WHEA.AS vs. PPH

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

WHEA.AS (SPDR MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF) and PPH (VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF) are both Health & Biotech Equities funds - WHEA.AS tracks the MSCI World/Health Care NR USD while PPH tracks the MVIS US Listed Pharmaceutical 25 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, WHEA.AS returned 7.60%/yr vs 7.54%/yr for PPH. A 0.60 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. WHEA.AS charges 0.30%/yr vs 0.36%/yr for PPH.

Performance

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a €10,000 investment in SPDR MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF (WHEA.AS) and VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, WHEA.AS achieves a -1.97% return, which is significantly lower than PPH's 3.80% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with WHEA.AS having a 7.60% annualized return and PPH not far behind at 7.54%.

WHEA.AS

• 1D: 2.78%
• 1M: 3.81%
• YTD: -1.97%
• 6M: -1.50%
• 1Y: 9.57%
• 3Y*: 2.59%
• 5Y*: 5.42%
• 10Y*: 7.60%

PPH

• 1D: 3.27%
• 1M: 3.04%
• YTD: 3.80%
• 6M: 6.64%
• 1Y: 19.39%
• 3Y*: 10.18%
• 5Y*: 10.98%
• 10Y*: 7.54%

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

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
WHEA.AS SPDR MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF	-1.97%	2.03%	7.60%	0.67%	-0.70%	30.65%	3.27%	25.71%	6.68%	5.47%
PPH VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF	3.80%	7.52%	15.18%	3.74%	9.00%	26.61%	-3.21%	22.09%	-1.47%	1.07%

Correlation

The correlation between WHEA.AS and PPH is 0.74, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.74
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.62
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.60
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 25, 2009	0.60

The correlation between WHEA.AS and PPH shifts across timeframes, from 0.59 (5 years) to 0.74 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

WHEA.AS vs. PPH — Risk / Return Rank

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

WHEA.AS

WHEA.AS Risk / Return Rank: 21
WHEA.AS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
WHEA.AS Sortino Ratio Rank: 22
WHEA.AS Omega Ratio Rank: 20
WHEA.AS Calmar Ratio Rank: 21
WHEA.AS Martin Ratio Rank: 20

PPH

PPH Risk / Return Rank: 36
PPH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
PPH Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
PPH Omega Ratio Rank: 35
PPH Calmar Ratio Rank: 41
PPH Martin Ratio Rank: 32

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.

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF (WHEA.AS) and VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH). 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.

	WHEA.AS	PPH	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.69	1.14	-0.45
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.13	1.81	-0.67
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.21	-0.08
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.92	1.94	-1.03
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.24	4.48	-2.24
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current WHEA.AS Sharpe Ratio is 0.69, which is lower than the PPH Sharpe Ratio of 1.14. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of WHEA.AS and PPH, 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

	WHEA.AS	PPH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.69	1.14	-0.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.40	0.73	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	0.43	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.68	0.52	+0.16

Drawdowns

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum WHEA.AS drawdown since its inception was -25.77%, smaller than the maximum PPH drawdown of -31.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for WHEA.AS and PPH.

Drawdown Indicators

	WHEA.AS	PPH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.77%	-31.54%	+5.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.31%	-10.02%	-0.29%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.20%	-20.54%	-0.66%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.20%	-20.54%	-0.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-25.77%	-28.74%	+2.97%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.58%	-3.51%	-5.07%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.79%	-9.92%	+4.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.24%	4.33%	-0.09%

Volatility

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF (WHEA.AS) is 4.99%, while VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH) has a volatility of 6.05%. This indicates that WHEA.AS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PPH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	WHEA.AS	PPH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.99%	6.05%	-1.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.73%	11.95%	-2.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.73%	17.07%	-3.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.39%	15.19%	-1.80%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.53%	17.45%	-2.92%

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Expense Ratio Comparison

WHEA.AS has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than PPH's 0.36% expense ratio.

Dividends

WHEA.AS vs. PPH - Dividend Comparison

WHEA.AS has not paid dividends to shareholders, while PPH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.05%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PPH VanEck Vectors Pharmaceutical ETF	2.05%	1.78%	1.98%	2.09%	1.55%	1.62%	1.66%	1.77%	1.97%	1.92%	2.43%	1.93%
WHEA.AS SPDR MSCI World 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%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both WHEA.AS and PPH in my portfolio?

WHEA.AS and PPH have a correlation of 0.74, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, WHEA.AS or PPH?

On fees, WHEA.AS is cheaper at 0.30% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, WHEA.AS or PPH?

WHEA.AS is cheaper with a 0.30% expense ratio, compared with 0.36% for PPH.

What is the main difference between WHEA.AS and PPH?

WHEA.AS tracks MSCI World/Health Care NR USD, while PPH tracks MVIS US Listed Pharmaceutical 25 Index. They also come from different issuers: State Street and VanEck. Their fees differ too: 0.30% for WHEA.AS and 0.36% for PPH.