^SPXHC vs. VHT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about S&P 500 Health Care Index (^SPXHC) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT).

VHT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Health Care 25/50 Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2004.

Performance

^SPXHC vs. VHT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in S&P 500 Health Care Index (^SPXHC) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^SPXHC vs. VHT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^SPXHC S&P 500 Health Care Index	-5.29%	12.53%	0.90%	0.30%	-3.55%	24.16%	11.43%	18.68%	4.69%	20.00%
VHT Vanguard Health Care ETF	-5.04%	15.46%	2.66%	2.52%	-5.60%	20.57%	18.29%	21.87%	5.58%	23.26%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with ^SPXHC having a -5.29% return and VHT slightly higher at -5.04%. Over the past 10 years, ^SPXHC has underperformed VHT with an annualized return of 7.98%, while VHT has yielded a comparatively higher 9.72% annualized return.

^SPXHC

• 1D: 1.94%
• 1M: -8.26%
• YTD: -5.29%
• 6M: 5.32%
• 1Y: 0.48%
• 3Y*: 4.22%
• 5Y*: 4.73%
• 10Y*: 7.98%

VHT

• 1D: 2.24%
• 1M: -7.50%
• YTD: -5.04%
• 6M: 5.91%
• 1Y: 4.70%
• 3Y*: 6.16%
• 5Y*: 5.09%
• 10Y*: 9.72%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^SPXHC vs. VHT — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^SPXHC

^SPXHC Risk / Return Rank: 18
^SPXHC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 16
^SPXHC Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
^SPXHC Omega Ratio Rank: 16
^SPXHC Calmar Ratio Rank: 22
^SPXHC Martin Ratio Rank: 22

VHT

VHT Risk / Return Rank: 21
VHT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
VHT Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
VHT Omega Ratio Rank: 19
VHT Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
VHT Martin Ratio Rank: 21

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^SPXHC vs. VHT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for S&P 500 Health Care Index (^SPXHC) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^SPXHC	VHT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.03	0.27	-0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.16	0.49	-0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.02	1.06	-0.04
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.12	0.51	-0.40
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.23	1.09	-0.86
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^SPXHC vs. VHT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^SPXHC Sharpe Ratio is 0.03, which is lower than the VHT Sharpe Ratio of 0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^SPXHC and VHT, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^SPXHC	VHT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.03	0.27	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33	0.34	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.58	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.36	0.56	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between ^SPXHC and VHT is 0.98, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Drawdowns

^SPXHC vs. VHT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^SPXHC drawdown since its inception was -40.78%, roughly equal to the maximum VHT drawdown of -39.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^SPXHC and VHT.

Drawdown Indicators

	^SPXHC	VHT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-40.78%	-39.12%	-1.66%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.86%	-10.40%	-0.46%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.01%	-17.71%	-0.30%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-28.59%	-28.85%	+0.26%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.26%	-8.05%	-0.21%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.32%	-5.98%	-2.34%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.02%	4.96%	+1.06%

Volatility

^SPXHC vs. VHT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for S&P 500 Health Care Index (^SPXHC) is 4.67%, while Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) has a volatility of 5.10%. This indicates that ^SPXHC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VHT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^SPXHC	VHT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.67%	5.10%	-0.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.46%	10.28%	+0.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.68%	17.61%	+0.07%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.55%	14.85%	-0.30%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.58%	16.94%	-0.36%