What Are Health Care ETFs?

First, let’s review what an ETF is. An ETF, or exchange-traded fund, is a type of investment security that groups financial assets together. This basket of securities can include stocks, bonds, commodities, currencies, and more. They are similar to mutual funds, but unlike mutual funds, ETFs trade like stocks. An investor can buy and sell ETF shares during trading hours on an exchange. The diversification and convenience of exchange-traded funds have made them popular with investors. Health care ETFs are funds comprised of securities from a variety of companies within the health care industry. There are quite a few reasons you may want to consider an investment in a health care ETF. You can:

Take advantage of a bullish or bearish opinion based on your research. Make a play on the price swings in the sector due to the current political climate. Utilize an ETF as part of a top-down investment strategy for the health care sector. Include different sector ETFs for an overall diversified strategy for your portfolio. Hedge any risk you have related to the health care industry from other investments.

List of Health Care ETFs

If you are looking to gain exposure to the health care sector, while also reaping the benefits of an ETF, the list below will be a great starting point. Investors should run their own due diligence to find out if an ETF is fit for them. At a high level, you want to be sure that the fund investment strategy is in line with what you are looking for. Following that, you should check a few key things that all investors should check on any funds they invest in, even outside of the health care sector. General points include a fund that has low fees, high volume, stable management, and solid performance vs. its benchmark.

BFIT - Global X Health & Wellness ETF BTEC - Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF CURE - Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares ETF FHLC - Fidelity MSCI Health Care Index ETF FXH - First Trust Health Care AlphaDEX ETF IHF - iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF IXJ - iShares Global Healthcare ETF IYH - iShares U.S. Healthcare ETF JHMH - John Hancock Multifactor Healthcare ETF PTH - Invesco DWA Healthcare Momentum ETF RXD - ProShares UltraShort Health Care ETF RXL - ProShares Ultra Health Care ETF RYH - Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF SPXV - ProShares S&P 500 Ex-Health Care ETF VHT - Vanguard Health Care ETF XHE - SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF XHS - SPDR S&P Health Care Services ETF

As you can see, we have a variety of ETFs coming from different providers and focusing on different strategies. You see ETFs from certain providers such as SPDR, Vanguard, Fidelity, and ProShares. There are funds that focus on health care equipment, health care services, and health care innovation. Additionally, there are a few advanced healthcare ETFs.

Advanced Health Care ETFs

Several of the ETFs within the list above are considered to be “advanced.” They are advanced due to the complexity, structure, and risk involved. Let’s explain a few of the categories of advanced ETFs.

Leveraged ETFs

Leveraged ETFs use leverage with hopes of amplifying gains. A few from our list of health care ETFs include:

CURE - Direxion Daily Healthcare Bull 3X Shares ETF RXD - ProShares UltraShort Health Care ETF RXL - ProShares Ultra Health Care ETF

As an example, CURE is a fund that is bullish and levered 3X. That means that fund expects its securities to increase in price. Leverage helps increase gains but also increases loss potential. At 3X leverage, if a normal fund went up $1, this fund would go up $3, and vice versa if it went down.

Inverse ETFs

There was also an inverse ETF on the list:

RXD - ProShares UltraShort Health Care ETF

Inverse ETFs aim to deliver the opposite performance of the index it tracks. This ETF is short the market, or bearish. The fund expects its basket of securities to decrease in price. If the underlying securities move down in price, this fund makes money. If they move up in price, the fund loses money. Please keep in mind, as with any investment, ETFs and ETNs are not without risk, especially if you implement advanced strategies such as leveraged or inverse funds. However, if you conduct thorough research and complete your due diligence, you should be able to find the best fund for your particular needs. You shouldn’t hesitate to call your broker or consult a financial professional if you have any questions or concerns.

Where to Find ETFs

Here are several links to the websites for each ETF provider behind these products. You can drill down and analyze performance, holdings, and any other data you need to make an informed decision.

ProShares ETFs State Street Global Advisors Vanguard ETFs Invesco ETFs iShares ETFs First Trust ETFs