Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EWJ vs XLV: how they differ
EWJ and XLV hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and EWJ returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI Japan ETF and State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and XLV hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EWJ | Only in XLV |
|---|---|
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 4.70% | ELI LILLY + CO 14.87% |
| TOYOTA MOTOR 3.41% | JOHNSON + JOHNSON 10.73% |
| SOFTBANK GROUP 3.04% | ABBVIE INC 7.54% |
| SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP 3.01% | MERCK + CO. INC. 5.98% |
| ADVANTEST 2.98% | UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC 5.90% |
| TOKYO ELECTRON 2.82% | THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC 3.75% |
| HITACHI 2.75% | AMGEN INC 3.46% |
| KIOXIA HOLDINGS 2.68% | ABBOTT LABORATORIES 3.01% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026.
| EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF | XLV State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | MSCI Japan | Health care |
| Total return, 1 year | +26.5% | +20.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +9.0 pts | +2.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 171 | 63 |
EWJ in plain words
EWJ is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +26.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 171 positions, with the top ten at 30.4%.
XLV in plain words
XLV is an index equity fund tracking the Health care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +20.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 63 positions, with the top ten at 60.9%. It sat 5.9% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or XLV?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +26.5% and XLV returned +20.4%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or XLV?
- EWJ charges 0.49% a year and XLV charges 0.08%, so XLV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EWJ and XLV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EWJ and 100% of XLV by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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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, EWJ against XLV, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-xlv Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources