PHAU.AS vs. XLV

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

PHAU.AS (WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC) and XLV (State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - PHAU.AS is a Gold fund tracking the LBMA Gold Price PM, while XLV is a Health & Biotech Equities fund tracking the Health Care Select Sector Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, PHAU.AS returned 12.91%/yr vs 9.23%/yr for XLV. At a 0.04 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. PHAU.AS charges 0.39%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for XLV.

Performance

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a €10,000 investment in WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC (PHAU.AS) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

PHAU.AS is traded in EUR, while XLV is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the XLV values have been converted to EUR using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PHAU.AS achieves a 4.61% return, which is significantly higher than XLV's -0.23% return. Over the past 10 years, PHAU.AS has outperformed XLV with an annualized return of 12.91%, while XLV has yielded a comparatively lower 9.23% annualized return.

PHAU.AS

• 1D: 0.56%
• 1M: -1.68%
• YTD: 4.61%
• 6M: 6.21%
• 1Y: 29.74%
• 3Y*: 27.67%
• 5Y*: 19.40%
• 10Y*: 12.91%

XLV

• 1D: 2.93%
• 1M: 5.36%
• YTD: -0.23%
• 6M: -0.09%
• 1Y: 14.18%
• 3Y*: 4.08%
• 5Y*: 7.17%
• 10Y*: 9.23%

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

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PHAU.AS WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC	4.61%	45.53%	34.03%	9.32%	5.55%	3.63%	13.51%	20.41%	2.85%	-1.37%
XLV State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF	-0.23%	0.92%	9.24%	-0.99%	3.99%	35.46%	3.96%	23.17%	11.27%	6.81%

Correlation

The correlation between PHAU.AS and XLV is 0.12, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.12
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.09
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.04
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.04
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 28, 2007	0.04

Return for Risk

PHAU.AS vs. XLV — Risk / Return Rank

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

PHAU.AS

PHAU.AS Risk / Return Rank: 35
PHAU.AS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 36
PHAU.AS Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
PHAU.AS Omega Ratio Rank: 40
PHAU.AS Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
PHAU.AS Martin Ratio Rank: 31

XLV

XLV Risk / Return Rank: 31
XLV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 31
XLV Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
XLV Omega Ratio Rank: 29
XLV Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
XLV Martin Ratio Rank: 27

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.

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC (PHAU.AS) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV). 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.

	PHAU.AS	XLV	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.27	0.95	+0.32
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	1.49	+0.22
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.17	+0.08
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.75	1.31	+0.44
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.43	3.26	+1.17
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PHAU.AS Sharpe Ratio is 1.27, which is higher than the XLV Sharpe Ratio of 0.95. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PHAU.AS and XLV, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PHAU.AS	XLV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.27	0.95	+0.32
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.19	0.48	+0.72
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.89	0.53	+0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.66	0.60	+0.06

Drawdowns

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PHAU.AS drawdown since its inception was -37.19%, which is greater than XLV's maximum drawdown of -31.02%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PHAU.AS and XLV.

Drawdown Indicators

	PHAU.AS	XLV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.19%	-31.02%	-6.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.74%	-10.87%	-5.87%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-16.74%	-22.26%	+5.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.74%	-22.26%	+5.52%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-18.59%	-27.38%	+8.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-15.26%	-6.79%	-8.47%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.23%	-6.48%	-5.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.66%	4.36%	+2.30%

Volatility

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Volatility Comparison

WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC (PHAU.AS) and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLV) have volatilities of 5.17% and 5.36%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PHAU.AS	XLV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.17%	5.36%	-0.19%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.12%	10.94%	+9.18%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.04%	15.00%	+8.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.99%	15.11%	+0.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.29%	17.33%	-3.04%

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Expense Ratio Comparison

PHAU.AS has a 0.39% expense ratio, which is higher than XLV's 0.08% expense ratio.

Dividends

PHAU.AS vs. XLV - Dividend Comparison

PHAU.AS has not paid dividends to shareholders, while XLV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.65%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PHAU.AS WisdomTree Physical Gold UCITS ETC	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XLV State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF	1.65%	1.60%	1.67%	1.59%	1.47%	1.33%	1.49%	2.17%	1.57%	1.47%	1.60%	1.43%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PHAU.AS and XLV in my portfolio?

PHAU.AS and XLV have a correlation of 0.12, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, PHAU.AS or XLV?

On fees, XLV is cheaper at 0.08% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, PHAU.AS or XLV?

XLV is cheaper with a 0.08% expense ratio, compared with 0.39% for PHAU.AS.

What is the main difference between PHAU.AS and XLV?

PHAU.AS is categorized as Gold, while XLV is Health & Biotech Equities. PHAU.AS tracks LBMA Gold Price PM, while XLV tracks Health Care Select Sector Index. They also come from different issuers: WisdomTree and State Street. Their fees differ too: 0.39% for PHAU.AS and 0.08% for XLV.