Should You Invest in the VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH)?

Core Insights - The VanEck Pharmaceutical ETF (PPH) offers broad exposure to the Healthcare - Pharma segment, appealing to both institutional and retail investors due to its low cost and transparency [1][2] - The fund has assets exceeding $497.25 million and aims to match the performance of the MVIS US Listed Pharmaceutical 25 Index [3][4] Costs - PPH has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.36%, making it one of the cheaper options in the ETF space, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.27% [5] Sector Exposure and Top Holdings - The ETF's top holding is Eli Lilly & Co (LLY), which constitutes approximately 18.57% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Novartis Ag (NVS). The top 10 holdings represent about 73.03% of total assets [6] Performance and Risk - As of July 22, 2025, PPH has a return of roughly 0.81% and is down about -4.46% year-to-date. The ETF has traded between $80.28 and $99.43 over the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 0.54 and a standard deviation of 14% for the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [7] Alternatives - PPH carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting it is a reasonable option for investors seeking exposure to the Healthcare ETFs market. Other alternatives include Invesco Pharmaceuticals ETF (PJP) and iShares U.S. Pharmaceuticals ETF (IHE) [8][9]