The Fed unveils top corporate-bond ETFs targeted in its $1.3 billion stimulus spree

• A Friday release detailed which corporate-credit ETFs the Federal Reserve bought up from the program's May 12 start to May 18.
• BlackRock's iShares iBoxx US Dollar Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF was the most purchased, with the central bank buying up 2,521,892 shares over the period.
• Total purchases reached $1.3 billion by May 18, though a separate release showed the figure swelling to roughly $3 billion by Wednesday.
• About $223 million of the Fed's ETF holdings are focused on high-yield debt, exposing the bank to firms at greater risk of default amid the coronavirus recession.
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The Federal Reserve's first week of corporate-credit exchange-traded fund purchases primarily drove cash into industry giants including the iShares iBoxx US Dollar Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF and Vanguard's Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF, a Friday release revealed.

The central bank boosted credit markets through the coronavirus pandemic after announcing its historic move into corporate-debt assets. Purchases of corporate-bond ETFs through the Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility began on May 12. In the facility's first six days of operation, the Fed bought up $1.3 billion worth of ETFs over 158 transactions.

Here are the Fed's top five ETF holdings after its first week of purchases:

• iShares iBoxx US Dollar Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF
  
  • Shares purchased: 2,521,892
  • Market value (as of May 19): $326,282,386.96
• Vanguard Intermediate-Term Corporate Bond ETF
  
  • Shares purchased: 2,483,885
  • Purchase amount: $228,095,159.55
• Vanguard Short-Term Corporate Bond ETF
  
  • Shares purchased: 2,776,786
  • Purchase amount: $226,196,987.56
• iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond ETF
  
  • Shares purchased: 1,255,084
  • Purchase amount: $100,657,736.80
• SPDR Bloomberg Barclays High Yield Bond ETF
  
  • Shares purchased: 905,284
  • Purchase amount: $89,532,587.60

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A separate release showed the Fed holding nearly $3 billion in ETFs as of Wednesday. The central bank has indicated it would purchase up to $250 billion in outstanding debt and $500 billion in new bonds throughout the lifetime of its relief programs.

The top three most-bought ETFs accounted for the majority of the Fed's purchases over the week.

Roughly $223 million was allocated to high-yield bond ETFs over the period. The Fed's move into junk-rated credit initially rankled some experts and fueled concerns that the central bank could encourage risk-taking amid the soured economic backdrop.

The Fed is working alongside asset-management giant BlackRock to facilitate its purchases. Eight of the 15 ETFs purchased through May 18 were BlackRock vehicles. Trader commissions from such trades reached $125,861.73, according to Fed data.

The central bank plans to open its remaining lending programs, including one for directly purchasing corporate bonds, before June.

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