# Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX): Mutual Fund Facts & Distributions > Markdown mirror of https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vghcx for AI agents. Same live data as the HTML page, regenerated on the same refresh cycle. Not investment advice. - Issuer: Vanguard · Asset class: Sector Equity - Strategy: Actively Managed · Inception: 1984-05-23 For over a quarter-century, this actively managed fund has provided investors with an economical way to access a diverse range of companies operating within the global healthcare industry. Its holdings span various segments, including pharmaceutical developers, medical equipment manufacturers, and groundbreaking research institutions. Compared to other healthcare-focused funds, it generally boasts broader international exposure and tends to have a more stable portfolio with less frequent trading. However, a key consideration for investors is its specialized concentration, as all investments... ## Key Facts | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Price | $217.49 | | Expense Ratio | 0.33% | | Assets Under Management | $38.30B | | NAV | $217.49 | | Holdings Count | 0 | | Distribution Yield (TTM) | 5.97% | | Annual Distribution (TTM) | $12.98 /share | | Distribution Frequency | Semi-Annual | | 52-Week Range | $184.80 – $219.84 | | Beta | 0.54 | ## Latest Distribution - Amount: $7.6578 /share - Ex-date: 2026-03-30 - Pay date: 2026-03-31 ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does VGHCX invest in? For over a quarter-century, this actively managed fund has provided investors with an economical way to access a diverse range of companies operating within the global healthcare industry. Its holdings span various segments, including pharmaceutical developers, medical equipment manufacturers, and groundbreaking research institutions. Compared to other healthcare-focused funds, it generally boasts broader international exposure and tends to have a more stable portfolio with less frequent trading. However, a key consideration for investors is its specialized concentration, as all investments are exclusively confined to the healthcare sector. Given that yearly performance can fluctuate considerably, this fund is best suited as a supplementary component within a broader, well-rounded investment portfolio, especially for those with a long-term outlook. ### What is the expense ratio of VGHCX? Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX) charges an expense ratio of 0.33%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations. ### How big is VGHCX? Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX) manages $38.30B in total assets. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure. Funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation. ### Is VGHCX actively managed or an index fund? VGHCX is actively managed: the manager selects holdings rather than tracking an index. Active funds typically charge higher expense ratios than index funds (VGHCX's is 0.33%) in exchange for the discretion to over- or under-weight positions. ### When was VGHCX launched? Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX) launched in May 1984 and is managed by Vanguard. ### How has VGHCX performed? VGHCX's total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon. ### Does VGHCX pay a dividend? Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares (VGHCX) currently distributes little or no income. Trailing-twelve-month yield is 5.97%. Investors looking for income should consider income-focused alternatives. See the Peers tab. ### How often does VGHCX pay dividends? Vanguard Health Care Fund Investor Shares pays dividends Semi-Annual. Each ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date is listed in the dividend history table on this page. ### What is VGHCX's dividend yield? VGHCX's trailing-twelve-month yield is 5.97%, calculated from the sum of dividends over the past year divided by the current price. ### When is VGHCX's next ex-dividend date? The most recently announced ex-dividend date for VGHCX was 2026-03-30. The next ex-date typically follows Semi-Annual; once announced it appears at the top of the dividend history table on this page. ### How much will VGHCX's expense ratio cost me over 30 years? On a $10,000 investment compounding at 7% gross return, a 0.33% expense ratio quietly compounds against your balance every year. The Fee Compounding Forecast card above projects the dollar drag for any holding period and assumption you pick. The typical result for a 1.0% expense ratio on a 30-year hold is roughly 25% of the final balance lost to fees. ### How does VGHCX charge its expense ratio? The expense ratio is deducted in tiny daily slices from VGHCX's net asset value (NAV). You never see a bill. The price quoted on every exchange is already net of fees. There's no "fee day" to avoid; the cost is continuous and built into the trading price. ### Why does VGHCX cost more than a fund like VOO? VGHCX is actively managed (current expense ratio 0.33%). Active funds charge more than passive index trackers in exchange for the manager's discretion to over- or under-weight positions. The Cost Verdict card above tells you whether VGHCX's fee is competitive for the active-management cohort. ### Are there cheaper alternatives to VGHCX? The Lower-Fee Alternatives card above lists mutual funds following the same investment strategy as VGHCX (0.33%) but at a lower expense ratio. Each row shows the fee gap, the peer's AUM as a liquidity sanity-check, and a direct link to that fund's analysis page. Cheaper price doesn't automatically mean better. Verify the peer holds what you actually want. ## More on Dividend Data - Overview (HTML): https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vghcx - Distribution history: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vghcx/dividend - Holdings & diversification: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vghcx/diversification - Fees & cheaper alternatives: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vghcx/expenses - Peer comparison: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/vghcx/peers Data sourced from primary filings and market data providers; see https://www.dividenddata.com/methodology.