Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWI vs IBB: how they differ
ACWI and IBB hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ETF and iShares Biotechnology ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWI and IBB hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWI | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| AMGEN INC. | 0.19% | 7.84% |
| GILEAD SCIENCES, INC. | 0.16% | 6.85% |
| VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED | 0.11% | 8.09% |
| REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | 0.07% | 4.91% |
| ALNYLAM PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. | 0.04% | 3.12% |
| INSMED INCORPORATED | 0.03% | 1.79% |
| BIOGEN INC. | 0.03% | 2.47% |
| NATERA, INC. | 0.03% | 2.89% |
| UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION | 0.02% | 1.74% |
| ILLUMINA, INC. | 0.02% | 2.07% |
| REVOLUTION MEDICINES, INC. | 0.02% | 2.78% |
| INCYTE CORPORATION | 0.02% | 1.75% |
| Only in ACWI | Only in IBB |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORPORATION 4.89% | Argenx SE 3.76% |
| APPLE INC. 4.02% | Moderna, Inc. 1.99% |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION 2.90% | BeOne Medicines Ltd. 1.77% |
| AMAZON.COM, INC. 2.58% | Roivant Sciences Ltd. 1.43% |
| ALPHABET INC. 2.26% | Ascendis Pharma A/S 1.29% |
| BROADCOM INC. 1.90% | Genmab A/S 1.12% |
| ALPHABET INC. 1.87% | Exelixis, Inc. 1.03% |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 1.73% | Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 1.00% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| ACWI iShares MSCI ACWI ETF | IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI | Biotechnology |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | +41.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | +24.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.44% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 61.4% | 35.6% |
| Holdings | 2307 | 248 |
ACWI in plain words
ACWI is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI ACWI. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 61% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2307 positions, with the top ten at 24.6%.
IBB in plain words
IBB is an index equity fund tracking the Biotechnology. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +41.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.44% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 36% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 248 positions, with the top ten at 44.8%. It sat 6.5% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWI or IBB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWI returned +19.1% and IBB returned +41.5%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWI or IBB?
- ACWI charges 0.32% a year and IBB charges 0.44%, so ACWI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWI and IBB overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 61% of ACWI and 36% of IBB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 1% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, ACWI against IBB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ACWI-IBB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources