Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ACWX vs IBB: how they differ
ACWX and IBB hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF and iShares Biotechnology ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ACWX and IBB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | ACWX | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| Legend Biotech Corp | 0.01% | 0.34% |
| Only in ACWX | Only in IBB |
|---|---|
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Compa 4.69% | Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 8.09% |
| ASML Holding N.V. 1.54% | Amgen, Inc. 7.84% |
| SK hynix Inc. 1.33% | Gilead Sciences, Inc. 6.85% |
| Tencent Holdings Limited 1.07% | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 4.91% |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 0.86% | Argenx SE 3.76% |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 0.81% | Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 3.12% |
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited 0.79% | Natera, Inc. 2.89% |
| Novartis AG 0.77% | Revolution Medicines, Inc. 2.78% |
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.
| ACWX iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF | IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI ACWI ex U.S. | Biotechnology |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.0% | +41.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.5 pts | +24.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.44% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 35.6% |
| Holdings | 1759 | 248 |
ACWX in plain words
ACWX is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI ACWI ex U.S.. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +23.0% 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, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1759 positions, with the top ten at 14.6%.
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, ACWX or IBB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWX returned +23.0% and IBB returned +41.5%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ACWX or IBB?
- ACWX charges 0.32% a year and IBB charges 0.44%, so ACWX is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ACWX and IBB overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of ACWX and 36% of IBB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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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, ACWX against IBB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ACWX-IBB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources