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iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE)

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Upturn Advisory Summary
12/19/2025: IHE (2-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.
Analysis of Past Performance
Type ETF | Historic Profit 37.68% | Avg. Invested days 59 | Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating |
Upturn Star Rating ![]() | Upturn Advisory Performance | ETF Returns Performance |
Key Highlights
Volume (30-day avg) - | Beta 0.52 | 52 Weeks Range 58.71 - 72.64 | Updated Date 06/29/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 58.71 - 72.64 | Updated Date 06/29/2025 |
Upturn AI SWOT
iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF
ETF Overview
Overview
The iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHF) is an exchange-traded fund designed to track the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Health Care Providers Index, which comprises companies primarily engaged in the pharmaceutical industry, including drug manufacturers, biotechnology firms, and companies involved in the research, development, and distribution of pharmaceutical products. Its investment strategy focuses on capturing the growth and innovation within the U.S. pharmaceutical sector.
Reputation and Reliability
iShares is a brand of BlackRock, Inc., a leading global investment management corporation. BlackRock is known for its extensive range of ETFs, strong operational capabilities, and a reputation for reliability and investor trust in the financial markets.
Management Expertise
BlackRock's ETF team is comprised of experienced professionals with deep expertise in index tracking, portfolio management, and risk management. They leverage BlackRock's vast resources and analytical capabilities to manage the iShares ETFs effectively.
Investment Objective
Goal
The primary investment goal of the iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF is to provide investors with exposure to the performance of publicly traded U.S. companies in the pharmaceutical sector.
Investment Approach and Strategy
Strategy: The ETF aims to replicate the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Select Health Care Providers Index by holding a portfolio of securities that closely match the constituents and weighting of the index.
Composition The ETF primarily holds common stocks of companies operating in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. These companies are involved in the research, development, manufacturing, and marketing of drugs and healthcare products.
Market Position
Market Share: While specific real-time market share data for individual ETFs is dynamic and proprietary, IHF is a significant player within the U.S. healthcare sector ETF space, particularly for pharmaceutical-focused investments.
Total Net Assets (AUM): 10800000000
Competitors
Key Competitors
- Invesco Dynamic Pharmaceuticals ETF (PJP)
- VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH)
- SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (XPH)
Competitive Landscape
The pharmaceutical ETF market is competitive, with several ETFs offering similar exposure. IHF benefits from its association with iShares (BlackRock), a well-established provider, often leading to strong liquidity and investor trust. Competitors may differentiate through different index methodologies, expense ratios, or a slightly different focus within the broader healthcare or pharmaceutical sub-sectors. IHF's advantage lies in its broad exposure to the U.S. pharmaceutical sector and its significant AUM, while potential disadvantages could be its expense ratio compared to some niche offerings or a less active management approach compared to actively managed funds.
Financial Performance
Historical Performance: The ETF's historical performance reflects the trends in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, which can be influenced by drug approvals, patent expirations, regulatory changes, and overall economic conditions. Investors can review the ETF's historical returns over 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year periods to assess its track record.
Benchmark Comparison: IHF seeks to track the Dow Jones U.S. Select Health Care Providers Index. Its performance is typically compared against this benchmark to measure its success in replicating index returns, with minor deviations due to fees and tracking error.
Expense Ratio: 0.0042
Liquidity
Average Trading Volume
The ETF generally exhibits strong average trading volume, indicating that it is easily bought and sold in the market without significantly impacting its price.
Bid-Ask Spread
The bid-ask spread for IHF is typically narrow, reflecting its high liquidity and low trading costs for investors.
Market Dynamics
Market Environment Factors
The ETF's performance is influenced by factors such as government healthcare policies, research and development breakthroughs, patent cliffs, merger and acquisition activity within the pharmaceutical industry, and global health trends. The sector is also subject to regulatory scrutiny and pricing pressures.
Growth Trajectory
The growth trajectory of IHF is tied to the innovation and profitability of the U.S. pharmaceutical companies it holds. Trends like an aging global population, advancements in personalized medicine, and the development of treatments for chronic diseases generally support long-term growth in the sector.
Moat and Competitive Advantages
Competitive Edge
IHF's competitive edge stems from its broad and diversified exposure to the U.S. pharmaceutical sector, a key area of innovation and economic importance. As an iShares product from BlackRock, it benefits from significant brand recognition, substantial assets under management, and excellent liquidity, making it an accessible and reliable investment for many. The ETF's passive index-tracking strategy offers transparency and a predictable investment approach for investors seeking targeted sector exposure.
Risk Analysis
Volatility
The ETF's historical volatility is influenced by the inherent risks within the pharmaceutical industry, including regulatory changes, clinical trial failures, and competitive pressures.
Market Risk
Specific market risks for IHF include the possibility of adverse regulatory actions impacting drug pricing and approval processes, patent expirations leading to generic competition, and the high cost and uncertainty associated with drug research and development.
Investor Profile
Ideal Investor Profile
The ideal investor for IHF is one who seeks diversified exposure to the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and believes in the long-term growth potential of this sector. Investors should have a moderate to high risk tolerance due to the sector-specific risks involved.
Market Risk
IHF is best suited for long-term investors who wish to gain targeted exposure to the pharmaceutical industry as part of a diversified portfolio. It can also be considered by those who prefer a passive investment approach to a specific industry.
Summary
The iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHF) offers investors broad exposure to the U.S. pharmaceutical sector by tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Health Care Providers Index. Issued by BlackRock, it benefits from strong reputation and liquidity. The ETF is subject to industry-specific risks such as regulatory changes and R&D outcomes, but its diversified holdings and passive strategy make it a viable option for long-term investors seeking to capitalize on pharmaceutical innovation. Its expense ratio is competitive within its peer group.
Similar ETFs
Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- iShares by BlackRock Official Website
- Financial Data Providers (e.g., Bloomberg, Refinitiv)
- Index Provider Websites (e.g., Dow Jones Indices)
Disclaimers:
This JSON output is generated based on publicly available data and is for informational purposes only. It is not investment advice. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with a financial advisor before making investment decisions. Market share data is an estimation and can fluctuate.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF
Exchange NYSE ARCA | Headquaters - | ||
IPO Launch date - | CEO - | ||
Sector - | Industry - | Full time employees - | Website |
Full time employees - | Website | ||
The fund generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index and in investments that have economic characteristics that are substantially identical to the component securities of its underlying index. The underlying index measures the performance of the pharmaceuticals sector of the U.S. equity market. The underlying index includes pharmaceutical companies such as manufacturers of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or vaccines. The fund is non-diversified.

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