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Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

TLT vs VHT: how they differ

TLT is a bond index fund and VHT an equity index fund, and over the year VHT returned more, +21.6% against −6.4%.

iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF and Vanguard Health Care Index Fund.

TLT and VHT on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
TLT
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF
VHT
Vanguard Health Care Index Fund
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssueriSharesVanguard
What it is20+ year TreasuriesHealth Care
Total return, 1 year−6.4%+21.6%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500−23.9 pts+4.1 pts
Expense ratio0.15%0.09%
Holdingsnot filed401

TLT in plain words

TLT is a bond fund tracking the 20+ year Treasuries. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −6.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. It sat 42.9% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 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, TLT or VHT?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, TLT returned −6.4% and VHT returned +21.6%, so VHT returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, TLT or VHT?
TLT charges 0.15% a year and VHT charges 0.09%, so VHT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

TLT against VHT, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, TLT against VHT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/TLT-VHT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources