Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
HDV vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, HDV returned +29.4% to XLV's +25.6%; 13% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $15.9bn for iShares Core High Dividend ETF and $47.0bn for State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
Both cost 0.08% a year; their one-year returns differ by 3.8 points; XLV is 3.0 times larger.
| Measure | HDV | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +29.4% | +25.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index | Health Care Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.08% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $15.9bn | $47.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 13% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 55.6% | 60.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 8, 2011 to Oct 23, 2026 · 811 weekly returnsXLV returned more: +598.6% to +414.1%. HDV swung less: 13.9% to 15.9%. XLV fell less at its worst: −24.3% to −33.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | HDV | XLV | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +414.1% | +598.6% | XLV | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +11.1% | +13.3% | XLV | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +197.8% | +438.1% | XLV | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 13.9% | 15.9% | HDV | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 9.8% | 10.9% | HDV (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −33.4% | −24.3% | XLV | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.71 | 0.76 | XLV (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 1.00 | 1.11 | XLV (slight) | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.33 | 0.55 | XLV | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 811 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, HDV and XLV hold 13% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
13% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
HDV and XLV on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
HDV and XLV do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. HDV follows Morningstar Dividend Yield Focus Index and XLV follows Health Care Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 13% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 HDV returned +29.4% and XLV +25.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 3.8 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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HDV
HDV tracks an index of High Dividend. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +29.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 90% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 77 positions, with the top ten at 55.6%.
XLV
XLV tracks an index of Health care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.6% with distributions reinvested. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 62 positions, with the top ten at 60.6%.
Questions people ask
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, HDV against XLV, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hdv-vs-xlv
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). HDV against XLV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hdv-vs-xlv
[HDV against XLV (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/hdv-vs-xlv)
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