Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IXJ vs XLV: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IXJ returned +20.8% to XLV's +25.6%; 73% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $4.5bn for iShares Global Healthcare ETF and $47.0bn for State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLV costs 0.30 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.8 points; XLV is 10.4 times larger.
| Measure | IXJ | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +20.8% | +25.6% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | S&P Global 1200 Health Care Index | Health Care Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.38% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $4.5bn | $47.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 73% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 47.5% | 60.6% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Dec 7, 2001 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,298 weekly returnsXLV returned more: +869.9% to +539.1%. IXJ and XLV swung about the same: 16.2% and 16.3%. XLV fell slightly less at its worst: −37.9% to −39.7%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IXJ | XLV | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +539.1% | +869.9% | XLV | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +7.7% | +9.5% | XLV | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +336.4% | +549.8% | XLV | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 16.2% | 16.3% | Tie | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 11.5% | 11.4% | Tie | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −39.7% | −37.9% | XLV (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.43 | 0.53 | XLV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.61 | 0.76 | XLV | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.19 | 0.25 | XLV | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,298 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IXJ and XLV hold 73% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
73% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IXJ and XLV on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IXJ and XLV are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?
- What each follows. IXJ follows S&P Global 1200 Health Care Index and XLV follows Health Care Select Sector Index.
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IXJ returned +20.8% and XLV +25.6% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 4.8 points.
- Cost. IXJ charges 0.38% of assets a year and XLV 0.08%, a gap of 0.30 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IXJ
IXJ tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +20.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.38% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 71% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 110 positions, with the top ten at 47.5%.
XLV
XLV tracks an index of Health care. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +25.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. 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
- Which returned more over the last year, IXJ or XLV?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IXJ returned +20.8% and XLV +25.6%.
- Which is cheaper, IXJ or XLV?
- XLV is cheaper, by 0.30 percentage points a year. That is about $30 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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, IXJ against XLV, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ixj-vs-xlv
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IXJ against XLV. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ixj-vs-xlv
[IXJ against XLV (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ixj-vs-xlv)
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