Overview
One of the original junk-bond ETFs — around 1,100 liquid high-yield corporate bonds paying monthly income north of 6%.
Top Holdings
| Ticker | Holding | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| CHTR | Charter Communications bonds | 1.4% |
| TMUS | T-Mobile bonds | 1.2% |
| CCL | Carnival bonds | 1.1% |
| OXY | Occidental bonds | 1.0% |
| F | Ford Motor bonds | 1.0% |
| VZ | Venture Global bonds | 0.9% |
| MSTR | Cloud/software HY bonds | 0.8% |
| HCA | HCA Healthcare bonds | 0.8% |
| DISH | EchoStar bonds | 0.7% |
| AAL | American Airlines bonds | 0.7% |
Fund Details
Investment Thesis
The ticker says what it is. JNK pays a 6.6% monthly yield for lending to below-investment-grade America — a spread that looks generous while defaults stay historically low, and evaporates fast in recessions when junk trades like equity. With credit spreads near cycle tights, the fund is a carry trade: collect the income, accept that the exit is crowded if the economy turns.
Who It's For
Income investors consciously taking credit risk for yield, sized as a satellite rather than bond ballast — JNK falls with stocks in a crisis, not against them. The monthly payout suits income-laddering strategies.
10-Year History
| Year | Close | % Chg |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $101.42 | -- |
| 2017 | $102.44 | +1.0% |
| 2018 | $96.29 | -6.0% |
| 2019 | $103.99 | +8.0% |
| 2020 | $102.95 | -1.0% |
| 2021 | $103.98 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | $88.38 | -15.0% |
| 2023 | $92.80 | +5.0% |
| 2024 | $94.66 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | $97.50 | +3.0% |
| Year | Yield |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 6.10% |
| 2017 | 5.80% |
| 2018 | 6.30% |
| 2019 | 5.60% |
| 2020 | 5.30% |
| 2021 | 4.50% |
| 2022 | 6.50% |
| 2023 | 6.60% |
| 2024 | 6.50% |
| 2025 | 6.60% |
| Year | AUM | % Chg |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $12B | -- |
| 2017 | $13B | +8.3% |
| 2018 | $9B | -30.8% |
| 2019 | $10B | +11.1% |
| 2020 | $12B | +20.0% |
| 2021 | $9.5B | -20.8% |
| 2022 | $8B | -15.8% |
| 2023 | $9B | +12.5% |
| 2024 | $8B | -11.1% |
| 2025 | $7.5B | -6.3% |
Historical figures are ETFHub estimates modelled from asset-class return patterns and may differ from official fund records. Data as of August 2026.
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