What this ETF is trying to do

The Invesco BulletShares 2026 High Yield Corporate Bond ETF (ticker: BSJQ) is an exchange-traded fund. Based on its name, it focuses on high-yield corporate bonds that are set to mature in the year 2026. This type of ETF holds debt from various companies.

What the numbers show

When looking at an ETF, it is important to know the difference between price return and total return. Price return only tracks how much the share price changes. Total return includes both the price change and any cash payments (distributions) made to investors.

Here is what the data shows for BSJQ:

• Year-to-Date (YTD): The price return is approximately -2.23%. However, the YTD total return is 1.69%.

• One-Year: The price return was approximately -2.58%, while the one-year total return was 2.77%.

• Three-Year: The price return was approximately 1.47%, but the three-year total return was much higher at 21.95%.

To give you an idea of the price movement, the current price is $22.82. The estimated price from roughly one year ago was approximately $23.42.

Income and distribution explanation

This ETF provides cash to investors through distributions. The distribution yield is approximately 5.43%. This number describes the cash payments relative to the ETF's price. It is important to remember that a high yield does not mean the investor earned that same percentage as their total return.

The ETF usually pays out monthly, with 12 payments recorded over the last year. Most of these payments have been made on Mondays.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" is a term used to describe when the value of the underlying assets in a fund decreases over time. Some investors worry about this because they want to keep their original investment amount stable while collecting income.

For BSJQ, the erosion-risk score is 94, which is labeled as "Stable / sideways." The erosion severity is rated as "good," and there is no severe erosion-risk flag present. This suggests the fund's value has been relatively steady rather than dropping sharply.

Top Holdings

The following are the top holdings in this ETF (note that this is a partial list):

• INVESCO SHRT-TRM INV GOV&AGCY INSTL: 39.32%

• DISH DBS CORPORATION 5.25%: 5.24%

• NCR ATLEOS CORP. 9.5%: 4.05%

• ALTICE FRANCE SAS 9.5%: 4.00%

• WESCO DISTRIBUTION, INC. 7.25%: 3.59%

• IQVIA INC 5%: 2.84%

• EG GLOBAL FINANCE PLC 12%: 2.29%

• LIFEPOINT HEALTH, INC 9.875%: 2.29%

• WINDSOR HOLDINGS III LLC 8.5%: 2.26%

• BOMBARDIER INC. 8.75%: 2.15%

*Holdings can change over time.*

Pros

• The ETF has a high income rating grade of "A."

• The total return over three years (21.95%) is significantly higher than the price-only return.

Cons

• The share price has seen some declines (negative price returns) in both the one-year and year-to-date periods.

Beginner takeaway

When looking at BSJQ, it is helpful to distinguish between the share price and the total return. While the share price has gone down slightly in recent periods, the total return remains positive because of the cash distributions paid to investors. Always remember that high yields are not a guarantee of total profit.