PPH — VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF
Healthcare Ranked #140 of 458 tracked ETFs · Issued by VanEck
PPH Price Performance — Growth of $10,000
Value of a $10,000 investment in PPH over time, compared with SPY. Both lines are rebased to $10,000 on the first shared date. Based on total returns — prices are adjusted for dividends and splits, so this assumes distributions were reinvested. Hover or tap the chart for exact values.
PPH Drawdown
The "underwater" chart: PPH's decline from its highest prior value at each point in time. It shows how deep past losses ran and how long the fund took to recover to break-even.
What If You'd Invested in PPH?
See what a lump sum in PPH would have grown to, with the option to add a regular monthly contribution on top. Figures use total returns — dividends are assumed reinvested.
Past performance doesn't predict future results. Assumes contributions on the first trading day of each month, no trading costs or taxes, and reinvested distributions. History is limited to the range published in the site's daily return data.
Overview
The VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF is a healthcare-focused fund managed by VanEck with $1.02 billion in assets. It holds a B grade and ranks 7th out of 11 peers in its category, placing it 140th among all tracked ETFs. The fund charges an expense ratio of 0.36%, which matches the category median. Its dividend yield of 4.94% significantly exceeds the sector median of 0.98%. The top ten holdings represent 72.7% of assets, with Eli Lilly & Co comprising the largest single position at 20.2%.
The fund was upgraded from a C to a B grade on 2026-10-15, reflecting its current standing. Price history is available for only 3.0 years, limiting the depth of historical analysis. Over the past year, the ETF returned 27.00%, outperforming the category median of 24.88%. Short-term momentum shows a divergence, with a 1.80% drop in one day contrasting with a 15.75% gain over six months. The current price of $114.93 sits at 88.6% of its 52-week range, indicating it is near the upper end of its recent trading band.
With a beta of 0.43, the fund has moved less than half as much as the broader market. Annualized volatility stands at 18.36%, which is classified as moderate. The Sharpe ratio of 1.20 suggests efficient risk-adjusted returns relative to the risk taken. Maximum drawdowns have reached -18.06%, highlighting the potential for significant temporary losses. Liquidity is supported by an average daily volume of 305,167 shares.
AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.
PPH Top Holdings
| # | Holding | % of Net Assets | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eli Lilly & Co | 20.23% | $178M |
| 2 | Novartis AG | 10.63% | $93M |
| 3 | Merck & Co Inc | 9.85% | $87M |
| 4 | Novo Nordisk A/S | 5.37% | $47M |
| 5 | AbbVie Inc | 4.57% | $40M |
| 6 | Pfizer Inc | 4.51% | $40M |
| 7 | Bristol-Myers Squibb Co | 4.47% | $39M |
| 8 | GSK PLC | 4.42% | $39M |
| 9 | Johnson & Johnson | 4.35% | $38M |
| 10 | AstraZeneca PLC | 4.33% | $38M |
Holdings as of 2026-06-30 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing. Top 10 holdings make up 72.7% of net assets — a rough gauge of concentration risk (the higher this figure, the more the fund's return depends on a handful of names). To see how PPH's holdings overlap with other ETFs you own or are considering, check the Stock Overlap tool.
Which Funds Overlap With PPH
Holding two funds that own the same companies adds cost and complexity without adding much diversification. These tracked ETFs share the most names with PPH's top 10 — VHT overlaps most, holding 5 of the same companies as PPH's top 10 (43.5% of PPH's assets).
| ETF | Name | Shared Companies | PPH Weight | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VHT | Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ETF Shares | 5 | 43.5% | Eli Lilly & Co, Merck & Co Inc, Johnson & Johnson… |
| FHLC | Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | 5 | 43.5% | Eli Lilly & Co, Merck & Co Inc, Johnson & Johnson… |
| XLV | State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | 4 | 39.0% | Eli Lilly & Co, Merck & Co Inc, Johnson & Johnson… |
| IYH | iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF | 4 | 23.3% | Merck & Co Inc, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie Inc… |
| HDV | iShares Core High Dividend ETF | 3 | 18.9% | Merck & Co Inc, AbbVie Inc, Pfizer Inc |
Compares the top 10 reported holdings of each fund, so it's a floor on true overlap — two S&P 500 trackers overlap ~100% even when only 10 names are listed. Use the Stock Overlap tool to search by individual company.
Market Backdrop
10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.96% (as of 2026-10-22) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.
CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 19.03 (as of 2026-10-22) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.
Federal Funds Rate: 3.75% (as of 2026-09-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.
What PPH's Fees Cost You
PPH charges an expense ratio of 0.36% a year, deducted automatically from the fund's value. Small percentages compound into real money — adjust the figures below to see the impact on your own numbers.
Assumes a constant gross return and no additional contributions — a simplification, but it isolates exactly what the expense ratio costs. Try the full fee calculator to model contributions and compare any two funds.
PPH Dividend Income Estimator
PPH currently yields 4.94%. Enter an amount to see the income that implies, or set a monthly income target to see the investment it would take.
Based on the fund's current trailing yield, which varies with price and distributions — treat it as an estimate, not a guarantee. Yields are not adjusted for tax.
PPH Liquidity, Domicile & Tax Treatment
Liquidity: Average daily volume is 305K/day. Higher volume and a larger fund generally mean lower round-trip trading costs. AUM of $1.02B provides ample scale, supporting tight spreads and issuer commitment to keep the fund open.
Domicile & tax treatment: PPH is a US-domiciled, SEC-registered ('40 Act) exchange-traded fund. Dividends and capital gains distributions are reported to US investors on Form 1099-DIV, and the fund is not subject to the PFIC reporting or UCITS-specific rules that apply to Irish- or Luxembourg-domiciled funds. Non-US investors should note that US-domiciled ETFs are generally subject to 30% US withholding tax on dividends (unless reduced by treaty) and to US estate tax exposure on the position — Irish-domiciled UCITS ETFs tracking the same index often avoid both, which is why non-US residents frequently prefer the UCITS equivalent where one exists. This is general information, not tax advice — consult a tax professional for your situation.
PPH Performance History
| Period | Return |
|---|---|
| 1-Day | -1.80% |
| 1-Week | +0.45% |
| 1-Month | +3.78% |
| 3-Month | +3.59% |
| 6-Month | +15.75% |
| YTD | +12.73% |
| 1-Year | +27.00% |
| 3-Year | +62.15% |
How PPH Compares to Other Healthcare ETFs
| Rank | Grade | Ticker | Name | 1-Year | Exp. Ratio | AUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #31 | B+ |
XLV | State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF | +24.88% | 0.08% | $43.4B |
| #36 | B+ |
VHT | Vanguard Health Care Index Fund ETF Shares | +24.24% | 0.09% | $21.8B |
| #64 | B |
FHLC | Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF | +24.43% | 0.084% | $3.54B |
| #100 | B |
IBB | iShares Biotechnology ETF | +35.23% | 0.44% | $11.2B |
| #106 | B |
XBI | State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF | +39.94% | 0.35% | $10.4B |
| #125 | B |
IYH | iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF | +24.20% | 0.37% | $3.96B |
| #140 | B |
PPH | VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF | +27.00% | 0.36% | $1.02B |
| #175 | B |
XPH | State Street SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF | +29.81% | 0.35% | $524M |
| #209 | C |
ARKG | ARK Genomic Revolution ETF | +57.54% | 0.75% | $2.22B |
| #297 | C |
IHF | iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF | +19.55% | 0.37% | $1.36B |
| #424 | D |
IHI | iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF | -11.17% | 0.37% | $3.45B |