Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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GOVT vs VHT: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to VHT's +25.0%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.

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Net assets: $42.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF, and $19.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Health Care ETF.

At a glance
−1.5%
GOVT total return, 1 year
+25.0%
VHT total return, 1 year
0.05%
GOVT expense ratio
0.09%
VHT expense ratio

Pair scorecard

GOVT costs 0.04 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 26.5 points; GOVT is 2.2 times larger.

GOVT vs VHT: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureGOVTVHT
Return
Total return, 1 year−1.5%+25.0%
Drawdown
Below its high8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020
Benchmark
What it tracksICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond IndexMSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Health Care 25/50
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.05%0.09%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026$41.4bn$19.1bn
Holdings
Holdings in common0%
In the S&P 500, by weight86%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund51.8%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

0%

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and VHT hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first GOVT VHT
Only in one fund ↓
Only in GOVT
TREASURY NOTE 5.17%
TREASURY NOTE 2.98%
TREASURY NOTE 2.12%
TREASURY NOTE 1.95%
TREASURY NOTE 1.65%
TREASURY BOND 1.51%
TREASURY BOND 1.46%
TREASURY BOND 1.42%
Only in VHT
Eli Lilly & Co 12.95%
Johnson & Johnson 8.79%
AbbVie Inc 6.46%
Merck & Co Inc 5.02%
UnitedHealth Group Inc 4.66%
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 3.51%
Amgen Inc 3.18%
Gilead Sciences Inc 2.59%
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Side by side

GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF VHT Vanguard Health Care ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Stock ETF
What it is Tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond Tracks an index of Health Care
Total return, 1 year −1.5% +25.0%
Its benchmark over the same days not measured +25.4% (FHLC)
Gap to its benchmark not measured −0.4 pts vs FHLC
Expense ratio 0.05% 0.09%
Holdings 229 414
Net assets, GOVT as of Oct 27, 2026 and VHT as of Sep 30, 2026 $42.8bn $19.1bn

GOVT and VHT on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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About each fund
GOVT

GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Oct 28, 2026.

VHT

VHT tracks an index of Health Care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.0% with distributions reinvested, against +25.4% for its benchmark, the MSCI US Investable Market Index (IMI)/Health Care 25/50. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 414 positions, with the top ten at 51.8%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or VHT?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and VHT +25.0%.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or VHT?
GOVT is cheaper, by 0.04 percentage points a year. That is about $4 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, GOVT against VHT, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-vht

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