VHT vs. FHLC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF (FHLC).

VHT and FHLC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VHT is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Health Care 25/50 Index. It was launched on Jan 26, 2004. FHLC is a passively managed fund by Fidelity that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA IMI Health Care Index. It was launched on Oct 21, 2013. Both VHT and FHLC 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

VHT vs. FHLC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF (FHLC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VHT vs. FHLC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VHT Vanguard Health Care ETF	-5.04%	15.46%	2.66%	2.52%	-5.60%	20.57%	18.29%	21.87%	5.58%	23.26%
FHLC Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF	-4.97%	15.42%	2.48%	2.58%	-5.55%	20.39%	18.13%	21.94%	4.71%	23.34%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with VHT having a -5.04% return and FHLC slightly higher at -4.97%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with VHT having a 9.72% annualized return and FHLC not far behind at 9.60%.

VHT

• 1D: 2.24%
• 1M: -7.50%
• YTD: -5.04%
• 6M: 5.91%
• 1Y: 4.70%
• 3Y*: 6.16%
• 5Y*: 5.09%
• 10Y*: 9.72%

FHLC

• 1D: 2.28%
• 1M: -7.46%
• YTD: -4.97%
• 6M: 5.95%
• 1Y: 4.53%
• 3Y*: 6.14%
• 5Y*: 5.07%
• 10Y*: 9.60%

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

VHT vs. FHLC - Expense Ratio Comparison

VHT has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is higher than FHLC's 0.08% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

VHT

Vanguard Health Care ETF

FHLC

Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF

Return for Risk

VHT vs. FHLC — Risk / Return Rank

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

VHT

VHT Risk / Return Rank: 21
VHT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
VHT Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
VHT Omega Ratio Rank: 19
VHT Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
VHT Martin Ratio Rank: 21

FHLC

FHLC Risk / Return Rank: 21
FHLC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
FHLC Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
FHLC Omega Ratio Rank: 19
FHLC Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
FHLC Martin Ratio Rank: 21

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.

VHT vs. FHLC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF (FHLC). 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.

	VHT	FHLC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.27	0.26	+0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.49	0.48	+0.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.06	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.51	0.51	0.00
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.09	1.08	+0.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VHT vs. FHLC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VHT Sharpe Ratio is 0.27, which is comparable to the FHLC Sharpe Ratio of 0.26. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VHT and FHLC, 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

	VHT	FHLC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.27	0.26	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34	0.34	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	0.57	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.61	-0.05

Correlation

The correlation between VHT and FHLC is 0.99, 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

VHT vs. FHLC - Dividend Comparison

VHT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.73%, more than FHLC's 1.44% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VHT Vanguard Health Care ETF	1.73%	1.61%	1.53%	1.36%	1.33%	1.14%	1.21%	1.89%	1.38%	1.31%	1.45%	1.22%
FHLC Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF	1.44%	1.40%	1.51%	1.40%	1.30%	1.16%	1.45%	1.18%	1.38%	1.38%	1.40%	2.07%

Drawdowns

VHT vs. FHLC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VHT drawdown since its inception was -39.12%, which is greater than FHLC's maximum drawdown of -28.76%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VHT and FHLC.

Drawdown Indicators

	VHT	FHLC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.12%	-28.76%	-10.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.40%	-10.38%	-0.02%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.71%	-17.73%	+0.02%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-28.85%	-28.76%	-0.09%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.05%	-7.99%	-0.06%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.98%	-5.16%	-0.82%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.96%	5.04%	-0.08%

Volatility

VHT vs. FHLC - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF (FHLC) have volatilities of 5.10% and 5.14%, 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

	VHT	FHLC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.10%	5.14%	-0.04%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.28%	10.26%	+0.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.61%	17.61%	0.00%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.85%	14.85%	0.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.94%	16.82%	+0.12%