iShares Biotechnology ETF
$200.02−4.24 (−2.08%)
- 0.44%
- $10.8B
- +36.5%
- 0.17%
- 1.6M sh
- $206.30
- low $149.09high $217.12
The ETF.net IBB Grade
A
Score 73 out of 100
- 4 of 17
Score 73 of 100 falls in the A band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.B69 out of 100Rank 6 of 17Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A83 out of 100Rank 6 of 9Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.B61 out of 100Rank 8 of 17Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A93 out of 100Rank 2 of 17Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C46 out of 100Rank 13 of 17Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A89 out of 100Rank 1 of 17
Our read on IBB
ABiotech's original index fund. Since 2001 IBB has packed the whole US biotech sector, roughly 250 names, into one line item for 0.44% a year, below what the typical biotech fund charges.
The Fund seeks to track an index composed of U.S.-listed equities focused on the biotechnology sector.
Why people hold it
- A 2001 launch makes it one of the sector's originals, and it has grown into a multi-billion-dollar fund that trades actively.
- Roughly 250 stocks, so the whole US biotech bench comes along instead of a few marquee drugmakers.
- 0.44% a year, set by the prospectus and below the median fee in its biotech peer group.
- Sticks closely to the job in its prospectus: US-listed biotech equities, nothing exotic bolted on. That lands it in the upper half of its peer group.ishares.com
Worth knowing
- Cheaper seats exist in the same aisle: IBBQ at 0.19%, BBP at 0.34%, XBI at 0.35%.
- One industry carries the whole fund. Trial readouts, FDA decisions and patent expiries drive it, with no other sector to cushion a rough patch.
- Distributions arrive quarterly, but biotech is a growth sector and payouts are a side effect, not the point.
IBB Holdings
- Stocks
- 244
- 50%
- GILD
Sectors
- Biotechnology87.6%
- Life Sciences Tools & Services9.3%
- Pharmaceuticals2.9%
- Health Care Services0.1%
- Health Care Equipment0.1%
Geography
- United States86.83%
- Netherlands3.59%
- Switzerland2.50%
- Denmark2.48%
- United Kingdom1.69%
- Germany0.66%
- Canada0.60%
- Ireland0.58%
- 1.06%
IBB Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
IBB$13,649
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | IBB |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +21.1% |
| 1 month | +0.7% |
| 3 months | +6.4% |
| 1 year | +36.5% |
| 3 years | +19.3% |
| 5 years | +6.0% |
| 10 years | +8.8% |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +21.1% | |
| 2025 | +28.0% | |
| 2024 | −2.4% | |
| 2023 | +3.8% | |
| 2022 | −13.7% | |
| 2021 | +1.0% | |
| 2020 | +26.0% |
IBB in the news
IBB Dividends
- 0.17%
- $0.34
- $0.01 per share
- Quarterly
Distribution history
IBB Risk
- 18.6%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 0.84
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −35.7%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 0.70
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
IBB Cost
0.44%
IBB0.44%
- The middle half of Biotech & Genomics funds
- Median 0.47%
5 of the 17 Biotech & Genomics funds charge less.
Other funds in Biotech & Genomics
- AIBBQInvesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETFExpense ratio 0.19%1 year return +37.5%
- ABBPVirtus Biotech ETFExpense ratio 0.34%1 year return +47.9%
- BBBHVanEck Biotech ETFExpense ratio 0.35%1 year return +39.7%
- BFBTFirst Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index FundExpense ratio 0.55%1 year return +44.7%
- BIDNAiShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETFExpense ratio 0.47%1 year return +74.8%