Investing in Corporate Bonds? One of These ETFs Holds Up Better Long-Term.

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  • SPLB charges a meaningfully little disbursal ratio and offers a higher output than LQD.

  • SPLB has experienced a deeper five-year drawdown and weaker semipermanent full returns.

  • Both funds way investment-grade firm bonds, but SPLB focuses connected longer maturities.

  • These 10 stocks could mint the adjacent question of millionaires ›

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The State Street SPDR Portfolio Long Term Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:SPLB) stands retired for its ultra-low fees and higher yield, portion the iShares iBoxx Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (NYSEMKT:LQD) is larger and has held up amended during pugnacious enslaved markets.

Both SPLB and LQD people U.S. investment-grade firm bonds, making them halfway options for fixed income exposure. The main difference: SPLB zeroes successful connected semipermanent maturities (10 years oregon longer), portion LQD covers the afloat investment-grade maturity spectrum.

Metric

LQD

SPLB

Issuer

iShares

SPDR

Expense ratio

0.14%

0.04%

1-yr instrumentality (as of Dec. 16, 2025)

6.2%

4.35%

Dividend yield

4.34%

5.2%

Beta

1.4

2.1

AUM

$33.17 billion

$1.1 billion

Beta measures terms volatility comparative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year play returns. The 1-yr instrumentality represents full instrumentality implicit the trailing 12 months.

SPLB looks much affordable with a 0.04% disbursal ratio, undercutting LQD’s 0.14% fee, and it besides delivers a higher yield, which whitethorn entreaty to income-focused investors seeking a bigger payout from their enslaved allocation.

Metric

LQD

SPLB

Max drawdown (5 y)

(14.7%)

(23.31%)

Growth of $1,000 implicit 5 years

$801.52

$686.55

SPLB tracks investment-grade, U.S. firm bonds with maturities of 10 years oregon more, resulting successful a portfolio of 2,953 holdings and a money beingness of 16.8 years. Its apical positions see Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) Sr Unsecured 11/65 5.75 0.39%, Anheuser Busch InBev (NYSE:BUD) Company Guar 02/46 4.9 0.38%, and CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) Sr Unsecured 03/48 5.05 0.33%. The fund’s agelong duration makes it much delicate to involvement complaint movements, which helps explicate its higher yield, but besides its deeper drawdown successful caller years.

LQD besides holds lone investment-grade firm bonds but spans each maturities, with 3,002 holdings. Its largest positions are BlackRock (NYSE:BLK) Cash Fund Treasury SL Agency 0.90%, Anheuser Busch InBev 0.23%, and CVS Health 0.20%. This broader attack has helped LQD upwind caller volatility amended than SPLB, peculiarly during periods of rising rates.

For much guidance connected ETF investing, cheque retired the afloat usher astatine this link.

Corporate bonds are indebtedness securities that companies merchantability successful speech for cash, fundamentally a benignant of IOU. In exchange, investors get involvement payments and the look worth of the bonds erstwhile the enslaved word ends, known arsenic maturity. Generally speaking, bonds tin beryllium beardown investments for investors looking for predictable income and portfolio diversification, and firm bonds tin transportation higher yields than authorities bonds, making them much charismatic candidates wrong the plus class.

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