XLV vs VHT: Returns, Drawdowns and Dividends Since 2016
XLV (State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF) and VHT (Vanguard Health Care ETF) moved almost in lockstep: their daily returns had a correlation of 0.988, where 1 would mean identical. XLV came out ahead, returning 11.4% a year with dividends reinvested from January 2016 to November 2026, against 11.2% for VHT.
Bought on any day and held five years, XLV finished ahead 82% of the time. Both fell about 29% at their worst, in March 2020.
| Measure | XLV | VHT |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return | 11.4% | 11.2% |
| $10,000 grew to | $32,065 | $31,562 |
| Worst decline | −28.4%Mar 2020 | −28.9%Mar 2020 |
| Volatility Volatility How much the fund's daily returns swing: their standard deviation over this period, annualized with the square root of 252 trading days. | 16.7% | 17.0% |
| Sharpe ratio Sharpe ratio Return above T-bills for each unit of risk: daily returns minus the T-bill ETF BIL, averaged, divided by their standard deviation and annualized. Higher is better. T-bill funds show none. Sharpe ratio calculator | 0.60 | 0.58 |
| 12-month yield 12-month yield Cash dividends with ex-dividend dates in the past 12 months, divided by the latest closing price. | 1.3% | 1.3% |
| Best year | +26.0%2021 | +23.3%2017 |
| Worst year | −2.1%2022 | −5.6%2022 |
| Correlation between them Correlation How closely the two funds' daily returns moved together over this period: 1 means identical every day, 0 means no relation. | 0.988 | |
XLV: State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETFVHT: Vanguard Health Care ETF
Jan 4, 2016 to Nov 4, 2026, dividends reinvested.
Hover or use the arrow keys to read any day.Tap or drag across the chart to read any day.
Worst declines
XLV fell 28.4% from Jan 22, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020 and was back at its high on Jul 15, 2020. VHT fell 28.9% from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020 and was back at its high on Jun 8, 2020.
Hover or use the arrow keys to read any day.Tap or drag across the chart to read any day.
Year by year
XLV was ahead in 5 of the 11 calendar years.
| Year | XLV | VHT | Ahead (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Nov 4) | +24.0% | +23.3% | XLV+0.8 |
| 2025 | +14.5% | +15.5% | VHT+1.0 |
| 2024 | +2.5% | +2.7% | VHT+0.2 |
| 2023 | +2.1% | +2.5% | VHT+0.4 |
| 2022 | −2.1% | −5.6% | XLV+3.5 |
| 2021 | +26.0% | +20.6% | XLV+5.5 |
| 2020 | +13.3% | +18.3% | VHT+4.9 |
| 2019 | +20.4% | +21.9% | VHT+1.4 |
| 2018 | +6.3% | +5.6% | XLV+0.7 |
| 2017 | +21.8% | +23.3% | VHT+1.5 |
| 2016 (from Jan 4) | −1.0% | −1.3% | XLV+0.3 |
Held for 1, 3 or 5 years: which came out ahead
Buy on any trading day from Jan 4, 2016, hold for a set time, and see which fund ended higher. The periods overlap, so they show how much the start date mattered, not separate results.
| Hold | Days tested | Ahead more often | Median lead (pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 2,474 | VHT60% | +0.5 |
| 3 years | 1,970 | VHT52% | +0.4 |
| 5 years | 1,466 | XLV82% | +5.8 |
Median lead is the typical gap in total return across all start dates, in percentage points. The latest 5-year hold starts on Oct 27, 2021.
Dividends
Over the past 12 months XLV paid 1.3% of its price in dividends and VHT 1.3%. The returns above already include them, reinvested on each ex-dividend date.
Dividends per share by year
| Year | XLV | VHT |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Nov 4) | $1.89 3 payments | $2.95 3 payments |
| 2025 | $2.48 4 payments | $4.64 4 payments |
| 2024 | $2.29 4 payments | $3.87 4 payments |
| 2023 | $2.17 4 payments | $3.41 4 payments |
| 2022 | $1.99 4 payments | $3.30 4 payments |
| 2021 | $1.87 4 payments | $3.04 4 payments |
| 2020 | $1.69 4 payments | $2.71 4 payments |
| 2019 | $2.21 5 payments | $3.62 4 payments |
| 2018 | $1.36 4 payments | $2.22 4 payments |
| 2017 | $1.22 4 payments | $2.02 4 payments |
| 2016 (from Jan 4) | $1.11 4 payments | $1.84 4 payments |
Per share in today's shares (earlier amounts are restated for share splits), by ex-dividend date.
The two funds
- XLV
- State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, an ETF launched Dec 22, 1998. FinLab prices start Jan 4, 2016.
- XLV price and signal backtests
- VHT
- Vanguard Health Care ETF, an ETF launched Jan 30, 2004. FinLab prices start Jan 4, 2016.
More comparisons
Source: FinLab U.S. fund prices, Jan 4, 2016 to Nov 4, 2026, the days both funds traded. Returns use prices adjusted for dividends and splits, before taxes; annual return is compounded.
For research and education. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and this is not investment advice.