CVS vs. VHT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about CVS Health Corporation (CVS) 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

CVS vs. VHT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in CVS Health Corporation (CVS) and Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CVS vs. VHT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CVS CVS Health Corporation	-8.76%	84.35%	-40.77%	-12.53%	-7.63%	54.87%	-5.14%	17.26%	-7.04%	-5.75%
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

In the year-to-date period, CVS achieves a -8.76% return, which is significantly lower than VHT's -5.04% return. Over the past 10 years, CVS has underperformed VHT with an annualized return of -0.76%, while VHT has yielded a comparatively higher 9.72% annualized return.

CVS

• 1D: 2.40%
• 1M: -10.11%
• YTD: -8.76%
• 6M: -3.17%
• 1Y: 10.05%
• 3Y*: 2.77%
• 5Y*: 2.63%
• 10Y*: -0.76%

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

CVS vs. VHT — Risk / Return Rank

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

CVS

CVS Risk / Return Rank: 53
CVS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
CVS Sortino Ratio Rank: 46
CVS Omega Ratio Rank: 47
CVS Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
CVS Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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.

CVS vs. VHT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CVS Health Corporation (CVS) 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.

	CVS	VHT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.33	0.27	+0.06
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.60	0.49	+0.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.09	1.06	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.67	0.51	+0.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.66	1.09	+0.56
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CVS vs. VHT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CVS Sharpe Ratio is 0.33, which is comparable to the VHT Sharpe Ratio of 0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CVS 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

	CVS	VHT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.33	0.27	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.09	0.34	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.03	0.58	-0.60
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.31	0.56	-0.25

Correlation

The correlation between CVS and VHT is 0.51, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

CVS vs. VHT - Dividend Comparison

CVS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.70%, more than VHT's 1.73% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CVS CVS Health Corporation	3.70%	3.35%	5.93%	3.06%	2.36%	1.94%	2.93%	2.69%	3.05%	2.76%	2.15%	1.43%
VHT Vanguard Health Care ETF	1.73%	1.61%	1.53%	1.36%	1.33%	1.14%	1.21%	1.89%	1.38%	1.31%	1.45%	1.22%

Drawdowns

CVS vs. VHT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CVS drawdown since its inception was -64.07%, which is greater than VHT's maximum drawdown of -39.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CVS and VHT.

Drawdown Indicators

	CVS	VHT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-64.07%	-39.12%	-24.95%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.44%	-10.40%	-6.04%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-56.79%	-17.71%	-39.08%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-56.79%	-28.85%	-27.94%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-25.47%	-8.05%	-17.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-19.59%	-5.98%	-13.61%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.66%	4.96%	+1.70%

Volatility

CVS vs. VHT - Volatility Comparison

CVS Health Corporation (CVS) has a higher volatility of 5.98% compared to Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) at 5.10%. This indicates that CVS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VHT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CVS	VHT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.98%	5.10%	+0.88%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	23.03%	10.28%	+12.75%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.81%	17.61%	+13.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.36%	14.85%	+14.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	28.93%	16.94%	+11.99%