LIVE
HYLB
Xtrackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF · Fixed Income - High Yield Corporate Bonds / ETF
$36.50
+1.29% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
FALN
iShares Fallen Angels USD Bond ETF · Fixed Income - High Yield / Fallen Angel Bonds / ETF
$27.19
+2.28% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across expense ratio, momentum, yield, fund size, risk
HYLB
4
FALN
1
Comparison scoreboard
HYLB LEADS 4/5Exp. Ratio
HYLB ✓0.05%
FALN 0.25%
1Y Return
HYLB +6.79%
FALN ✓+8.32%
Div. Yield
HYLB ✓6.44%
FALN 6.40%
AUM
HYLB ✓$3.48B
FALN $1.66B
Beta
HYLB ✓0.40
FALN 0.41
Metrics last refreshed: 6/22/2026
Quick take
HYLB vs FALN Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
HYLB provides broad market-weight exposure to the entire U.S. high-yield corporate bond market, while FALN targets the specific 'fallen angel' segment of recently downgraded bonds that may benefit from forced selling at downgrade. Both offer high-yield credit exposure but with different portfolio construction philosophies and risk-return profiles.
HYLB vs FALN contrasts passive broad high-yield market exposure against a factor-based strategy targeting fallen angel bonds — market-cap high yield versus a selective approach to the portion of high yield with the best ex-investment-grade pedigree.
Live analysis · updated 6/22/2026
HYLB holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. FALN has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+8.32% vs +6.79% for HYLB).
Normalized 1Y performance
HYLB
FALN
Recent returns
HYLB
FALN
Who should consider this stock?
HYLB may suit investors who:
- →Want broad, market-weight high-yield bond exposure across the entire non-investment-grade corporate bond universe
- →Value DWS's competitive expense ratio for a core high-yield fixed income allocation
- →Prefer straightforward market-cap weighted high-yield exposure without factor tilts or selective strategy
FALN may suit investors who:
- →Want to capture the documented fallen angel premium — the historical outperformance of recently downgraded bonds versus the broad high-yield market
- →Value higher-quality former-investment-grade issuers as a way to access high-yield yields with potentially better credit fundamentals
- →Are interested in a factor-based approach to high-yield that tilts away from born-junk issuers toward higher-pedigree fallen companies
Performance & AI score
| Metric | HYLB | FALN |
|---|---|---|
| ETF score | 46.0 | 42.0 |
| Latest close | $36.50 | $27.19 |
| 1M return | +1.29% | +2.28% |
| 6M return | +2.39% | +2.75% |
| 1Y return | +6.79% | +8.32% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | HYLB | FALN |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.41K (+14.1%) started 2025-06-18 | $11.57K (+15.7%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $17.1K (+71.0%) started 2021-06-18 | $16.59K (+65.9%) started 2021-06-18 |
| 10Y ago | $31.73K (+217.3%) started 2016-12-13 | $40.15K (+301.5%) started 2016-06-21 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Fund characteristics
| Metric | HYLB | FALN |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.25% |
| Total assets (AUM) | $3.48B | $1.66B |
| Dividend yield | 6.44% | 6.40% |
| Trailing P/E | N/A | N/A |
| Beta | 0.40 | 0.41 |
| 52-week change | 6.79% | 8.32% |
Risk & fund metrics
| Metric | HYLB | FALN |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y return | +6.79% | +8.32% |
| 6M return | +2.39% | +2.75% |
| 1M return | +1.29% | +2.28% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.57 | 0.79 |
| Beta | 0.40 | 0.41 |
| Dividend yield | 6.44% | 6.40% |
| 5Y CAGR | +4.05% | +3.84% |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
HYLB max drawdown2.27%
FALN max drawdown3.96%
HYLB max wkly drop1.06%
FALN max wkly drop1.62%
5Y risk snapshot
HYLB max drawdown15.54%
FALN max drawdown18.78%
HYLB max wkly drop6.82%
FALN max wkly drop6.61%
10Y risk snapshot
HYLB max drawdown22.91%
FALN max drawdown29.22%
HYLB max wkly drop13.12%
FALN max wkly drop16.38%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | HYLB | FALN |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +6.79% | +8.32% |
| CAGR | +6.79% | +8.33% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.57 | 0.79 | |
| Max drawdown | 2.27% | 3.96% | |
| Max daily drop | 0.93% | 1.19% | |
| Max wkly drop | 1.06% | 1.62% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +21.97% | +20.74% |
| CAGR | +4.05% | +3.84% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.03 | -0.06 | |
| Max drawdown | 15.54% | 18.78% | |
| Max daily drop | 3.67% | 3.34% | |
| Max wkly drop | 6.82% | 6.61% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +55.16% | +88.63% |
| CAGR | +4.73% | +6.56% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.06 | 0.25 | |
| Max drawdown | 22.91% | 29.22% | |
| Max daily drop | 5.39% | 7.69% | |
| Max wkly drop | 13.12% | 16.38% |
Fund overview
| Category | HYLB | FALN |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | Xtrackers USD High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | iShares Fallen Angels USD Bond ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.25% |
| Total assets (AUM) | $3.48B | $1.66B |
| Dividend yield | 6.44% | 6.40% |
HYLB strengths
- →Broad high-yield market coverage provides diversified exposure across the complete non-investment-grade bond universe
- →DWS/Deutsche Bank management provides institutional credibility in fixed income indexing
- →High-yield bonds offer significantly higher yields than investment-grade bonds, compensating for higher default risk
FALN strengths
- →Academic research suggests fallen angel bonds historically outperform the broad high-yield market on a risk-adjusted basis over time
- →Fallen angels typically have better business characteristics than originally-issued high-yield bonds (born-junk companies) — they were once investment-grade for a reason
- →Contrarian value hypothesis — forced selling by investment-grade mandated investors at downgrade creates temporary undervaluation
Risks to watch — HYLB
- →High-yield bonds can experience significant price declines in economic downturns as default concerns rise and liquidity dries up
- →Correlation to equities increases in risk-off environments — high-yield bonds tend to sell off alongside stocks in market stress
- →Credit cycle management matters — rising defaults and credit spread widening hurt high-yield bond total returns
Risks to watch — FALN
- →Fallen angel supply is cyclical and depends on economic conditions — recessions produce many fallen angels as investment-grade companies are downgraded
- →Higher average quality (more BB-rated) than broad high-yield means slightly lower yield in normal markets
- →The historical outperformance of fallen angels is documented but may not persist as the strategy becomes more widely known and traded
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