XHS vs. EKG

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF (XHS) and First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF (EKG).

XHS and EKG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XHS is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Health Care Services Select Industry Index. It was launched on Sep 28, 2011. EKG is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ Lux Health Tech Index. It was launched on Mar 22, 2022. Both XHS and EKG 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

XHS vs. EKG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF (XHS) and First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF (EKG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XHS vs. EKG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
XHS SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF	-6.26%	18.83%	1.76%	5.15%	-13.59%
EKG First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF	-14.59%	11.89%	6.53%	-0.11%	-19.59%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XHS achieves a -6.26% return, which is significantly higher than EKG's -14.59% return.

XHS

• 1D: 1.87%
• 1M: -7.51%
• YTD: -6.26%
• 6M: -1.26%
• 1Y: 2.34%
• 3Y*: 5.33%
• 5Y*: -1.07%
• 10Y*: 6.53%

EKG

• 1D: 2.98%
• 1M: -9.70%
• YTD: -14.59%
• 6M: -6.74%
• 1Y: 3.73%
• 3Y*: -1.76%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

XHS vs. EKG - Expense Ratio Comparison

XHS has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than EKG's 0.65% expense ratio.

EKG

First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF

XHS

SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF

Return for Risk

XHS vs. EKG — Risk / Return Rank

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

XHS

XHS Risk / Return Rank: 16
XHS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 15
XHS Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
XHS Omega Ratio Rank: 15
XHS Calmar Ratio Rank: 17
XHS Martin Ratio Rank: 18

EKG

EKG Risk / Return Rank: 16
EKG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 16
EKG Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
EKG Omega Ratio Rank: 16
EKG Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
EKG Martin Ratio Rank: 16

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.

XHS vs. EKG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF (XHS) and First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF (EKG). 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.

	XHS	EKG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.12	0.15	-0.03
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.30	0.40	-0.09
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	1.05	-0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.25	0.16	+0.09
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.68	0.54	+0.14
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XHS vs. EKG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XHS Sharpe Ratio is 0.12, which is comparable to the EKG Sharpe Ratio of 0.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XHS and EKG, 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

	XHS	EKG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.12	0.15	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.05	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.52	-0.18	+0.71

Correlation

The correlation between XHS and EKG is 0.72, 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

XHS vs. EKG - Dividend Comparison

XHS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.29%, while EKG has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XHS SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF	0.29%	0.27%	0.38%	0.23%	0.19%	0.20%	0.23%	2.37%	0.34%	0.22%	0.28%	0.93%
EKG First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions 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%

Drawdowns

XHS vs. EKG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XHS drawdown since its inception was -39.32%, smaller than the maximum EKG drawdown of -43.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XHS and EKG.

Drawdown Indicators

	XHS	EKG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.32%	-43.82%	+4.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.61%	-21.99%	+9.38%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.62%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.32%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-12.33%	-24.74%	+12.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.27%	-22.65%	+12.38%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.53%	6.43%	-1.90%

Volatility

XHS vs. EKG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF (XHS) is 4.98%, while First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF (EKG) has a volatility of 7.93%. This indicates that XHS experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than EKG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XHS	EKG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.98%	7.93%	-2.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.45%	14.45%	-2.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.25%	24.70%	-5.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.05%	27.08%	-6.03%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.41%	27.08%	-4.67%