HELX vs IBB: Grades, Fees and Holdings Compared

Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF

HELXCCboe

iShares Biotechnology ETF

IBBANasdaq

Overlap

26.4%by weight

Expense ratio

IBB −0.06pt a year

HELX0.50%IBB0.44%

Avg volume · 30D

IBB 319.4×the volume

HELX5.25KIBB1.68M

5Y return · a year

IBB +10.0pt

HELX−2.6%IBB+7.4%

HELX vs IBB Performance

Nov 9, 2021 – Nov 9, 2026

−12.5%HELX+43.0%IBB

Expense ratio: HELX 0.50%; IBB 0.44%, better
Fund size: HELX $34M; IBB $11.1B
1Y total return: HELX +28.7%; IBB +39.5%, better
Yield (12M): HELX 0.33%, better; IBB 0.15%
Holdings: HELX 68; IBB 243
Avg volume (30D): HELX 5.25K sh; IBB 1.68M sh, better
NAV per share: HELX $42.18; IBB $213.68
52W range

ETF.net Grade

Pillar letters and Scores for HELX, IBB, with each pillar’s weight
Pillar	HELX	IBB
Cost30% weight	D38	B69Higher
Mission25% weight	Not scored	A83
Risk15% weight	D36	A70Higher
Tradability15% weight	D34	A96Higher
Holdings10% weight	B61Higher	C46
Durability5% weight	C43	A89Higher

Rank among Biotech & Genomics funds

How we build Categories ›

Same Category. HELX and IBB are both graded against the same 17 Biotech & Genomics funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Biotech & Genomics⁠

Category · 17 funds

See all 17 ›

IBB ranks 3rd and HELX 13th of 17 funds in the Biotech & Genomics Category.

Rank 1AXBIState Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETFScore 79
Rank 2AIBBQInvesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETFScore 77
Rank 3AIBBiShares Biotechnology ETFScore 75
Rank 4ABBPVirtus Biotech ETFScore 74
Rank 11CWDNAWisdomTree BioRevolution FundScore 40
Rank 13CHELXFranklin Genomic Advancements ETFScore 39
Rank 14DGNOMGlobal X Genomics & Biotechnology ETFScore 37

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

HELXCFranklin Genomic Advancements ETF

IBBAiShares Biotechnology ETF

In short

HELX Most genomics funds hand you an index. Franklin's take is a stock-picker's portfolio of roughly 60 global names tied to gene sequencing, gene therapy and precision medicine, launched in 2020 with a plain mandate: capital appreciation.

IBB Biotech'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.

Stated mandate

HELX The Fund seeks capital appreciation.

IBB The Fund seeks to track an index composed of U.S.-listed equities focused on the biotechnology sector.

Why people hold it

HELX A concentrated bet, not a basket: about 60 global holdings across the genomics chain, so individual breakthroughs actually move the fund instead of being diluted by hundreds of names.
Global by design. The mandate is not fenced to US listings, which matters in a field where sequencing and gene-therapy leaders sit in Europe and Asia too.
Fee sits right at the middle of the genomics and biotech peer group at 0.50%, so you are not paying a premium over the typical thematic competitor for a discretionary approach.
Live since 2020, giving it a multi-year record through a brutal stretch for biotech, rather than a launch-window track record.

IBB 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

HELX It is a small, thinly traded fund. Use limit orders, expect wider spreads than the big index names, and know that small ETFs carry more closure risk than entrenched ones.
The low-cost, high-liquidity lane in this category belongs to index products like IBBQ (0.19%) and IBB (0.44%). HELX's case rests on the manager's picks, not on price or trading ease.
Genomics is a growth-style, high-volatility corner of health care. Clinical trial results and rate moves can swing a 60-stock portfolio hard in both directions.

IBB 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.

Full HELX profile⁠

Full IBB profile⁠

HELX vs IBB Holdings

How HELX and IBB differ

Overlap by weight

26.4%

Shared holdings make up 64.1% of HELX and 47.2% of IBB.

Level by level

Holdings38 in both26.4%
Countryby domicile96.6%
Sector4 Sectors96.8%
Asset classStocks100%

Sector

Sector weights in HELX and IBB, widest gap first
Sector	Gap	HELX	IBB
Health Care	IBB +3.2 points	96.8%	100.0%
Financials	HELX +2.2 points	2.2%	0.0%
Technology	HELX +0.7 points	0.7%	0.0%
Materials	HELX +0.4 points	0.4%	0.0%

Country, concentration and asset class

Country by domicile

Country weights in HELX and IBB, widest gap first
Country	Gap	HELX	IBB
Denmark	IBB +1.3 points	0.8%	2.1%
South Korea	HELX +1.1 points	1.1%	0.0%
Germany	HELX +0.9 points	0.9%	0.0%
United States	HELX +0.9 points	95.3%	94.4%
Switzerland	HELX +0.5 points	0.8%	0.3%
Other countries (9)	IBB +2.2 points	1.0%	3.2%

Concentration

Weight in the 10 largest Holdings

HELX46.4%
IBB51.6%

Securities held

HELX67
IBB241

Asset class

HELX: Stocks
IBB: Stocks

Holdings

Only in HELX29
In both38
Only in IBB203

Only in HELX

29 securities, 35.8% of HELX by weight

Guardant Health Inc8.65%
Ligand Pharmaceuticals4.61%
Eli Lilly & Co2.75%
Vylor Inc2.17%
Argenx SE1.52%
Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC1.41%
Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals I1.19%
Royalty Pharma Plc- Class A1.12%
Iqvia Holdings Inc1.11%
Hinge Health Inc-A1.10%
Samsung Biologics Co Ltd1.01%
Thermo Fisher Scientific0.99%
Sartorius Ag-Vorzug0.99%
First Tracks Biotherapeut0.76%
Agilent Technologies Inc0.72%
Eton Pharmaceuticals Inc0.71%
Cadence Design Sys Inc0.70%
Glaukos Corp0.62%
Qiagen N.v.0.58%
Astrazeneca PLC0.58%
Veradermics Inc0.56%
Tg Therapeutics Inc0.55%
Corteva Inc0.37%
Celcuity Inc0.34%
Bio-Rad Laboratories-A0.31%
Samsung Episholdings Co L0.14%
Liquidia Corp0.13%
Genedx Holdings Corp0.12%
Samsung Bio Rts<0.01%

Only in IBB

203 securities, 52.7% of IBB by weight

Gilead Sciences8.90%
Amgen Inc8.36%
Argenx SE Adr3.56%
Biogen2.52%
Illumina Inc2.22%
Incyte Corp1.66%
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals1.44%
Exelixis Inc1.15%
Ascendis Pharma1.09%
Halozyme Therapeutics0.80%
Bio Techne0.78%
Biomarin Pharmaceutical0.74%
Kymera Therapeutics0.68%
Vaxcyte0.64%
Madrigal Pharmaceuticals0.59%
Spyre Therapeutics Inc0.57%
Protagonist Therapeutics0.56%
Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals0.53%
Alkermes0.52%
Cytokinetics0.49%
Bruker0.47%
Ionis Pharmaceuticals0.44%
Abivax American Depositary Shares0.43%
Oruka Therapeutics0.42%
Kodiak Sciences0.40%
Mirum Pharmaceuticals0.34%
Scholar Rock Holding0.32%
Cg Oncology0.31%
Definium Therapeutics Inc0.29%
Legend Biotech Adr Rep0.27%
Edgewise Therapeutics0.25%
Acadia Pharmaceuticals0.25%
Xenon Pharmaceuticals0.25%
Erasca0.25%
Immunitybio0.23%
Caris Life Sciences0.22%
Relay Therapeutics0.22%
Iovance Biotherapeutics Inc0.22%
Amylyx Pharmaceuticals0.22%
Denali Therapeutics0.21%
Enliven Therapeutics0.21%
Tango Therapeutics0.21%
Abcellera Biologics0.20%
Ideaya Biosciences0.20%
Dyne Therapeutics0.19%
Vericel0.19%
Adma Biologics0.19%
Immunovant0.18%
Xencor0.17%
Summit Therapeutics0.17%

Weight gaps

All 38 Holdings in both funds, largest gap first.

Holding weights in HELX and IBB, widest gap first
Holding	Gap	HELX	IBB
Moderna IncMRNA	IBB +5.57 points	0.84%	6.41%
Natera IncNTRA	HELX +5.19 points	8.08%	2.89%
Vertex Pharmaceuticals InVRTX	IBB +4.98 points	2.86%	7.84%
Adaptive BiotechnologiesADPT	HELX +4.62 points	4.92%	0.30%
Krystal Biotech IncKRYS	HELX +4.31 points	4.85%	0.54%
Regeneron PharmaceuticalsREGN	IBB +3.73 points	2.46%	6.19%
Twist Bioscience CorpTWST	HELX +2.93 points	3.46%	0.53%
Bridgebio Pharma IncBBIO	HELX +2.40 points	3.30%	0.90%
Travere Therapeutics IncTVTX	HELX +2.07 points	2.38%	0.31%
Beone Medicines Ltd-AdrONC	IBB +2.05 points	0.31%	2.36%
Medpace Holdings IncMEDP	HELX +1.91 points	2.92%	1.01%
Caredx IncCDNA	HELX +1.87 points	2.13%	0.26%
Revolution Medicines IncRVMD	IBB +1.62 points	0.94%	2.56%
Tempus Ai Inc-Cl ATEM	HELX +1.54 points	2.11%	0.57%
Grail IncGRAL	HELX +1.48 points	1.83%	0.35%
Repligen CorpRGEN	HELX +1.24 points	1.96%	0.72%
Genmab A/S -Sp AdrGMAB	IBB +1.18 points	0.87%	2.05%
United Therapeutics CorpUTHR	HELX +1.11 points	2.72%	1.61%
Stoke Therapeutics IncSTOK	HELX +0.92 points	1.02%	0.10%
Roivant Sciences LtdROIV	IBB +0.90 points	0.51%	1.41%
Ptc Therapeutics IncPTCT	HELX +0.75 points	1.11%	0.36%
Insmed IncINSM	IBB +0.71 points	0.99%	1.70%
Charles River LaboratorieCRL	HELX +0.68 points	1.78%	1.10%
Anaptysbio IncANAB	HELX +0.58 points	0.67%	0.09%
Neurocrine Biosciences InNBIX	HELX +0.56 points	1.70%	1.14%
Crispr Therapeutics AGCRSP	HELX +0.54 points	0.85%	0.31%
Biontech Se-AdrBNTX	HELX +0.51 points	1.09%	0.58%
Beam Therapeutics IncBEAM	HELX +0.51 points	0.68%	0.17%
Praxis Precision MedicinePRAX	HELX +0.51 points	1.01%	0.50%
10X Genomics Inc-Class ATXG	HELX +0.47 points	0.94%	0.47%
Veracyte IncVCYT	HELX +0.43 points	0.56%	0.13%
Mineralys Therapeutics InMLYS	HELX +0.20 points	0.26%	0.06%
Arcutis Biotherapeutics IARQT	HELX +0.19 points	0.38%	0.19%
Neurogene IncNGNE	HELX +0.14 points	0.17%	0.03%
Rhythm Pharmaceuticals InRYTM	IBB +0.11 points	0.40%	0.51%
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals InTARS	HELX +0.04 points	0.26%	0.22%
Cogent Biosciences IncCOGT	HELX +0.03 points	0.37%	0.34%
Axsome Therapeutics IncAXSM	HELX +0.02 points	0.42%	0.40%

All 63 HELX holdings⁠All 243 IBB holdings⁠

How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

HELX vs IBB Cost

Overpaying HELX vs IBB

$1,127

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

HELX 0.50%
$9,979
IBB 0.44%
$8,852

Amount$10,000

Years30 years

Cost over time

HELX 0.50%
IBB 0.44%
Overpaying

Year by year

Year	HELX	IBB	Overpaying
10	$900	$794	$106
20	$3,460	$3,061	$399
30	$9,979	$8,852	$1,127

Expense ratio

0.50%HELX
0.44%IBB, cheaper

IBB0.44%HELX0.50%

0.19%0.75%

Middle half of Biotech & Genomics funds
Median 0.47%

IBB 6th cheapest of 17 funds

HELX 10th cheapest of 17 funds

HELX vs IBB Dividends

Last 12 months to Nov 9, 2026

Yield (12M): HELX 0.33%, better; IBB 0.15%
Payout (12M): HELX $0.14; IBB $0.34
Last payment: HELX $0.14; IBB $0.01
Ex-dividend: HELX Dec 30, 2025; IBB Sep 15, 2026
Paid on: HELX Jan 8, 2026; IBB Sep 18, 2026
Frequency: HELX Irregular; IBB Quarterly

Distribution history

Per share, 2023 to 2026, same scale for both

HELXIrregular · 1 paymentAll HELX payments⁠

IBBQuarterly · 13 paymentsAll IBB payments⁠

HELX vs IBB Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

HELX
IBB

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years: HELX 20.8%IBB 17.9%, better
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years: HELX 0.82IBB 1.07, better
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years: HELX −52.9%IBB −32.1%, better
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years: HELX 0.98IBB 0.70; Market = 1

HELX and IBB in the news

All news⁠

Deep Dive
Moderna fell 18% on cancer-vaccine data, and genomics ETFs fell 4%
Oct 23, 2026IBB
News
AstraZeneca agrees to invest $2 billion in Summit, without the drug rights
Sep 28, 2026IBB
Deep Dive
Health care's 1.8% week was four large caps, not a biotech rally
Sep 19, 2026IBB
Deep Dive
Health care ETFs spent 2026 between a 28% biotech rally and a 16% device slide
Sep 14, 2026IBB

Popular comparisons

HELXCvsXBIA
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF · State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
Expense ratio
0.50% · 0.35%
Category
IBBAvsXBIA
iShares Biotechnology ETF · State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
Expense ratio
0.44% · 0.35%
Category
HELXCvsIBBQA
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF · Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF
Expense ratio
0.50% · 0.19%
Category
IBBAvsIBBQA
iShares Biotechnology ETF · Invesco Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF
Expense ratio
0.44% · 0.19%
Category
HELXCvsBBPA
Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF · Virtus Biotech ETF
Expense ratio
0.50% · 0.34%
Category
IBBAvsBBPA
iShares Biotechnology ETF · Virtus Biotech ETF
Expense ratio
0.44% · 0.34%
Category

HELX vs IBB

In short

Stated mandate

Why people hold it