PGIM Active High Yield Bond ETF (PHYL) Performance
PHYL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −0.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +1.0% total return
- 5 years
- +3.2% a year
- Since first price
- +4.8% a year since 2018
PHYL trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | PHYL total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.0% | −1.6% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | −1.9% | −3.7% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | −1.6% | −5.1% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | −0.4% | −5.6% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | +1.0% | −5.7% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +29.4%+9.0%/yr | +3.0% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | +17.1%+3.2%/yr | −18.2% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 27, 2018 | +46.3%+4.8%/yr | −17.0% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: PHYL vs AGG
From Sep 27, 2018: PHYL grew to $14,634, AGG to $11,515.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PHYL returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2019 (+16.8%), worst 2022 (−11.8%). 2026 is year to date.
PHYL annual returns table
| Year | PHYL | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −0.4% | −3.0% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +9.7% | −4.5% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +8.5% | −2.4% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +11.9% | −4.4% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −11.8% | −15.9% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +5.1% | −2.2% | −1.8% | −4.6% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +6.3% | −22.1% | +7.5% | +18.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +16.8% | −1.6% | +8.5% | +14.1% | +31.2% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
PHYL largest drawdowns
Now 2.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | −22.1% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 6, 2020 | 40 days | 6 months |
| Dec 28, 2021 | −17.0% | Sep 27, 2022 | Jun 12, 2024 | 9 months | 2.5 years |
| Oct 3, 2018 | −5.8% | Dec 24, 2018 | Jan 31, 2019 | 3 months | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 5% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PHYL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +8.2% | +3.1% | +4.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 5.1% | 7.7% | 8.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.72 | -0.03 | 0.30 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.21 | -0.05 | 0.40 |
| Best month | +4.5% | +6.2% | +6.2% |
| Worst month | −2.8% | −7.3% | −12.6% |
| Best 12 months | +17.0% | +17.0% | +25.9% |
| Worst 12 months | +0.8% | −16.1% | −16.1% |
| Positive months | 78% | 65% | 69% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.31 | 0.40 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.75 | 0.82 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
PHYL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 85 | −16.1% | +7.7% | +25.9% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 61 | −1.0% | +3.7% | +11.3% | 97% |
| 5-year (a year) | 37 | +2.7% | +4.1% | +7.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PHYL performance overview
PGIM Active High Yield Bond ETF (PHYL) returned +1.0% over the past year and +3.2% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +4.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $14,634. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
The deepest decline was −22.1%, from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 4 months to get back to the old high. PHYL finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+16.8%) and the worst 2022 (−11.8%). Volatility has been 8.7% a year.
Related: PHYL chart, PHYL dividends, PHYL bond profile. See the PHYL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PHYL performance FAQ
What is the PHYL return over the past year?
PHYL returned +1.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 5.7%.
What is the average annual return of PHYL?
PHYL has returned +3.2% a year over 5 years, +4.8% a year since September 27, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PHYL be worth?
$10,000 invested in PHYL at its first recorded close on September 27, 2018 would be worth about $14,634 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PHYL?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −11.8%. The best was 2019 at +16.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PHYL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −22.1% between February 12, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 6, 2020, 4 months after the bottom.
How volatile is PHYL?
Over the past 3 years PHYL had an annualized volatility of 5.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.72 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).