ETF Evaluator:
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Health Over the Last Year
| 129.4% | Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trls ETF (BBC) |
| 94.1% | ALPS Medical Breakthroughs ETF (SBIO) |
| 88.4% | F/m Emerald Life Sciences Innovation ETF (LFSC) |
| 72.5% | State Street® SPDR® S&P® Biotech ETF (XBI) |
| 65.8% | State Street® SPDR® S&P® PhrmctlsETF (XPH) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF Overview
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF (HELX) is an actively managed Sector Equity Health exchange-traded fund (ETF). Franklin Templeton Investments launched the ETF in 2020.
The investment seeks capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of companies that are relevant to its investment theme of genomic advancements. The fund invests predominantly in common stock. Although it may invest across economic sectors, the fund concentrates its investments in health care related industries. It is non-diversified.
About Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF (HELX)
There are 1 members of the management team with an average tenure of 6.43 years: Matthew Moberg (2020). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 1 primary benchmark: Russell 3000 TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF has 71 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 47.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a nondiversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF has 8.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 91.9% There is 8.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF has 0.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $29 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Health category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
HELX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Health category. Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF has an expense ratio of 0.50%, which is 3% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 29%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 45% for the Health category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF returned -2.8%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Health category had an average return of -0.1%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF has a trailing yield of 0.37%, which is below the 1.10% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 6.9%, 2.8 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 40.3% over the past year (grade of C), 7.6% over the past three years (grade of D) and -6.0% per year over the past five years (grade of F).
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
HELX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| HELX Return (NAV) | -2.8% | 16.1% | 40.3% | 7.6% | -6.0% | na |
| HELX Return (Price) | -2.8% | 16.3% | 40.3% | 7.7% | -5.9% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.058% | -0.122% | 0.034% | -0.057% | -0.023% | na |
| Health Avg | -0.1% | 11.2% | 36.9% | 9.9% | 1.6% | 8.7% |
| HELX Grade (NAV) | F | A | C | D | F | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -2.7% | 4.9% | 3.4% | -2.3% | -7.6% | na |
| HELX Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | na |
HELX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| HELX Return (NAV) | 6.9% | 25.9% | -5.1% | 1.2% | -37.9% | 9.7% | na | na | na | na | na |
| HELX Return (Price) | 7.0% | 26.3% | -5.3% | 1.1% | -37.9% | 9.8% | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.004% | 0.018% | 0.046% | -0.074% | 0.001% | 0.014% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Health Avg | 9.7% | 21.8% | 0.1% | 2.2% | -16.3% | 4.3% | 30.5% | 25.4% | -1.5% | 26.5% | -10.2% |
| HELX Grade (NAV) | C | B | F | D | F | C | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -2.8% | 4.1% | -5.2% | -1.0% | -21.6% | 5.4% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.99 |
| R-Squared: | 32% |
| Standard Deviation: | 22.0% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.10 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.80 |
| Total Risk Rating: | High |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.4% |
| Total Assets: | $ 29 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 29 Mil |
| Turnover: | 29.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.50% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Russell 3000 TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 1 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 6.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 6.4 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Moberg Matthew (2020) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 71 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 47.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | Yes |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 8.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 91.9% |
| Foreign Stock: | 8.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.1% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Franklin Templeton Investments |
| Phone Number: | 800-342-5236 |
| Website: | etf.franklintempleton.com |
| Inception Date: | February 25, 2020 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.50% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.52% |
