HQL vs. IYH

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Tekla Life Sciences Investors (HQL) and iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH).

IYH is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Health Care Index. It was launched on Jun 12, 2000.

Performance

HQL vs. IYH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Tekla Life Sciences Investors (HQL) and iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HQL vs. IYH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HQL Tekla Life Sciences Investors	0.18%	45.48%	11.03%	4.23%	-19.21%	5.52%	23.72%	25.53%	-16.18%	25.41%
IYH iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF	-5.02%	13.16%	2.99%	2.14%	-4.46%	23.41%	15.56%	20.80%	5.80%	22.27%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HQL achieves a 0.18% return, which is significantly higher than IYH's -5.02% return. Over the past 10 years, HQL has underperformed IYH with an annualized return of 8.95%, while IYH has yielded a comparatively higher 9.42% annualized return.

HQL

• 1D: 2.26%
• 1M: -2.28%
• YTD: 0.18%
• 6M: 11.70%
• 1Y: 45.72%
• 3Y*: 18.90%
• 5Y*: 6.76%
• 10Y*: 8.95%

IYH

• 1D: 2.14%
• 1M: -7.49%
• YTD: -5.02%
• 6M: 5.70%
• 1Y: 2.58%
• 3Y*: 5.41%
• 5Y*: 5.36%
• 10Y*: 9.42%

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

Return for Risk

HQL vs. IYH — Risk / Return Rank

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

HQL

HQL Risk / Return Rank: 88
HQL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
HQL Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
HQL Omega Ratio Rank: 85
HQL Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
HQL Martin Ratio Rank: 91

IYH

IYH Risk / Return Rank: 17
IYH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 16
IYH Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
IYH Omega Ratio Rank: 15
IYH Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
IYH Martin Ratio Rank: 17

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.

HQL vs. IYH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Tekla Life Sciences Investors (HQL) and iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH). 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.

	HQL	IYH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.88	0.14	+1.74
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.52	0.33	+2.19
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.04	+0.28
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.04	0.30	+2.73
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.18	0.62	+10.56
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HQL vs. IYH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HQL Sharpe Ratio is 1.88, which is higher than the IYH Sharpe Ratio of 0.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HQL and IYH, 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

	HQL	IYH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.88	0.14	+1.74
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33	0.36	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.40	0.57	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.30	0.43	-0.12

Correlation

The correlation between HQL and IYH is 0.63, 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

HQL vs. IYH - Dividend Comparison

HQL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.74%, more than IYH's 1.31% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HQL Tekla Life Sciences Investors	11.74%	10.85%	14.18%	9.44%	9.57%	8.79%	7.90%	8.03%	10.72%	8.25%	12.18%	11.84%
IYH iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF	1.31%	1.19%	1.25%	1.18%	1.10%	0.94%	1.16%	1.14%	1.95%	1.10%	1.29%	2.02%

Drawdowns

HQL vs. IYH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HQL drawdown since its inception was -62.65%, which is greater than IYH's maximum drawdown of -43.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HQL and IYH.

Drawdown Indicators

	HQL	IYH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.65%	-43.12%	-19.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.91%	-10.52%	-1.39%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.86%	-17.91%	-20.95%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-38.86%	-28.40%	-10.46%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.87%	-8.17%	+3.30%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-22.37%	-8.97%	-13.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.90%	5.58%	-1.68%

Volatility

HQL vs. IYH - Volatility Comparison

Tekla Life Sciences Investors (HQL) has a higher volatility of 7.98% compared to iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF (IYH) at 4.87%. This indicates that HQL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IYH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HQL	IYH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.98%	4.87%	+3.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.20%	10.57%	+5.63%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.48%	17.96%	+6.52%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.56%	14.79%	+5.77%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.41%	16.70%	+5.71%