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Dividend Vision

ETF Comparison

HLTH vs XLV: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of Tema Healthcare AI ETF and State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Updated November 6, 2026

No track record yet. HLTH launched within the last six months. The forward distribution rate is left blank until a payout is published.

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Price and total return

Compare the same available dates. Add a ticker or benchmark below; these controls change the chart only. The snapshot and article describe the original comparison.

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Distribution Safety Score

An estimate of distribution reliability, not price or principal safety, a probability, or a guarantee. Score methodology.

HLTH

—

Not rated

No published distribution safety rating is available.

XLV

100/ 100

Safe

High confidence

Score snapshot as of . Method 1.11.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
MetricHLTHXLV
Full nameTema Healthcare AI ETFState Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF
IssuerTema ETFsState Street
Last Close$26.95 as of November 6, 2026$184.80 as of November 6, 2026
Distribution rate—1.39%
Trailing 12-month yield—1.38%
Distribution Safety Score™ —100
Safety-Adjusted Yield —1.39%
Expense ratio0.75%0.08%
AUM$11.7M$49.1B
Distribution frequencyNoneQuarterly
Underlying indexActively managed (no tracked index recorded)Health Care Select Sector Index
ObjectiveSeeks long-term capital appreciation through an actively managed portfolio of companies applying artificial intelligence across healthcare — including AI-driven drug discovery, diagnostics, medical imaging, medical devices, and healthcare IT platforms.Provide exposure to the fund's underlying index or strategy per issuer materials.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception date07/21/202612/16/1998
Beta—0.41
Last dividend—$0.642
Ex-dividend date—09/21/2026

— Distribution rate, Safety-Adjusted Yield, last dividend, and ex-dividend date are not yet available because HLTH launched July 2026; these fields will populate after the first distribution.

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.

HLTH has lagged XLV over the year to date, posting a 5.60% total return against 20.93%. XLV has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 18.4% against 35.9% for HLTH. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
SymbolYTD cumulativeSince Jul 2026Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
HLTH5.60%5.60%35.9%0.390.52-12.6%
XLV20.93%15.83%18.4%2.434.21-5.9%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of November 5, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Jul 2026” measures every fund from July 21, 2026 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the shared window since Jul 2026. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the shared window since Jul 2026) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Not a distribution payer

HLTH (Tema Healthcare AI ETF) has no distribution rate on file and its distribution frequency is None. HLTH is not a payer. The blank yield is not a zero yield.

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Bottom lineWe won't call this one: HLTH launched July 2026, so there is not yet a track record to compare. Compare the strategy, cost and holdings in the sections above and treat any performance figures for the newer ETF as provisional. What is already clear from the numbers above: the two do not cost the same — XLV charges 0.08% against 0.75% for HLTH, and on funds tracking the same thing that gap compounds every year you hold.

Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each ETF at current yields.

ETFs15
Total AUM$4.23B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

Tema ETFs is known for offering thematically focused and income-oriented strategies that target specific industries and trends rather than broad market exposure. The issuer's lineup spans both income-generating funds and thematic investments centered on sectors such as defense, healthcare, technology, and infrastructure, with tickers including ARMY, CANC, DSPY, HLTH, LAZR, NASA, and VOLT. Tema's approach appeals to investors seeking targeted exposure to niche market segments, combining specialized industry focus with dividend and yield strategies.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on HLTH.

ETFs186
Total AUM$2.15T

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

Their 88-fund lineup spans diverse strategies including sector exposure (Select Sector SPDR), income generation (Income and Select Sector SPDR Premium Income families), commodities (including the widely-held GLD gold ETF), bonds, ESG-focused investments, and thematic allocations, with popular tickers like DIA (Diamonds Trust), FEZ (Eurozone exposure), and JNK (high-yield bonds) among their most recognized funds. The issuer is characterized by its comprehensive coverage across multiple market segments and its emphasis on both traditional index-based products and specialized strategies like covered call income funds and factor-based investing.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on XLV.

Quick verdict

HLTH (Tema Healthcare AI ETF) and XLV (State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF) are both ETFs, but they take different approaches.

XLV currently shows a 1.39% distribution yield. HLTH has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

XLV is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.08% compared to 0.75%.

XLV has $49.1B in assets vs $11.7M for HLTH, but HLTH only launched July 2026 — AUM comparisons will become more meaningful as it builds a track record.

Top-holdings overlap

Positions that appear in every fund's top 10. Issuers disclose only the largest weights, so this captures the overlap of the concentrated end of each book — not the full portfolios.

1 shared position
HLTH 4.8% of its top-10 weight
XLV 3.8% of its top-10 weight
PositionHLTHXLV
TMO Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc
4.76%
3.83%
Holdings as-of dates unavailable · mode DIRECT (top 10)

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment at current distribution rates, HLTH has no reported distribution yield yet, so a cash estimate is not available, while XLV would pay about $139.00 a year (about $34.75 per quarterly distribution).

HLTH yield—
XLV yield1.39%

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, HLTH would cost approximately $750 in fees vs $80 for XLV (simplified, not compounded). The $670.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.

HLTH ER0.75%
XLV ER0.08%

Strategy & risk

HLTH is an actively managed ETF built around healthcare exposure, while XLV tracks Health Care Select Sector Index with an index approach.

HLTH beta—
XLV beta0.41

Fund details

HLTH is managed by Tema ETFs (launched 07/21/2026) with $11.7M in assets. XLV is managed by State Street (launched 12/16/1998) with $49.1B in assets.

HLTH AUM$11.7M
XLV AUM$49.1B

Frequently asked questions

Which of HLTH or XLV pays more dividend income?

XLV currently reports a distribution yield, while HLTH has not yet established a full distribution history. A direct income comparison is not yet meaningful — check back once both funds have published several consecutive distributions.

What is the difference between HLTH and XLV?

HLTH (Tema Healthcare AI ETF) is an actively managed ETF built around healthcare exposure, while XLV (State Street Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF) tracks Health Care Select Sector Index with an index approach. They are issued by Tema ETFs and State Street respectively.

Can I hold both HLTH and XLV?

Yes. Their disclosed top-10 holdings share only 1 position, so combining both adds mostly distinct underlying names — see the holdings-overlap section above. Overlap outside the disclosed top 10 can still exist.

Which has lower fees, HLTH or XLV?

HLTH has an expense ratio of 0.75% while XLV charges 0.08%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.

How much income does $10,000 in HLTH vs XLV generate?

At current distribution rates, HLTH does not pay distributions, so there is no cash income to estimate. $10,000 in XLV would pay about $139.00 a year (about $34.75 per quarterly distribution).

Which has performed better historically, HLTH or XLV?

HLTH has lagged XLV over the year to date, posting a 5.60% total return against 20.93%. XLV has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 18.4% against 35.9% for HLTH. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Dividend dates and history

HLTH vs XLV — at a glance

Generated October 31, 2026.

Figures quoted in this analysis are from its generation date and may lag the live snapshot table above, which always shows the latest data.

Overview

HLTH is an actively managed ETF focused on healthcare companies applying artificial intelligence to drug discovery, diagnostics, medical imaging, devices, and IT platforms. XLV is a passively managed index ETF tracking the Health Care Select Sector Index, capturing the broad healthcare sector as represented in the S&P 500. The fundamental difference is strategy: HLTH bets on a thematic AI-driven subset of healthcare, while XLV offers diversified exposure to the entire healthcare sector.

How they differ

HLTH is actively managed and concentrated on AI-enabled healthcare companies, whereas XLV tracks a broad sector index passively. The expense ratio gap is significant: HLTH charges 0.75% while XLV charges 0.08%, a 0.67 percentage-point difference. XLV is substantially larger, with $49.1B in assets compared to HLTH's $11.7M, reflecting both the maturity gap and differences in investor adoption: XLV 27 years, while HLTH 3 months.

Who each is best for

  • HLTH: Investors seeking concentrated exposure to healthcare innovation through an AI lens, willing to accept higher fees, lower liquidity, and active manager discretion in exchange for thematic focus and potential for capital appreciation rather than income.
  • XLV: Investors wanting diversified healthcare sector exposure with minimal fees and a modest quarterly dividend, comfortable with broad-based sector participation rather than emerging-technology thematic bets, and prioritizing simplicity and lower costs.

Key risks to know

  • Concentration and thematic risk: HLTH's focus on AI-enabled healthcare is narrower than the sector itself; sector-wide headwinds or a slowdown in AI adoption could disproportionately impact performance. XLV's broad index approach spreads risk across established and varied healthcare subsectors. Smaller funds also face greater vulnerability to asset outflows.
  • Active management risk: HLTH relies on manager stock selection within the AI-healthcare space; underperformance versus a comparable index would compound the fund's higher 0.75% fee burden.
  • Healthcare sector cyclicality and regulatory risk: Both funds face exposure to pharmaceutical pricing pressure, FDA approval timelines, and healthcare policy changes; HLTH may face additional regulatory uncertainty around AI-driven medical tools and diagnostic algorithms.

Bottom line

If you're drawn to AI-driven innovation in healthcare and willing to accept higher fees and lower liquidity for thematic conviction, HLTH's active approach offers that focused bet. If you prefer broad healthcare sector exposure with minimal costs and some income, XLV's passive, dividend-paying structure and larger asset base fit that profile. Neither choice guarantees future returns; sector and individual-company fundamentals matter more than fund structure alone.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

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These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.