XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

XDWH.L (Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF 1C) and HEAL.L (iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF USD (Acc)) are both Health & Biotech Equities funds tracking the MSCI World/Health Care NR USD, from Xtrackers and iShares respectively. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XDWH.L returned 4.54%/yr vs -1.96%/yr for HEAL.L. A 0.76 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XDWH.L charges 0.25%/yr vs 0.40%/yr for HEAL.L.

Performance

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF 1C (XDWH.L) and iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (HEAL.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XDWH.L achieves a -2.74% return, which is significantly lower than HEAL.L's 0.64% return.

XDWH.L

• 1D: 2.99%
• 1M: 3.25%
• YTD: -2.74%
• 6M: -1.64%
• 1Y: 11.56%
• 3Y*: 5.50%
• 5Y*: 4.54%
• 10Y*: 7.85%

HEAL.L

• 1D: 3.48%
• 1M: 4.82%
• YTD: 0.64%
• 6M: -0.41%
• 1Y: 20.32%
• 3Y*: 6.08%
• 5Y*: -1.96%
• 10Y*: —

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

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XDWH.L Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF 1C	-2.74%	15.25%	0.75%	3.81%	-5.42%	20.56%	12.88%	22.95%	1.57%	20.16%
HEAL.L iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF USD (Acc)	0.64%	18.42%	0.96%	3.11%	-24.00%	-6.52%	54.05%	12.43%	-3.45%	35.92%

Correlation

The correlation between XDWH.L and HEAL.L is 0.79, 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	0.79
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.75
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.76
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 13, 2016	0.76

The correlation between XDWH.L and HEAL.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.75 to 0.79 - a consistent structural relationship.

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	XDWH.L	HEAL.L
Healthcare	98.9%	98.0%
Consumer Defensive	0.5%	0.1%
Basic Materials	-	0.4%
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Energy	-	-
Financial Services	-	0.2%
Industrials	-	0.5%
Real Estate	-	-
Technology	-	1.2%
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

XDWH.L

XDWH.L Risk / Return Rank: 24
XDWH.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
XDWH.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 24
XDWH.L Omega Ratio Rank: 23
XDWH.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 24
XDWH.L Martin Ratio Rank: 23

HEAL.L

HEAL.L Risk / Return Rank: 32
HEAL.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 33
HEAL.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
HEAL.L Omega Ratio Rank: 31
HEAL.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
HEAL.L Martin Ratio Rank: 28

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.

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF 1C (XDWH.L) and iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (HEAL.L). 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.

	XDWH.L	HEAL.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.79	1.16	-0.37
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.29	1.80	-0.51
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.20	-0.06
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.11	1.61	-0.50
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	2.80	3.96	-1.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XDWH.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.79, which is lower than the HEAL.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.16. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XDWH.L and HEAL.L, 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

	XDWH.L	HEAL.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.79	1.16	-0.37
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32	-0.10	+0.42
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.57	0.33	+0.24

Drawdowns

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XDWH.L drawdown since its inception was -26.24%, smaller than the maximum HEAL.L drawdown of -46.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XDWH.L and HEAL.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	XDWH.L	HEAL.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-26.24%	-46.43%	+20.19%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.39%	-12.59%	+2.20%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-19.28%	-21.46%	+2.18%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.28%	-43.70%	+24.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-26.24%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.82%	-20.00%	+14.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.98%	-18.60%	+13.62%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.12%	5.12%	-1.00%

Volatility

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Xtrackers MSCI World Health Care UCITS ETF 1C (XDWH.L) is 4.80%, while iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF USD (Acc) (HEAL.L) has a volatility of 5.13%. This indicates that XDWH.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HEAL.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XDWH.L	HEAL.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.80%	5.13%	-0.33%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.77%	13.28%	-2.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.57%	17.48%	-2.91%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.18%	19.87%	-5.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.97%	19.91%	-4.94%

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

XDWH.L has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than HEAL.L's 0.40% expense ratio.

Dividends

XDWH.L vs. HEAL.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither XDWH.L nor HEAL.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both XDWH.L and HEAL.L in my portfolio?

XDWH.L and HEAL.L have a correlation of 0.79, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, XDWH.L or HEAL.L?

On fees, XDWH.L is cheaper at 0.25% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, XDWH.L or HEAL.L?

XDWH.L is cheaper with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with 0.40% for HEAL.L.

What is the main difference between XDWH.L and HEAL.L?

Both ETFs track MSCI World/Health Care NR USD. They also come from different issuers: Xtrackers and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.25% for XDWH.L and 0.40% for HEAL.L.