For example, Vanguard Health Care ETF (NYSEArca: VHT) holdings are disclosed with numbers as of the month-end September 30, 2014, whereas rival Health Care Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLV) holdings data are as of October 28, 2014.
Nevertheless, even if a passive ETF did not disclose its holdings, investors can still get a glimpse of the ETF’s holdings through the index.
The looser daily disclosure rule, though, may not apply to actively managed ETFs since active ETFs have no benchmark that would provide the full transparency for authorized participants. Consequently, the SEC has required all listed active ETFs to disclose holdings on a daily basis so far.
Holdings Data: VHT & XLV
For more information on ETFs, visit our ETF 101 category.