At a glance
USIG charges 0.04% a year, below the 0.18% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 2nd cheapest of 8). It has $17.85B in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 4.92% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned −0.9% with distributions reinvested, 3rd of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +5.7% a year. At its worst it fell 18.9% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 18.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 34 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 0.7% of the fund, out of 11,503 in all.
The short version
The iShares Broad USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (USIG) is an index fund that holds more than 11,000 US dollar bonds from higher-rated companies and tracks the ICE BofA US Corporate Index. Its 0.04% expense ratio is far below the 0.18% average of similar funds, and it pays income monthly. It owns only corporate bonds, with an average maturity of about 10 years, so it carries both credit risk and meaningful interest-rate risk.
Price history
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USIG -0.9% over the year to Nov 2, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USIG official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +7.85% | — | +0.11% | +3.21% | — |
| ICE BofA US Broad Market Index index, same period | — | +7.15% | — | -0.42% | +2.01% | — |
| ICE BofA US Corporate Index Spliced index, same period | — | +7.78% | — | +0.11% | +3.31% | — |
| USIG price data to Nov 2, 2026 | -1.3% | -0.9% | +5.7% | 0.0% | +2.3% | +3.4% |
- Over the year to Nov 2, 2026, USIG returned -0.9%, 3rd of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was 0.0% and its 10-year +2.3%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 18.9% and regained its old high 3.4 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-15.3%); its best was 2019 (+14.0%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 23.5% (Feb 5, 2008 to Oct 10, 2008), recovered by Jul 21, 2009.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -1.3% | — |
| 2025 | +7.8% | +7.85% |
| 2024 | +2.6% | +2.73% |
| 2023 | +8.7% | +8.70% |
| 2022 | -15.3% | -15.43% |
| 2021 | -1.3% | -1.29% |
| 2020 | +9.4% | +9.52% |
| 2019 | +14.0% | +14.16% |
| 2018 | -2.2% | -2.40% |
| 2017 | +5.8% | +5.99% |
| 2016 | +5.6% | +5.46% |
| 2015 | -1.5% | — |
| 2014 | +8.2% | — |
| 2013 | -2.2% | — |
| 2012 | +7.6% | — |
| 2011 | +9.1% | — |
| 2010 | +8.4% | — |
| 2009 | +9.4% | — |
| 2008 | -2.3% | — |
| 2007 | +2.0% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 7.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 23.5%, back to its old high 9.3 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 11.4% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 18.9%, back to its old high 3.4 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 18.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 18.2%, back to its old high 33.6 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $1.8174 | |
| 2025 | $2.3800 | +4.8% |
| 2024 | $2.2700 | +11.8% |
| 2023 | $2.0300 | +31.8% |
| 2022 | $1.5400 | +9.2% |
| 2021 | $1.4100 | -19.4% |
| 2020 | $1.7500 | -10.7% |
| 2019 | $1.9600 | +7.1% |
| 2018 | $1.8300 | +7.6% |
| 2017 | $1.7000 | -1.1% |
| 2016 | $1.7190 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | $1.7350 | -6.7% |
| 2014 | $1.8600 | -1.8% |
| 2013 | $1.8950 | -4.8% |
| 2012 | $1.9900 | -11.2% |
| 2011 | $2.2400 | -5.9% |
| 2010 | $2.3800 | +35.5% |
| 2009 | $1.7569 | +44.1% |
| 2008 | $1.2194 | -6.6% |
| 2007 | $1.3058 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 11,503 securities; the ten largest made up 0.72% of assets, and 11.25% sat in cash and money-market holdings.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| EAGLE FUNDING LUXCO SARL Bonds and notes | 0.08% | |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP Bonds and notes | 0.08% | |
| CHARTER COMM OPT LLC/CAP Bonds and notes | 0.08% | |
| ANHEUSER-BUSCH CO/INBEV Bonds and notes | 0.08% | |
| T-MOBILE USA INC Bonds and notes | 0.07% | |
| CVS HEALTH CORP Bonds and notes | 0.07% | |
| SPACE EXPLORATION TECH Bonds and notes | 0.07% | |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| CHARTER COMM OPT LLC/CAP Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP INC Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| META PLATFORMS INC Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| ABBVIE INC Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| AMAZON.COM INC Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| SPACE EXPLORATION TECH Bonds and notes | 0.06% | |
| SPACE EXPLORATION TECH Bonds and notes | 0.06% |
By country
United States 76.86%United Kingdom 3.75%Canada 2.95%Japan 2.32%France 1.7%By issuer
Companies 95.11%Other 2.86%Foreign governments 0.15%US government agencies 0%The bonds mature in 10.3 years on average (weighted by size), with an average coupon of 4.7%.
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 $852.0M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +0.16%, -1.55%, +0.40%.
How it works
USIG tracks the ICE BofA US Corporate Index. ICE Data Indices runs the index and is independent of BlackRock. The index holds investment-grade corporate bonds. These are company debts rated BBB or better on average by Fitch, Moody's and S&P, which means the rating firms see a relatively low risk of default. Each bond must be in US dollars, pay a fixed rate and have at least $250 million outstanding. Issuers can be American or foreign. As of February 28, 2026, the index held 11,394 bonds from dozens of countries, and financial companies made up a significant portion. Defaulted bonds, equity-linked bonds and municipal bonds are left out.
Each bond's weight depends on its market value, so companies with more debt outstanding get bigger weights. The index is updated on the last calendar day of each month. BlackRock does not buy every bond. Instead it uses representative sampling, which means holding a subset chosen to match the index's interest-rate sensitivity, credit ratings, industry mix and yield. At least 80% of assets must be in index bonds. Portfolio turnover was 12% in the year covered by the latest prospectus.
The result is a very spread-out portfolio. As of August 31, 2026, the fund held 11,503 positions, and its 10 largest made up just 0.72% of assets. The biggest were bonds from Eagle Funding Luxco, Bank of America, Charter Communications and Anheuser-Busch. The fund may also lend up to one-third of its assets to other institutions.
What it really costs
- USIG charges 0.04% a year, versus an average of 0.18% for the similar funds below (2nd of 8, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $4 in the first year and $51 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USIG | $4 | $13 | $23 | $51 |
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
It pays monthly income from a broad, low-cost mix of investment-grade corporate bonds, though it carries more credit and rate risk than government bonds.
USIG could add steady monthly income. Its trailing 12-month yield was 4.91% as of October 29, 2026. It is also cheap to hold. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $51 in fees over 10 years. It does not protect against crashes, though. Its price fell 23.5% from February to October 2008 and 18.9% in March 2020. It recovered from each drop within about nine months. Rising interest rates did more lasting damage. The fund lost 15.43% in 2022, its worst calendar year, and did not recover until August 2025, about 34 months later. A retiree who sold shares for spending during that stretch would have locked in losses. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors seeking monthly income from thousands of investment-grade corporate bonds at a 0.04% expense ratio, about $4 a year per $10,000 in the SEC example.
- Bond investors who accept company credit risk for more income and want wide spreading: no single bond was above about 0.08% of assets on August 31, 2026.
- Those wanting short, intermediate and long corporate bonds in one fund, with a 10.3-year average maturity, instead of maturity-band funds like IGIB or VCIT.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors wanting a crisis hedge: the fund holds no Treasuries and fell 23.5% in 2008 and 18.9% in March 2020.
- Anyone needing stable prices for near-term spending: rising rates drove a 15.43% loss in 2022, and the recovery took about 34 months.
- Investors wary of bank exposure: financial companies make up a significant portion of the index, and its largest holdings include Bank of America and Goldman Sachs bonds.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USIG this fund | 10.3 yrs | 0.04% | $17.85B | -0.9% | +5.7% |
| FLCO Franklin Investment Grade Corporate ETF | 10.9 yrs | 0.35% | $586.5M | -1.9% | +6.0% |
| GIGB Goldman Sachs Access Investment Grade Corpo… | 11 yrs | 0.08% | $1.01B | -1.7% | +6.1% |
| JAAA Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF | 11.4 yrs | 0.2% | $29.21B | +4.9% | +6.1% |
| IGIB iShares 5-10 Year Investment Grade Corporat… | 8.3 yrs | 0.04% | $18.72B | -1.0% | +6.4% |
| CORP PIMCO Investment Grade Corporate Bond Index… | 9.3 yrs | 0.36% | $1.60B | -1.6% | +6.6% |
| VCIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond E… | 8.2 yrs | 0.03% | $72.04B | -0.6% | +7.1% |
| IG Principal Investment Grade Corporate Active… | 12.7 yrs | 0.19% | $199.1M | -1.7% | +6.3% |
Questions investors ask
Does USIG pay monthly dividends?
Yes. USIG pays income every month, and that income comes from interest on its corporate bonds. Over the 12 months to October 29, 2026, it paid about $2.43 per share, a trailing yield of 4.91%. The amount changes from month to month. The prospectus warns that income can fall when interest rates drop. That can happen because maturing or called bonds get replaced with lower-yielding ones.
What's the difference between USIG and VCIT?
The main difference is maturity. Vanguard's VCIT focuses on intermediate-term corporate bonds, with an average maturity of 8.2 years. USIG covers all maturities and averages 10.3 years, both as of August 31, 2026, so its price reacts more to rate changes. Costs are close: 0.03% for VCIT and 0.04% for USIG. Both returned -1.1% over the year to October 29, 2026. Over three years, VCIT returned 6.9% a year and USIG 6.3%.
Is USIG good for retirement income?
It may suit retirees who want monthly income from investment-grade companies at a very low cost. It yielded 4.91% as of October 29, 2026, and charges 0.04% a year. Its long-term returns have been modest. As of December 31, 2025, it returned 3.21% a year over 10 years and 0.11% a year over five years. Its price can also drop sharply, including a 15.43% loss in 2022.
Why did USIG lose money in 2022?
USIG lost money in 2022 mainly because interest rates rose quickly. When rates rise, existing bonds with lower rates lose value. The fund lost 15.43% that calendar year. Its worst quarter was the first quarter of 2022, at -7.47%. From January 4 to October 12, 2022, its price fell 18.2%, and it did not return to its earlier high until August 1, 2025.
What are USIG's top holdings?
USIG has no dominant holding. As of August 31, 2026, its 11,503 positions were so spread out that the 10 largest made up only 0.72% of assets. The biggest were bonds from Eagle Funding Luxco, Bank of America, Charter Communications, Anheuser-Busch, T-Mobile, CVS Health and SpaceX, each about 0.07% to 0.08%. About 77% of assets were in US issuers. The UK, Canada and Japan came next.