Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IBB vs PFF: how they differ
IBB and PFF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares Biotechnology ETF and iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IBB and PFF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IBB | Only in PFF |
|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 8.09% | BOEING COMPANY (THE) 3.99% |
| Amgen, Inc. 7.84% | STRATEGY INC 2.99% |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. 6.85% | WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 2.37% |
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 4.91% | ORACLE CORP 2.31% |
| Argenx SE 3.76% | HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY 1.79% |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 3.12% | BANK OF AMERICA CORP 1.47% |
| Natera, Inc. 2.89% | CITIGROUP CAPITAL XIII 1.33% |
| Revolution Medicines, Inc. 2.78% | ALBEMARLE CORP 1.31% |
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.
| IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF | PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Biotechnology | Preferred and Income Securities |
| Total return, 1 year | +41.5% | −0.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +24.0 pts | −18.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.44% | 0.45% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 35.6% | 21.6% |
| Holdings | 248 | 455 |
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.
PFF in plain words
PFF is an index equity fund tracking the Preferred and Income Securities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.45% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 455 positions, with the top ten at 19.9%. It sat 3.2% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IBB or PFF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +41.5% and PFF returned −0.8%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IBB or PFF?
- IBB charges 0.44% a year and PFF charges 0.45%, so IBB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IBB and PFF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 36% of IBB and 22% of PFF 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.
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, IBB against PFF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IBB-PFF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources