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XLV

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV)

Rating:73Outperform
Price Target:$197.00â–²(7.05% Upside)

XLV, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund, earns a solid overall rating thanks to large positions in strong, diversified healthcare leaders like Johnson & Johnson and Merck, which show robust financial performance, positive earnings outlooks, and attractive long-term growth prospects. Other major holdings such as Eli Lilly, UnitedHealth, and Amgen also support the fund’s quality, though issues like high leverage, cash flow challenges, and pockets of overvaluation in some stocks slightly temper the picture. The main risk factor is the fund’s concentration in the healthcare sector, meaning regulatory changes, reimbursement pressures, or challenges in specific product segments could affect many of its holdings at once.

Positive Factors
Strong Overall PerformanceThe fund has shown strong recent performance over the year and in the last few months, which suggests solid momentum in its holdings.
Leading Health Care CompaniesMany of the largest positions, such as Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, UnitedHealth, and Merck, have delivered strong gains, helping drive the ETF’s returns.
Low Expense RatioThe ETF charges a low fee, which means more of the fund’s gains can stay in investors’ pockets over time.
Negative Factors
High Sector ConcentrationAlmost all of the fund’s assets are in the health care sector, so it is heavily exposed to industry-specific risks like regulation and drug pricing changes.
Single-Country FocusThe ETF invests almost entirely in U.S. companies, offering little geographic diversification if the U.S. market or health care policy environment weakens.
Mixed Performance Among Top HoldingsWhile most major holdings have performed well, at least one large position has shown weak returns, which can drag on the fund’s overall results.

XLV vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-10%-5%0%5%10%15%20%25%30%SPY+13.75%XLV+28.02%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
AUM
49.28B
Region
North America
Expense Ratio
0.08%
Beta
0.38
Issuer
SPDR
Inception Date
Dec 16, 1998
Dividend Yield
1.39%
Asset Class
Equity
Index Tracked
S&P Health Care Select Sector

XLV Summary

XLV is an exchange-traded fund that focuses on the U.S. healthcare sector by tracking the S&P Health Care Select Sector Index. It owns many large healthcare companies, including well-known names like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer, as well as drug makers, medical device firms, and health insurance providers. Someone might invest in XLV to get broad, diversified exposure to healthcare, a sector that can offer long-term growth and tends to be more stable because people need medical care in all economies. A key risk is that XLV can still go up and down with the stock market and is heavily concentrated in healthcare companies.

How much will it cost me?

This ETF has an expense ratio of 0.08%, which means you’ll pay about $0.80 per year for every $1,000 invested. That’s lower than the average ETF because XLV is a passively managed fund that simply tracks a healthcare sector index instead of paying managers to pick individual stocks.

What would affect this ETF?

XLV could benefit from an aging population, ongoing medical innovation, and steady demand for healthcare services in the U.S., which may support growth for major holdings like Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and UnitedHealth. On the other hand, changes in government healthcare policy, drug pricing pressures, and broader market shifts such as rising interest rates or economic slowdowns could weigh on the fund’s performance, especially given its heavy concentration in large U.S. healthcare companies.

XLV Top 10 Holdings

XLV is powered by a handful of heavyweight drugmakers, with Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie doing most of the heavy lifting as their shares keep rising on strong earnings and deep pipelines. UnitedHealth adds a steady, if recently mixed, boost from the managed-care side, while Merck has been a bit choppy, losing some steam in the near term despite a solid longer-term trend. Abbott is lagging and acts as a small drag. Overall, this is a U.S.-centric, Big Pharma–dominated fund, leaning hard into large-cap healthcare stability and innovation.

XLV top ten holdings
NameCompany NameWeight %Market ValueMarket CapYearly GainOverall Rating
LLYLLYEli Lilly & Co16.86%$8.27B$1.33T57.20%72Outperform
JNJJNJJohnson & Johnson9.74%$4.78B$651.32B42.90%78Outperform
ABBVABBVAbbVie7.62%$3.74B$510.41B34.93%66Neutral
MRKMRKMerck & Company5.47%$2.68B$366.03B75.38%80Outperform
UNHUNHUnitedHealth5.37%$2.63B$359.43B21.17%72Outperform
TMOTMOThermo Fisher3.77%$1.85B$252.93B23.63%72Outperform
AMGNAMGNAmgen3.76%$1.84B$251.64B55.67%77Outperform
GILDGILDGilead Sciences3.15%$1.55B$211.27B37.21%78Outperform
ABTABTAbbott Laboratories2.85%$1.40B$190.62B-11.66%73Outperform
PFEPFEPfizer2.61%$1.28B$174.81B21.65%74Outperform

XLV Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price184.02

Price Trends

50DMA172.37Positive
100DMA166.90Positive
200DMA157.97Positive

Market Momentum

MACD3.74Negative
RSI69.55Neutral
STOCH68.01Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in ETF analysis to make informed investment decisions. For XLV, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 184.02 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 177.40, above the 50-day MA of 172.37, and above the 200-day MA of 157.97, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 3.74 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 69.55 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 68.01 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for XLV.

XLV Peer Comparison

Comparison Results

XLV against its peer funds
NamePricePrice TargetAUMExpense RatioOverall Rating
XLVXLV$184.02$197.00(7.05% Upside)$49.28B0.08%73Outperform
VGTVGT$115.28$158.14(37.18% Upside)$141.25B0.09%74Outperform
XLKXLK$176.51$240.63(36.32% Upside)$115.48B0.08%75Outperform
VHTVHT$340.80$382.94(12.36% Upside)$20.79B0.09%71Outperform
IBBIBB$215.47$267.98(24.37% Upside)$11.16B0.44%67Neutral
XBIXBI$154.97$250.20(61.45% Upside)$10.36B0.35%58Neutral

Performance Comparison

0%20%40%XLVVGTXLKVHTIBBXBIDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
XLV and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
XLVHealth Care Select Sector SPDR Fund184.0240.4828.20%
VGTVanguard Information Technology ETF115.2820.4021.50%
XLKTechnology Select Sector SPDR Fund176.5132.6722.71%
VHTVanguard Health Care ETF340.8072.9027.21%
IBBiShares Biotechnology ETF215.4757.3636.28%
XBISPDR S&P BIOTECH ETF154.9746.1542.41%
Glossary
BuyAn ETF rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldAn ETF rated as a "Hold" s expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the ETF is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellAn ETF rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the ETF may deliver lower returns compared to other ETFs in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer

This AI Analyst ETF Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in ETFs carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.