Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs VHT: how they differ
GLD is a commodity fund and VHT an equity index fund, and over the year VHT returned more, +21.6% against +19.1%.
SPDR Gold Shares and Vanguard Health Care Index Fund.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | VHT Vanguard Health Care Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | Vanguard |
| What it is | Gold | Health Care |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +21.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +4.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.09% |
| Holdings | not filed | 401 |
GLD in plain words
GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
VHT in plain words
VHT is an index equity fund tracking the Health Care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +21.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 401 positions, with the top ten at 52.0%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GLD or VHT?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and VHT returned +21.6%, so VHT returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GLD or VHT?
- GLD charges 0.40% a year and VHT charges 0.09%, so VHT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against VHT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-VHT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources