VGHAX vs. SHSSX
Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares (VGHAX) and Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional (SHSSX).
VGHAX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Nov 12, 2001. SHSSX is a passively managed fund by BlackRock that tracks the performance of the Russell 3000 HealthCare Index. It was launched on Oct 16, 2000.
Performance
VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Performance Comparison
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VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGHAX Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares | -3.02% | 19.72% | 9.10% | 5.51% | -1.00% | 12.82% | 12.62% | 22.99% | 1.07% | 19.64% |
SHSSX Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional | -4.56% | 16.13% | 4.00% | 3.86% | -5.72% | 12.17% | 19.54% | 25.63% | 8.24% | 25.02% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, VGHAX achieves a -3.02% return, which is significantly higher than SHSSX's -4.56% return. Over the past 10 years, VGHAX has underperformed SHSSX with an annualized return of 9.49%, while SHSSX has yielded a comparatively higher 10.24% annualized return.
VGHAX
- 1D
- 3.05%
- 1M
- -4.71%
- YTD
- -3.02%
- 6M
- 6.85%
- 1Y
- 14.74%
- 3Y*
- 10.37%
- 5Y*
- 8.69%
- 10Y*
- 9.49%
SHSSX
- 1D
- 2.49%
- 1M
- -6.00%
- YTD
- -4.56%
- 6M
- 4.46%
- 1Y
- 8.75%
- 3Y*
- 7.04%
- 5Y*
- 4.75%
- 10Y*
- 10.24%
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VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Expense Ratio Comparison
VGHAX has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than SHSSX's 0.84% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
VGHAX vs. SHSSX — Risk / Return Rank
VGHAX
SHSSX
VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares (VGHAX) and Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional (SHSSX). 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.
| VGHAX | SHSSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.75 | 0.42 | +0.33 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.13 | 0.70 | +0.44 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.14 | 1.09 | +0.06 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.36 | 0.75 | +0.62 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.42 | 1.75 | +1.66 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| VGHAX | SHSSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.75 | 0.42 | +0.33 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.48 | 0.34 | +0.15 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.54 | 0.62 | -0.08 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.60 | 0.69 | -0.09 |
Correlation
The correlation between VGHAX and SHSSX is 0.92, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Dividend Comparison
VGHAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.88%, less than SHSSX's 10.38% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VGHAX Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares | 6.88% | 6.07% | 22.84% | 7.22% | 5.49% | 7.05% | 8.02% | 11.87% | 9.15% | 7.36% | 8.60% | 8.21% |
SHSSX Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional | 10.38% | 9.90% | 8.68% | 3.82% | 7.20% | 8.96% | 4.18% | 3.87% | 8.44% | 3.59% | 2.33% | 12.29% |
Drawdowns
VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum VGHAX drawdown since its inception was -36.85%, roughly equal to the maximum SHSSX drawdown of -35.40%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VGHAX and SHSSX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| VGHAX | SHSSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -36.85% | -35.40% | -1.45% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.19% | -9.83% | +0.64% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -16.92% | -17.90% | +0.98% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -27.17% | -28.34% | +1.17% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.01% | -7.31% | +1.30% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.61% | -5.98% | +0.37% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.67% | 4.20% | -0.53% |
Volatility
VGHAX vs. SHSSX - Volatility Comparison
Vanguard Health Care Fund Admiral Shares (VGHAX) has a higher volatility of 5.81% compared to Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional (SHSSX) at 5.42%. This indicates that VGHAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHSSX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| VGHAX | SHSSX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 5.81% | 5.42% | +0.39% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 10.63% | 10.02% | +0.61% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 17.66% | 16.47% | +1.19% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 18.01% | 14.23% | +3.78% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 17.58% | 16.54% | +1.04% |