What if you invested monthly in a Healthcare sector ETF (XLV) for 15 years?
This scenario invests a fixed USD amount every month in a U.S. healthcare sector ETF (XLV) from July 2011 to July 2026 — 15 years of dollar-cost averaging. It compares this defensive sector's traits, performance, and drawdowns against the S&P 500.
Investment conditions
Asset · Healthcare sector ETF (XLV)
Method · Recurring monthly investment
Period · 2011-07-01 ~ 2026-07-01
Amount · $222 / month
As of · 2026-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-27.7%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
4months
Months in loss: 4
Recovery period
2months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $40,222 → Final value $96,606 (+140.2%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -27.7%
Why this period and asset
XLV holds pharmaceutical, medical-device, and healthcare-services companies. From 2011 to 2026, aging demographics and advances in drugs and medical technology were tailwinds, while drug-pricing debates and policy uncertainty periodically rattled the sector. Because healthcare demand is essential, the sector tends to behave defensively.
Interpreting the result
Healthcare is classed as a defensive sector with relatively lower volatility and steady growth. Investing monthly for 15 years spreads your entry points. But defensive does not mean drawdown-free. When the whole market falls, healthcare also suffers a maximum drawdown, producing a loss period and a recovery period. Versus the S&P 500 it may lag in strong rallies yet cushion in downturns, so it can outperform or underperform depending on the window.
Caveats & limits
Even defensive sectors carry policy, regulatory, and industry-specific risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Expense ratios, trading commissions, taxes, and currency movements affect real results, and this scenario does not recommend buying any sector.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-23
- Effective trading date: 2026-07-01
- Price basis: 調整後終値(配当・株式分割を反映)
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
Is healthcare safe because it is defensive?
It tends to be less volatile, but that is not the same as safe. In sharp selloffs healthcare also experiences a maximum drawdown with its own loss and recovery periods.
Could it return less than the S&P 500?
Yes. In tech-led bull markets a defensive sector can lag the index. In downturns it may cushion better, so it depends on the window.
What happens when drug-pricing news breaks?
Healthcare is sensitive to policy and regulation, so related news can spike volatility. That is an inherent risk of concentrating in one sector.
Related scenarios
📋 結果は過去のデータに基づくものです。過去のリターンは将来のリターンを保証しません。
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