iShares iBonds 2026 Term High Yield and Income ETF

IBHF

Market cap $969M

IBHF offers a near 7% yield after expenses, with a portfolio mainly in BB and B-rated bonds. The fund's short duration (0.68 years) and defined maturity reduce interest rate risk, but 16% exposure to CCC-rated bonds adds credit risk. IBHF's structure means it will wind down and return capital to investors by December 2026, limiting long-term risk.

IBHF is a true term fund maturing in December 2026, with holdings primarily in BB, B, and CCC rated high yield bonds. The fund offers a high 30-day SEC yield of 7.2%, but carries significant default risk, especially for CCC-rated bonds. Potential recession and tariff wars increase default risks, making prudence essential despite the fund's decreasing risk profile over time.

Buying bonds directly is the simplest way to schedule a fixed amount of dollars to be paid to you on a fixed future date. While most bond ETFs have no specific maturity date, there are three suites of fixed maturity ETFs from Invesco, iShares, and State Street. Here I chart the past performance of two 2024 Invesco BulletShares ETFs, showing how closely their total returns could have been expected in advance.

The iShares i-Bonds 2026 Term High Yield and Income ETF offers a 6.7% yield with decreasing risk as it approaches its December 2026 termination date. IBHF's diversified portfolio of U.S. high-yield bonds, predominantly BB-rated, ensures principal return and yield stability despite potential defaults. Term funds like IBHF are advantageous in a soft landing scenario, providing higher yields as Fed rate cuts diminish returns on short-term instruments.

Many investors oversimplify the investment process with respect to duration by thinking about the concept on a single spectrum. They also focus overly on today's yield rather than considering reinvestment risk as well as capital gains consequences. We discuss two of these investment process shortcomings and highlight a number of attractive holdings in the context of the current market environment.

iShares iBonds 2026 Term High Yield and Income ETF is a set-term ETF that tracks a US dollar-denominated, high-yield and income-paying corporate bond index. The fund is well-diversified and has a maturity breakdown focused on the 1 to 2 year range, reducing interest rate risk. The sector breakdown of the fund is heavily weighted towards consumer cyclicals, which may be a concern if a recession occurs. However, the set maturity structure of the fund may help mitigate this risk.

To get the most from your bond investments, consider funds that let you lock in an interest rate and maturity date to match your specific goals.

iShares iBonds 2026 Term High Yield and Income ETF has an attractive 7.7% yield, but it is not a long-term investment. The IBHF ETF is an element of a bond ladder ETF series and will be converted to cash in December 2026. Bond ladders in high-yield bonds are for investors who have enough capital to build ladders in safer bonds first.