Over the previous four Octobers, XLV has traded higher three times with 2012 the outlier. XLV hovered around $40 at the end of October 2012, but patient investors were rewarded as the ETF surged to $46 at the end of the first quarter of 2013.
Investors looking for a pure play on health care providers can consider the iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF (NYSEArca: IHF), which has gained nearly 28% this year. However, IHF could find itself in the cross-hairs of the contentious, ongoing Obamacare debate. The ETF’s top holdings include Dow component UnitedHealth (NYSE: UNH), Express Scripts (NasdaqGM: ESRX) and WellPoint (NYSE: WLP). [Medical Device ETF Front and Center in Budget Debate]
iShares U.S. Healthcare Providers ETF
ETF Trends editorial team contributed to this post.