CURE vs DRUG vs HLTH vs IXJ - Compare ETFs side by side

At a glance

Comparing CURE, DRUG, HLTH, and IXJ. IXJ has the lowest management fee at 0.4% a year, IXJ has the highest 5 years return at 5.3% a year, and DRUG offers the highest at 4%.

Lowest fee

IXJ 0.4% p.a.

Highest 5 years return

IXJ 5.3% p.a.

Highest yield

DRUG 4%

Highest risk-adjusted

IXJ Sharpe 0.22 (5y)

Lowest volatility

IXJ 12.4% (5y)

Largest fund

IXJ $1.4bn

Side-by-side comparison

Metric	CURE Global X S&P Biotech ETF	DRUG BetaShares Global Healthcare ETF - Currency Hedged	HLTH VanEck Global Healthcare Leaders ETF	IXJ iShares Global Healthcare ETF
Snapshot
Provider	Global X	BetaShares	VanEck	iShares
Tracks index	S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index	Nasdaq Global ex-Australia Healthcare Hedged AUD Index	—	S&P Global 1200 Health Care Sector Index
Categories	US, Thematic	Intl, Thematic	Intl, Thematic	Intl, Thematic, Market-Cap
Listed since	2021 (5 yrs)	—	—	2007 (19 yrs)
Fund size (AUM)	$46m	$172m	$52m	$1.4bn
Cost & income
Management fee	0.45%	0.57%	0.45%	0.4%
Dividend yield	0%	4%	0.34%	1.61%
Franking	0%	0%	0%	0%
Turnover	35%	—	—	5%
Tax drag	0.84%	1.28%	0.11%	0.64%
Returns	Tax bracket - adjusts tax drag & net returns
1-year return	57.4% net	20.8% net	4.9% net	12.1% net
3-year return	18.5% net	5.7% net	4.7% net	5.1% net
5-year return	4.3% net	4.2% net	-0.3% net	5.3% net
10-year return	—	—	—	8.9% net
Risk
Volatility (3y)	25.5%	12.6%	12.6%	12.9%
Volatility (5y)	24.9%	13.2%	13.6%	12.4%
Volatility (10y)	—	—	—	11.6%
Sharpe ratio (3y)	0.63	0.18	0.1	0.14
Sharpe ratio (5y)	0.16	0.13	—	0.22
Sharpe ratio (10y)	—	—	—	0.6
Bid/ask spread	—	—	—	—

marks the strongest fund in each row. “net” shows the after-tax return at your selected bracket. “—” means we don’t have that data point yet.

Each fund at a glance

CURE Global X S&P Biotech ETF

Top-2% returns over 1 year (7th of 308 ETFs we track).

Cheaper alternatives exist: IXJ and IXI.

Full CURE analysis →

DRUG BetaShares Global Healthcare ETF - Currency Hedged

Top-14% returns over 1 year (43rd of 308 ETFs we track).
Pays a useful 4% income yield.

Has lagged most peers over 3 years (169th of 226).

Full DRUG analysis →

HLTH VanEck Global Healthcare Leaders ETF

Has lagged most peers over 5 years (166th of 188).

Full HLTH analysis →

IXJ iShares Global Healthcare ETF

Low-cost: a 0.4% management fee keeps more of the return in your pocket.

Has lagged most peers over 3 years (174th of 226).

Full IXJ analysis →

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between CURE vs DRUG vs HLTH vs IXJ?

CURE, DRUG, HLTH, and IXJ are 4 Australian-listed ETFs we compare side by side. IXJ carries the lowest management fee (0.4%). Over 5 years, IXJ has delivered the highest total return (5.3% a year). The table above breaks down fees, returns, income and risk for each.

Which has the lowest fees - CURE vs DRUG vs HLTH vs IXJ?

IXJ has the lowest management fee at 0.4% a year, versus CURE 0.45%, DRUG 0.57%, and HLTH 0.45%.

Which has performed highest - CURE vs DRUG vs HLTH vs IXJ?

Over the past 5 years, IXJ has delivered the highest total return at 5.3% a year. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns.

Which pays the highest dividend yield?

DRUG pays the highest at 4%. Remember distributions are taxed each year at your marginal rate.

Which is the largest and most liquid?

IXJ is the largest fund by assets ($1.4bn). Larger funds are typically more liquid and trade on tighter spreads.

Related comparisons

CURE vs IXI IXJ vs IXI IXJ vs IOO

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General information only, generated from each fund's published data — not personal financial advice. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future returns. Consider your own circumstances or seek licensed advice before investing.