IXJ vs. HLTH.L

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ) and SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF (HLTH.L).

IXJ and HLTH.L are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IXJ is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Global Healthcare Sector Index. It was launched on Nov 13, 2001. HLTH.L is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the MSCI World/Health Care NR USD. It was launched on Dec 5, 2014. Both IXJ and HLTH.L are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ) and SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF (HLTH.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IXJ iShares Global Healthcare ETF	-3.96%	14.99%	0.55%	3.62%	-4.94%	19.60%	12.74%	23.23%	2.83%	20.44%
HLTH.L SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF	-2.51%	21.38%	-2.30%	11.01%	-9.56%	16.74%	6.93%	28.06%	-5.09%	18.04%

Different Trading Currencies

IXJ is traded in USD, while HLTH.L is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the HLTH.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IXJ achieves a -3.96% return, which is significantly lower than HLTH.L's -2.51% return. Over the past 10 years, IXJ has outperformed HLTH.L with an annualized return of 8.40%, while HLTH.L has yielded a comparatively lower 7.07% annualized return.

IXJ

• 1D: 1.96%
• 1M: -8.03%
• YTD: -3.96%
• 6M: 6.20%
• 1Y: 4.10%
• 3Y*: 5.42%
• 5Y*: 5.33%
• 10Y*: 8.40%

HLTH.L

• 1D: 1.25%
• 1M: -9.26%
• YTD: -2.51%
• 6M: 8.12%
• 1Y: 11.94%
• 3Y*: 6.79%
• 5Y*: 6.63%
• 10Y*: 7.07%

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

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

IXJ has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is higher than HLTH.L's 0.18% expense ratio.

IXJ

iShares Global Healthcare ETF

HLTH.L

SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF

Return for Risk

IXJ vs. HLTH.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

IXJ

IXJ Risk / Return Rank: 20
IXJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
IXJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
IXJ Omega Ratio Rank: 18
IXJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
IXJ Martin Ratio Rank: 20

HLTH.L

HLTH.L Risk / Return Rank: 18
HLTH.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 18
HLTH.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
HLTH.L Omega Ratio Rank: 18
HLTH.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
HLTH.L 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.

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ) and SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF (HLTH.L). 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.

	IXJ	HLTH.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.24	0.56	-0.33
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.45	0.88	-0.43
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.12	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.44	0.78	-0.34
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.04	2.36	-1.32
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IXJ Sharpe Ratio is 0.24, which is lower than the HLTH.L Sharpe Ratio of 0.56. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IXJ and HLTH.L, 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

	IXJ	HLTH.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.24	0.56	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	0.39	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.54	0.42	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.31	+0.11

Correlation

The correlation between IXJ and HLTH.L is 0.59, 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

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Dividend Comparison

IXJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.45%, while HLTH.L has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IXJ iShares Global Healthcare ETF	1.45%	1.40%	1.50%	1.38%	1.17%	1.12%	1.27%	1.42%	2.11%	1.46%	1.73%	2.85%
HLTH.L SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IXJ drawdown since its inception was -40.60%, which is greater than HLTH.L's maximum drawdown of -28.46%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IXJ and HLTH.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	IXJ	HLTH.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-40.60%	-26.57%	-14.03%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.35%	-14.86%	+4.51%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.14%	-26.57%	+8.43%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-27.35%	-26.57%	-0.78%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.03%	-10.52%	+2.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.92%	-9.36%	+2.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.41%	4.68%	-0.27%

Volatility

IXJ vs. HLTH.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Global Healthcare ETF (IXJ) is 5.06%, while SPDR® MSCI Europe Health Care UCITS ETF (HLTH.L) has a volatility of 5.75%. This indicates that IXJ experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HLTH.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IXJ	HLTH.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.06%	5.75%	-0.69%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.43%	11.36%	-0.93%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.31%	21.16%	-3.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.07%	17.16%	-3.09%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.66%	16.75%	-1.09%