VHT vs. XHC.TO

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XHC.TO).

VHT and XHC.TO 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. XHC.TO is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar Gbl GR CAD. It was launched on Apr 12, 2011. Both VHT and XHC.TO 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. XHC.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XHC.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VHT vs. XHC.TO - 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%
XHC.TO iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	-5.36%	16.22%	-6.78%	4.47%	-10.02%	22.22%	10.89%	28.59%	-5.74%	24.90%

Different Trading Currencies

VHT is traded in USD, while XHC.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the XHC.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VHT achieves a -5.04% return, which is significantly higher than XHC.TO's -5.36% return. Over the past 10 years, VHT has outperformed XHC.TO with an annualized return of 9.72%, while XHC.TO has yielded a comparatively lower 6.90% annualized return.

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%

XHC.TO

• 1D: 2.10%
• 1M: -9.28%
• YTD: -5.36%
• 6M: 6.00%
• 1Y: 5.02%
• 3Y*: 2.83%
• 5Y*: 2.57%
• 10Y*: 6.90%

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

VHT vs. XHC.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

VHT has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is lower than XHC.TO's 0.66% expense ratio.

XHC.TO

iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)

VHT

Vanguard Health Care ETF

Return for Risk

VHT vs. XHC.TO — 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

XHC.TO

XHC.TO Risk / Return Rank: 14
XHC.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 14
XHC.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 14
XHC.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 14
XHC.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
XHC.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 15

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. XHC.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XHC.TO). 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	XHC.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.27	0.27	0.00
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.49	0.52	-0.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.06	1.07	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.51	0.41	+0.10
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.09	1.30	-0.21
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. XHC.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VHT Sharpe Ratio is 0.27, which is comparable to the XHC.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VHT and XHC.TO, 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	XHC.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.27	0.27	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34	0.15	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	0.37	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.42	+0.14

Correlation

The correlation between VHT and XHC.TO is 0.81, 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. XHC.TO - Dividend Comparison

VHT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.73%, less than XHC.TO's 1.95% 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%
XHC.TO iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)	1.95%	1.87%	4.42%	2.38%	0.84%	0.79%	0.96%	1.07%	1.68%	1.14%	1.63%	2.15%

Drawdowns

VHT vs. XHC.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VHT drawdown since its inception was -39.12%, which is greater than XHC.TO's maximum drawdown of -34.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VHT and XHC.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	VHT	XHC.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.12%	-27.28%	-11.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.40%	-9.85%	-0.55%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.71%	-18.81%	+1.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-28.85%	-27.28%	-1.57%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.05%	-8.30%	+0.25%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.98%	-4.80%	-1.18%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.96%	5.22%	-0.26%

Volatility

VHT vs. XHC.TO - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) and iShares Global Healthcare Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XHC.TO) have volatilities of 5.10% and 5.19%, 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	XHC.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.10%	5.19%	-0.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.28%	10.77%	-0.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.61%	18.77%	-1.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.85%	16.74%	-1.89%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.94%	18.83%	-1.89%