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IHE vs. FTXH
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

IHE vs. FTXH

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

IHE (iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF) and FTXH (First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF) are both Health & Biotech Equities funds - IHE tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Select Pharmaceuticals Index while FTXH tracks the Nasdaq U.S. Smart Pharmaceuticals Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IHE returned 9.98%/yr vs 7.80%/yr for FTXH. A 0.76 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. IHE charges 0.42%/yr vs 0.60%/yr for FTXH.

Performance

IHE vs. FTXH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) and First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Loading charts...

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IHE achieves a 6.47% return, which is significantly higher than FTXH's 5.00% return.

IHE

1D
1.16%
1M
1.80%
YTD
6.47%
6M
8.51%
1Y
40.15%
3Y*
17.47%
5Y*
9.98%
10Y*
7.81%

FTXH

1D
1.69%
1M
1.65%
YTD
5.00%
6M
6.02%
1Y
36.24%
3Y*
11.48%
5Y*
7.80%
10Y*
—
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

IHE vs. FTXH - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
IHE
iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF		6.47%31.69%8.13%1.06%-4.87%13.07%13.66%15.47%-7.76%10.64%
FTXH
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF		5.00%24.15%2.98%-1.41%2.55%6.14%11.73%22.13%-9.51%19.44%

Correlation

The correlation between IHE and FTXH is 0.88, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.88

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.86

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.85

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 23, 2016

0.76

The correlation between IHE and FTXH shifts across timeframes, from 0.76 (all time) to 0.88 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

IHE vs. FTXH - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
IHE
FTXH

Healthcare

100.0%
100.0%

Basic Materials

-

-

Communication Services

-

-

Consumer Cyclical

-

-

Consumer Defensive

-

-

Energy

-

-

Financial Services

-

-

Industrials

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Technology

-

-

Utilities

-

-

Healthcare

IHE
100.0%
FTXH
100.0%

Basic Materials

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Communication Services

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Consumer Cyclical

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Consumer Defensive

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Energy

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Financial Services

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Industrials

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Real Estate

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Technology

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Utilities

IHE

-

FTXH

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF

First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF

Often compared with IHE:
IHE vs. PPHIHE vs. XPHIHE vs. XLVIHE vs. VYMIHE vs. PJPIHE vs. IAKIHE vs. BBP
Often compared with FTXH:
FTXH vs. PPHFTXH vs. BBPFTXH vs. MEDIFTXH vs. XLVFTXH vs. FXAIXFTXH vs. SPUSFTXH vs. ^GSPC

Return for Risk

IHE vs. FTXH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
IHE
IHE Risk / Return Rank: 7474
Overall Rank
IHE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7171
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IHE Sortino Ratio Rank: 7575
Sortino Ratio Rank
IHE Omega Ratio Rank: 6565
Omega Ratio Rank
IHE Calmar Ratio Rank: 8585
Calmar Ratio Rank
IHE Martin Ratio Rank: 7575
Martin Ratio Rank
FTXH
FTXH Risk / Return Rank: 7171
Overall Rank
FTXH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6464
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FTXH Sortino Ratio Rank: 6969
Sortino Ratio Rank
FTXH Omega Ratio Rank: 6060
Omega Ratio Rank
FTXH Calmar Ratio Rank: 8787
Calmar Ratio Rank
FTXH Martin Ratio Rank: 7474
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

IHE vs. FTXH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) and First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH). 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.

IHEFTXHDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.36
2.14

+0.22

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
3.43
3.16

+0.27

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.40

1.37

+0.04

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

4.76

4.87

-0.11

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

14.35

14.07

+0.28

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IHE vs. FTXH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IHE Sharpe Ratio is 2.36, which is comparable to the FTXH Sharpe Ratio of 2.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IHE and FTXH, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

IHEFTXHDifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.36

2.14

+0.22

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.62

0.48

+0.14

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.43

—

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.51

0.38

+0.13

Drawdowns

IHE vs. FTXH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IHE drawdown since its inception was -38.20%, which is greater than FTXH's maximum drawdown of -32.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IHE and FTXH.

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Drawdown Indicators

IHEFTXHDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-38.20%

-32.11%

-6.09%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-8.47%

-7.47%

-1.00%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-15.92%

-19.51%

+3.59%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-16.03%

-19.51%

+3.48%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-29.59%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-2.80%

-2.88%

+0.08%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-7.92%

-5.84%

-2.08%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.81%

2.58%

+0.23%

Volatility

IHE vs. FTXH - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) has a higher volatility of 5.53% compared to First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH) at 4.83%. This indicates that IHE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTXH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

IHEFTXHDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

5.53%

4.83%

+0.70%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

12.48%

11.73%

+0.75%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

17.07%

16.98%

+0.09%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

16.24%

16.31%

-0.07%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

18.05%

18.41%

-0.36%

IHE vs. FTXH - Expense Ratio Comparison

IHE has a 0.42% expense ratio, which is lower than FTXH's 0.60% expense ratio.

Dividends

IHE vs. FTXH - Dividend Comparison

IHE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.65%, more than FTXH's 1.22% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
FTXH
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF		1.22%1.41%1.66%1.55%1.11%1.03%0.82%0.67%0.91%2.18%0.19%0.00%
IHE
iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF		1.65%1.76%1.73%1.39%2.01%1.49%1.19%1.40%1.25%1.36%0.92%1.93%

Frequently Asked Questions

IHE and FTXH have a correlation of 0.88, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

IHE has higher volatility (5.53%) compared to FTXH (4.83%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IHE dropped -38.20% vs FTXH's -32.11%.

On 5-year performance, IHE leads with 9.98% vs 7.80% for FTXH. On fees, IHE is cheaper at 0.42% per year. On volatility, FTXH has been the lower-risk option at 4.83%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 5-year period, IHE has performed better with a 9.98% return vs 7.80%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

IHE is cheaper with a 0.42% expense ratio, compared with 0.60% for FTXH.

IHE has the higher dividend yield at 1.65%, compared with 1.22% for FTXH.

IHE tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Pharmaceuticals Index, while FTXH tracks Nasdaq U.S. Smart Pharmaceuticals Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.42% for IHE and 0.60% for FTXH.

IHE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.36 vs 2.14), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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