Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
AIRR vs XBI: how they differ
Over the year XBI returned more, +64.0% against +15.0%, and XBI charges 0.35% against 0.69%.
First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF and State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Biotech ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, AIRR and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in AIRR | Only in XBI |
|---|---|
| STERLING INFRASTRUCTURE INC 6.00% | Apogee Therapeutics Inc 1.49% |
| ARGAN INC 4.73% | Moderna Inc 1.41% |
| COMFORT SYSTEMS USA INC 4.42% | Twist Bioscience Corp 1.41% |
| MASTEC INC 4.18% | Oruka Therapeutics Inc 1.38% |
| CH ROBINSON WORLDWIDE INC 4.08% | Kymera Therapeutics Inc 1.36% |
| OWENS CORNING 3.90% | Viking Therapeutics Inc 1.31% |
| DYCOM INDUSTRIES INC 3.76% | Praxis Precision Medicines Inc 1.29% |
| EMCOR GROUP INC 3.75% | Erasca Inc 1.27% |
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 Jun 30, 2026.
| AIRR First Trust RBA American Industrial Renaissance ETF | XBI State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Biotech ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | First Trust | State Street |
| What it is | Reshoring and manufacturing | SPDR S&P Biotech |
| Total return, 1 year | +15.0% | +64.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −2.5 pts | +46.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.35% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 5.5% | 8.5% |
| Holdings | 58 | 150 |
AIRR in plain words
By weight, 6% of AIRR's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 100%. The top ten holdings are 30% of the fund across 58 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +15.0% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 2.5 pts. It sits 19.5% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.
XBI in plain words
XBI is an index equity fund tracking the SPDR S&P Biotech. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +64.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.35% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 8% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 150 positions, with the top ten at 13.3%. It sat 9.6% below its high of Feb 8, 2021 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, AIRR or XBI?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, AIRR returned +15.0% and XBI returned +64.0%, so XBI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, AIRR or XBI?
- AIRR charges 0.69% a year and XBI charges 0.35%, so XBI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do AIRR and XBI overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 6% of AIRR and 8% of XBI 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.
- Are AIRR and XBI the same kind of fund?
- No. AIRR is a thematic ETF and XBI is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
Where to next
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, AIRR against XBI, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/AIRR-XBI Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources