Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) Performance
VHT total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +16.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +24.0% total return
- 5 years
- +7.0% a year
- 10 years
- +11.6% a year
- Since first price
- +10.2% a year since 2004
VHT trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | VHT total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +5.2% | +5.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +10.0% | +9.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +22.6% | +21.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +16.7% | +15.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +24.0% | +22.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +51.0%+14.7%/yr | +44.3% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +40.5%+7.0%/yr | +30.6% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +201.0%+11.6%/yr | +159.7% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +603.7%+13.9%/yr | +461.6% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +682.4%+10.8%/yr | +473.6% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| Since inceptionJan 30, 2004 | +815.0%+10.2%/yr | +564.4% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: VHT vs SPY
From Jan 30, 2004: VHT grew to $91,505, SPY to $101,402.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
VHT returns by calendar year
18 of 21 full years positive. Best 2013 (+42.7%), worst 2008 (−23.3%). 2026 is year to date.
VHT annual returns table
| Year | VHT | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +16.7% | −10.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +15.5% | −13.3% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +2.7% | −12.3% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +2.5% | −10.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −5.6% | −17.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +20.6% | −8.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +18.3% | −28.9% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +21.9% | −7.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | +5.6% | −17.0% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +23.3% | −4.1% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | −3.2% | −12.5% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +7.1% | −17.3% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +25.5% | −8.4% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +42.7% | −4.9% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +19.0% | −7.1% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | +10.7% | −18.3% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +5.6% | −13.8% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +21.8% | −20.2% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −23.3% | −37.4% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | +7.9% | −7.6% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
| 2006 | +6.5% | −9.7% | +15.8% | +7.1% | +3.9% |
| 2005 | +8.2% | −7.6% | +4.8% | +1.6% | +2.3% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
VHT largest drawdowns
Now 1.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 10, 2007 | −39.1% | Mar 5, 2009 | Mar 3, 2011 | 1.2 years | 3.2 years |
| Feb 19, 2020 | −28.9% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jun 8, 2020 | 33 days | 4 months |
| Jul 20, 2015 | −20.3% | Feb 11, 2016 | Jun 1, 2017 | 7 months | 1.9 years |
| May 18, 2011 | −18.3% | Aug 8, 2011 | Feb 1, 2012 | 3 months | 9 months |
| Dec 30, 2021 | −17.7% | Jun 16, 2022 | Feb 6, 2024 | 6 months | 2.1 years |
| Oct 1, 2018 | −17.0% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 8, 2019 | 3 months | 1.1 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
VHT risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.1% | +6.6% | +10.7% | +10.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 14.2% | 14.7% | 14.7% | 14.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.57 | 0.26 | 0.61 | — |
| Sortino ratio | 0.88 | 0.40 | 0.97 | — |
| Best month | +8.9% | +8.9% | +13.4% | +13.4% |
| Worst month | −7.5% | −7.9% | −9.1% | −13.1% |
| Best 12 months | +28.4% | +28.4% | +39.7% | +42.7% |
| Worst 12 months | −10.7% | −10.7% | −10.7% | −30.4% |
| Positive months | 64% | 57% | 61% | 63% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.49 | 0.59 | 0.70 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.43 | 0.62 | 0.73 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
VHT rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 262 | −30.4% | +10.7% | +42.7% | 80% |
| 3-year (a year) | 238 | −9.5% | +10.4% | +30.7% | 89% |
| 5-year (a year) | 214 | −3.8% | +11.0% | +25.0% | 97% |
| 10-year (a year) | 154 | +6.9% | +11.7% | +17.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2004. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
VHT performance overview
Vanguard Health Care ETF (VHT) returned +24.0% over the past year and +11.6% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2004 it has returned +10.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $91,505. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −39.1%, from Dec 10, 2007 to Mar 5, 2009, and it took 2.0 years to get back to the old high. VHT finished 18 of its 21 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2013 (+42.7%) and the worst 2008 (−23.3%). Volatility has been 14.0% a year.
Related: VHT chart, VHT holdings, VHT dividends, VHT valuation. See the VHT overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
VHT performance FAQ
What is the VHT return over the past year?
VHT returned +24.0% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 22.1%.
What is the average annual return of VHT?
VHT has returned +7.0% a year over 5 years, +11.6% a year over 10 years, +10.2% a year since January 30, 2004 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in VHT be worth?
$10,000 invested in VHT at its first recorded close on January 30, 2004 would be worth about $91,505 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for VHT?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −23.3%. The best was 2013 at +42.7%.
What is the biggest drawdown of VHT?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −39.1% between December 10, 2007 and March 5, 2009. It recovered to the old high on March 3, 2011, 2.0 years after the bottom.
How volatile is VHT?
Over the past 3 years VHT had an annualized volatility of 14.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.57 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).