iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD)
Top ETFs · Bonds · Investment Grade Corp · data since 2002-07-30 · last close 2026-09-09
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) monthly returns (%)
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.3 | 1.4 | -2.1 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | -2.7 | -0.0 | -0.4 | · | · | · |
| 2025 | 0.6 | 2.4 | -0.5 | -0.3 | 0.2 | 2.1 | -0.1 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.1 | 0.9 | -0.7 |
| 2024 | -0.4 | -1.9 | 1.5 | -3.2 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 2.0 | -3.2 | 1.8 | -2.7 |
| 2023 | 5.2 | -4.2 | 3.9 | 0.6 | -1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | -1.2 | -3.6 | -2.4 | 7.6 | 4.9 |
| 2022 | -3.6 | -2.1 | -2.9 | -6.7 | 1.9 | -3.6 | 4.4 | -4.4 | -6.0 | -0.8 | 6.7 | -1.6 |
| 2021 | -1.8 | -2.3 | -1.5 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 1.4 | -0.3 | -1.5 | 0.5 | -0.1 | -0.0 |
| 2020 | 2.5 | 1.1 | -6.3 | 4.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.1 | -1.8 | -0.4 | -0.5 | 3.8 | 0.1 |
| 2019 | 3.4 | -0.2 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 3.9 | -0.8 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 2018 | -1.2 | -2.2 | 0.6 | -1.6 | 0.5 | -0.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 | -0.1 | -2.0 | -0.4 | 1.9 |
| 2017 | 0.1 | 1.3 | -0.3 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | -0.1 | 0.2 | -0.1 | 1.2 |
| 2016 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 1.6 | -0.5 | 3.1 | 1.3 | 0.2 | -0.3 | -1.5 | -3.2 | 0.8 |
| 2015 | 3.8 | -1.4 | 0.2 | -1.2 | -1.1 | -1.9 | 0.8 | -0.8 | 1.2 | 0.6 | -0.1 | -1.1 |
| 2014 | 1.9 | 1.1 | -0.0 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -0.3 | 2.0 | -1.7 | 1.2 | 0.9 | -0.0 |
| 2013 | -1.3 | 1.1 | -0.1 | 2.2 | -3.2 | -3.3 | 1.1 | -1.0 | 0.7 | 1.8 | -0.1 | 0.2 |
| 2012 | 2.1 | 1.6 | -1.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 3.5 | -0.1 | 1.1 | 1.4 | -0.7 | -0.3 |
| 2011 | 0.0 | 1.1 | -0.5 | 2.5 | 1.3 | -0.8 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 2.5 | -3.2 | 3.5 |
| 2010 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.9 | -1.3 | 3.3 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 0.5 | -0.3 | -1.6 | -0.8 |
| 2009 | -1.8 | -5.2 | 0.5 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 1.8 | -0.5 | 1.9 | -2.1 |
| 2008 | 2.6 | -0.7 | -0.6 | 1.2 | -2.2 | -1.3 | 0.4 | 0.1 | -10.7 | -1.9 | 3.4 | 13.8 |
| 2007 | 0.1 | 2.0 | -0.7 | 0.9 | -1.2 | -0.8 | -0.8 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -0.8 |
| 2006 | -0.4 | 0.7 | -1.7 | -0.2 | -0.2 | -0.1 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | -0.9 |
| 2005 | 1.2 | -0.9 | -1.3 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 | -0.8 | 1.5 | -1.9 | -1.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| 2004 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -3.9 | -0.5 | 0.1 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 1.2 | -1.2 | 1.4 |
| 2003 | -0.8 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 3.9 | -0.2 | -5.8 | 1.4 | 4.5 | -1.3 | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| 2002 | · | · | · | · | · | · | 0.6 | 3.6 | 2.1 | -0.6 | 0.7 | 3.9 |
| Avg | 0.6 | -0.1 | -0.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.8 | -0.4 | -0.2 | 0.9 | 1.0 |
Values in %. Current and first-listed months are partial (greyed).
returnsview.com
LQD seasonality — average by calendar month
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF has monthly history back to 2002. December carries the highest average at +1.0%, but the median December is +0.2% and 13 of 24 have finished green: +14% in 2008 does most of the lifting. The steadier month is July — positive in 19 of 25 years, median +1.1%, and higher in 7 of the last 9. March is the soft spot, down in 14 of 24 with a median of -0.2%. Across its full record it has closed 60% of months higher, swings ±2.3% in an average month and has fallen 25% peak to trough.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | +0.6% | -0.1% | -0.2% | +0.5% | +0.4% | +0.5% | +0.9% | +0.8% | -0.4% | -0.2% | +0.9% | +1.0% |
| Win rate | 67%/24 | 58%/24 | 42%/24 | 71%/24 | 62%/24 | 62%/24 | 76%/25 | 68%/25 | 54%/24 | 50%/24 | 58%/24 | 54%/24 |
Win rate = share of positive months / sample size.
LQD risk & extremes
LQD drawdown & rolling returns
Percent below the all-time high at each month-end — how far underwater the asset was.
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Frequently asked questions
What was iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF's best month?+
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF's strongest completed month on record is December 2008, at +13.81%.
What was iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF's worst month?+
Its weakest completed month on record is September 2008, at -10.73%.
Is iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF up this year?+
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF is down 2.26% year to date, measured from its last close before 1 January.
What is iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF's 1-year return?+
-1.83% over the past twelve months, comparing the latest close with the most recent close on or before the same date a year earlier.
What is iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF's biggest drawdown?+
The deepest peak-to-trough fall on record is 25.0%, measured on month-end closes since 2002.
Which calendar month is historically best for iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF?+
December has the highest average return across every completed December since 2002. An average is not a forecast.
About iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF
iShares Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF is an investment grade corp business worth about $32 billion. Tracked here from its first session onward — every monthly, quarterly and weekly return on record since 2002, with no gaps filled in and nothing smoothed. And the long game: $100 at its first close here (2002) would be about $286 today.
Did you know?
- Its best month on record was December 2008 at +13.81%; its worst, September 2008 at -10.73%.
- It has closed July in the green 19 out of 25 times — not a promise, just a suspicious habit.
Trivia for entertainment — the numbers come from our price data; the jokes don't.