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Is Counterpoint High Yield Trend ETF (HYTR) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Launched on 01/21/2020, the Counterpoint High Yield Trend ETF (HYTR - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering 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.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.

Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.

Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

Because the fund has amassed over $230.68 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the High-Yield/Junk Bond ETFs. HYTR is managed by Counterpoint. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the CP HIGH YIELD TREND INDEX .

The CP High Yield Trend Index seeks to provide exposure to the US high yield corporate bond market while reducing risk in times of market turbulence.

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.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.79%, making it one of the most expensive products in the space.

HYTR's 12-month trailing dividend yield is 5.95%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

Looking at individual holdings, Ishares Broad Us (USHY) accounts for about 39.62% of total assets, followed by Ishares Iboxx Hi (HYG) and Spdr Bloomberg H (JNK).

HYTR's top 10 holdings account for about 100% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Counterpoint High Yield Trend ETF has gained about 5.79% so far, and is up roughly 5.93% over the last 12 months (as of 12/30/2025). HYTR has traded between $20.95 $22.14 in this past 52-week period.

The ETF has a beta of 0.25 and standard deviation of 5.79% for the trailing three-year period. With about 5 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers .

Alternatives

Counterpoint High Yield Trend 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 $20.05 billion in assets, iShares Broad USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF has $25.64 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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