBHY | $7 | $23 | $40 | $90 |
Structure and tax notes
- Bond prices move opposite to interest rates; the longer the maturities it holds, the more its price reacts to rate changes.
In a retirement portfolio
BBHY pays monthly and had a trailing yield of 7.19% as of October 27, 2026, but its junk-bond holdings make it riskier than a core bond fund.
BBHY could add steady monthly income at a low cost of 0.07% a year. The trade-off is that junk bonds often fall when stocks do. The fund launched in 2016, so it has no record from 2008. It lost 11.81% in the first quarter of 2020, then ended that year up 5.27%. Its worst calendar year was 2022, with a loss of 10.61%. In price data starting February 2023, its deepest drop was 5%. That drop ran from February 28 to April 8, 2025, and the fund recovered by May 12, 2025.
Anyone who had to sell shares in a year like 2022 would have locked in losses. Holding cash or higher-quality bonds alongside BBHY can lower that risk. Past results don't predict future ones, and a retirement plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Income seekers who want monthly payouts from about 1,669 junk bonds. The trailing yield was 7.19% as of October 27, 2026.
- Cost-conscious index investors. The 0.07% expense ratio ranks 2nd-lowest of eight similar high-yield funds, where the average is 0.31%.
- Investors who want wide diversification. The top 10 holdings, led by 1261229 BC Ltd. and Venture Global LNG, were only 3.4% of assets.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors who need bonds to cushion stock crashes. BBHY lost 11.81% in the first quarter of 2020 and 10.61% in 2022.
- Investors chasing the lowest possible fee. Xtrackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYLB) charges 0.05%, compared with BBHY's 0.07%.
- Investors who want a manager to sell weakening issuers. This passive fund generally holds a bond until it leaves the index.
Close alternatives
Matched by bond funds with the closest average maturity and issuer mix (N-PORT).
| Fund | Avg. maturity | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBHY this fund | 5.3 yrs | 0.07% | $622.6M | +1.5% | +8.6% |
| FLHY Franklin High Yield Corporate ETF | 5.4 yrs | 0.4% | $1.18B | +2.4% | +9.2% |
| USHY iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond… | 5.4 yrs | 0.08% | $28.59B | +1.2% | +7.7% |
| HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond E… | 5.4 yrs | 0.49% | $16.19B | +0.9% | +7.4% |
| HYXF iShares ESG Advanced High Yield Corporate B… | 5.5 yrs | 0.35% | $194.4M | +0.9% | +8.8% |
| HYLB Xtrackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 4.6 yrs | 0.05% | $3.56B | +1.6% | +8.7% |
| XBB BondBloxx BB-Rated USD High Yield Corporate… | 6.2 yrs | 0.2% | $517.7M | +1.4% | +8.1% |
| HYS PIMCO 0-5 Year High Yield Corporate Bond In… | 4.2 yrs | 0.57% | $1.69B | +1.2% | +8.5% |
Questions investors ask
Does BBHY pay monthly dividends?
Yes. BBHY pays distributions every month. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $3.20 per share, a trailing yield of 7.19%. That money comes mostly from interest on the junk bonds it holds. Bond interest is generally taxed as ordinary income rather than at lower qualified-dividend rates, so where the fund is held, such as a taxable account or an IRA, can affect what an investor keeps.
What is the expense ratio of BBHY?
BBHY's expense ratio is 0.07%, according to its prospectus filed June 23, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested with a 5% yearly return would cost about $7 in fees after one year, $23 after three, $40 after five and $90 after ten. The average among seven similar high-yield funds is 0.31%. Only HYLB, at 0.05%, is cheaper.
What's the difference between BBHY and HYG?
Both ETFs hold US dollar junk bonds with an average maturity of about five years, but they differ on cost and size. BBHY tracks the ICE BofA US High Yield Index and charges 0.07%. HYG tracks an iBoxx high-yield index, charges 0.49% and is much larger, with about $16.2 billion in net assets versus BBHY's $623 million. Their three-year returns have been close: 8.6% a year for BBHY through October 27, 2026, and 8.5% for HYG through October 30, 2026.
Is BBHY a risky investment?
It is riskier than most bond funds. BBHY holds junk bonds from heavily indebted companies such as EchoStar, Carvana and CCO Holdings, and some of these issuers can default. It lost 10.61% in 2022 and 11.81% in the first quarter of 2020. Rising rates also hurt it, though an index duration of 3.1 years as of May 29, 2026, limits that effect. Its one-year beta to stocks was a low 0.22.
How has BBHY performed over the long term?
As of December 31, 2025, BBHY returned 8.46% over one year, 4.12% a year over five years and 4.92% a year since its 2016 launch, according to its prospectus. Year-by-year results were uneven. It gained 14.81% in 2019 and 12.53% in 2023, but lost 2.54% in 2018 and 10.61% in 2022. In 2026 it was up 0.87% through October 27.