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Is FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF (HYGV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF (HYGV - Free Report) made its debut on 07/17/2018, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.

There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.

Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.

While this space offers a number of choices to investors, including simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies, not all these strategies have been able to deliver superior results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by Flexshares. It has amassed assets over $1.24 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the NORTHERN TRUST HY VLU-SCRD US CORP BD ID.

The Northern Trust High Yield Value-Scored US Corporate Bond Index measures the performance of a diversified universe of high yield, US-dollar denominated bonds of companies exhibiting favorable fundamental qualities, market valuations and liquidity.

Cost & Other Expenses

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.37%.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 7.72%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Taking into account individual holdings, Cashaccounts for about 1.25% of the fund's total assets, followed by Carvana Co Sr Sec Pik 31 and Qxo Building Products Inc Callable Bond Fixed.

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.48% of HYGV's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF has added roughly 4.67% so far, and is up about 7.38% over the last 12 months (as of 08/18/2025). HYGV has traded between $38.45 $41.67 in this past 52-week period.

The fund has a beta of 0.42 and standard deviation of 7.55% for the trailing three-year period. With about 1010 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .

Alternatives

FlexShares High Yield Value-Scored Bond ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.

iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (HYG) tracks Markit iBoxx USD Liquid High Yield Index and the iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (USHY) tracks BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield Constrained Index. iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has $18.21 billion in assets, iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has $25.02 billion. HYG has an expense ratio of 0.49% and USHY changes 0.08%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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