At a glance
HEAL charges 0.5% a year, below the 0.56% average of the 6 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 7). It has $25.0M in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 0.23% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned −6.4% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 7 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 42.3% of the fund, out of 40 in all.
The short version
Global X HealthTech ETF (HEAL) tracks the Global X HealthTech Index, about 40 companies earning at least half their revenue from healthcare technology, such as medical software, smart devices, AI drug discovery and telemedicine. Its 0.50% expense ratio, the yearly fee, sits a little below the 0.56% average of similar funds. The drawbacks: it is small (about $25 million as of May 31, 2026) and lost money every calendar year from 2021 through 2025.
Price history
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HEAL -6.4% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEAL official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | -1.00% | — | -12.67% | — | -7.81% |
| HEAL price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +6.2% | -6.4% | — | — | — | +7.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, HEAL returned -6.4%, 6th of 7 among similar funds.
- The deepest fall in its price history was 30.7% (Oct 8, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +6.2% | — |
| 2025 | — | -1.00% |
| 2024 | — | -2.66% |
| 2023 | — | -13.01% |
| 2022 | — | -29.43% |
| 2021 | — | -14.16% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Not in the price data, which starts Apr 1, 2025 |
Dividends and income
No distribution history is available for this fund.
Distributions through Oct 27, 2026.What's inside
As of May 31, 2026, the fund held 40 securities; the ten largest made up 42.33% of assets. It also reported 4.46% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| DEXCOM, INC. | 4.89% | |
| IQVIA HOLDINGS INC | 4.72% | |
| OSCAR HEALTH, INC. | 4.61% | |
| GE HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES INC. | 4.17% | |
| VEEVA SYSTEMS INC. | 4.13% | |
| Koninklijke Philips N.V. | 4.12% | |
| MASIMO CORPORATION | 4.07% | |
| Pro Medicus Ltd | 3.96% | |
| HIMS & HERS HEALTH, INC. | 3.90% | |
| RESMED INC. | 3.78% | |
| INTUITIVE SURGICAL, INC. | 3.77% | |
| TEMPUS AI, INC. | 3.75% | |
| IRHYTHM HOLDINGS, INC. | 3.50% | |
| INSULET CORPORATION | 3.38% | |
| Waystar Holding Corp. | 3.13% |
By country
United States 82.88%Australia 5.63%Netherlands 4.12%Denmark 3.11%Hong Kong 2.73%By asset type
Stocks 99.83%What changed recently
- Over the three months to May 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $8.4M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -0.87%, +6.44%, -10.95%.
How it works
HEAL is an index fund. It aims to match the Global X HealthTech Index before fees, not beat it, and it does not move to cash when markets fall. At least 80% of assets go into the index's stocks or depositary receipts (certificates representing foreign shares). The adviser, Global X Management Company LLC, also owns the index, a potential conflict of interest the prospectus flags. An affiliate, Mirae Asset Global Indices, picks the stocks.
Mirae Asset Global Indices starts with FactSet industry groups tied to healthcare technology. A company qualifies only if at least 50% of its revenue comes from one of four areas: healthcare software, smart medical devices such as wearables and surgical robots, AI-enabled drug discovery, or consumer health tech such as telemedicine. It must trade in the US or another approved market, such as Australia or Japan. It also needs a market value of at least $200 million and enough trading volume.
Each stock is weighted by the value of its freely traded shares, with caps that stop the biggest companies from dominating. As of May 31, 2026, the largest holding, DexCom, was 4.9% of the fund. The index is rebuilt and reweighted twice a year. The fund may lend out shares worth up to one-third of its assets. Its objective and index can be changed without a shareholder vote.
What it really costs
- HEAL charges 0.5% a year, versus an average of 0.56% for the similar funds below (4th of 7, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $51 in the first year and $628 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEAL | $51 | $160 | $280 | $628 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a narrow fund of about 40 healthcare technology stocks that lost money in every calendar year from 2021 through 2025, making it a small add-on rather than a foundation.
Launched in July 2020, HEAL has no record from the 2008 crisis or the 2020 COVID crash. In 2022, a bear market year, it fell 29.43%, its worst calendar year. It lost money in every full year from 2021 through 2025, with an average annual return of -12.67% over the five years to December 31, 2025. Its steepest slide since April 2025 was 30.7%, from October 8, 2025, to March 30, 2026, with no recovery by October 27, 2026. Drawing cash from it in such a stretch would lock in steep losses.
Income is minimal: the yield was 0.23% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. The 0.50% expense ratio works out to $51 in the first year and $628 over 10 years on $10,000 in the SEC's standard example. Past results don't predict future ones, and a plan needs to weigh the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want a small, targeted stake in healthcare software, wearables, surgical robots and telemedicine names such as DexCom, Veeva and Hims & Hers.
- Investors who prefer spread-out weights: no holding topped 4.9%, and the top 10 made up about 42% of assets as of May 31, 2026.
- Cost-conscious investors comparing health-tech funds: HEAL's 0.50% fee is below EKG's 0.65% and LGHT's 0.85%.
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees seeking income: the yield was 0.23% as of October 27, 2026, paid just once a year.
- Investors who can't stomach long slumps: it lost money every calendar year from 2021 through 2025, including a 29.43% drop in 2022.
- Those wary of tiny funds: HEAL held about $25 million as of May 31, 2026, after about $8.4 million of outflows over three months.
Close alternatives
Matched by closest holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports (no similar fund shares 20% or more of its holdings).
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEAL this fund | — | 0.5% | $25.0M | -6.4% | — |
| EKG First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solut… | 48% | 0.65% | $2.8M | +31.1% | +25.8% |
| LGHT Langar Global HealthTech ETF | 38% | 0.85% | $2.5M | +4.3% | — |
| IHI iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF | 20% | 0.4% | $3.02B | -12.2% | +7.5% |
| XHE SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF | 19% | 0.35% | $151.4M | +14.1% | +11.7% |
| MDEV First Trust Indxx Medical Devices ETF | 14% | 0.7% | $1.9M | +4.2% | +10.3% |
| RSPH Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Health Care ETF | 12% | 0.4% | $766.9M | +28.4% | +16.6% |
Questions investors ask
Is HEAL a good ETF for retirement?
HEAL is a narrow, higher-risk fund, so it tends to be a small add-on to core holdings rather than the anchor of a retirement portfolio. It lost money in every calendar year from 2021 through 2025, including a 29.43% drop in 2022. Its five-year average annual return was -12.67% as of December 31, 2025. It pays little income, with a 0.23% yield as of October 27, 2026. Past results don't predict future returns.
What does the Global X HealthTech ETF hold?
HEAL holds about 40 healthcare technology stocks. As of May 31, 2026, the largest were DexCom (4.9%), IQVIA (4.7%), Oscar Health (4.6%), GE HealthCare Technologies (4.2%), Veeva Systems (4.1%) and Philips (4.1%). The top 10 made up about 42% of assets. US companies were about 83% of the fund, and the rest came from Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Hong Kong and Sweden.
What's the difference between HEAL and EKG?
Both funds focus on health technology. HEAL is cheaper and larger, but EKG returned far more over the year to October 27, 2026: 31.1%, against a 6.4% loss for HEAL. HEAL charges 0.50% a year, compared with 0.65% for the First Trust Nasdaq Lux Digital Health Solutions ETF (EKG). HEAL held about $25 million as of May 31, 2026, versus about $2.8 million for EKG as of June 30, 2026. EKG is HEAL's nearest match by holdings, but the portfolios still differ.
Does HEAL pay a dividend?
Yes, but the payout is tiny. HEAL pays once a year. Its trailing 12-month yield, which compares the past year's payouts with the share price, was 0.23% as of October 27, 2026, or about $0.07 per share. The fund is built around a healthcare technology theme rather than income, so it adds little cash flow for someone drawing on a portfolio.
What is the expense ratio of HEAL?
HEAL's expense ratio is 0.50% a year, according to its prospectus filed March 27, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested with a 5% yearly return would cost about $51 in the first year, $160 over three years, $280 over five and $628 over 10. That is a little below the 0.56% average of similar funds. It is above the iShares U.S. Medical Devices ETF (IHI) at 0.40% and the SPDR S&P Health Care Equipment ETF (XHE) at 0.35%.