Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IBB vs VHT: how they differ
IBB and VHT hold 17% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares Biotechnology ETF and Vanguard Health Care Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IBB and VHT hold 17% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IBB | VHT |
|---|---|---|
| Amgen, Inc. | 7.84% | 2.87% |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | 6.85% | 2.64% |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 8.09% | 1.80% |
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 4.91% | 1.01% |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 3.12% | 0.63% |
| Natera, Inc. | 2.89% | 0.47% |
| Biogen, Inc. | 2.47% | 0.46% |
| Revolution Medicines, Inc. | 2.78% | 0.40% |
| Illumina, Inc. | 2.07% | 0.39% |
| Insmed, Inc. | 1.79% | 0.36% |
| United Therapeutics Corp. | 1.74% | 0.36% |
| Incyte Corp. | 1.75% | 0.26% |
| Only in IBB | Only in VHT |
|---|---|
| Argenx SE 3.76% | Eli Lilly & Co 14.07% |
| BeOne Medicines Ltd. 1.77% | Johnson & Johnson 8.48% |
| Roivant Sciences Ltd. 1.43% | AbbVie Inc 6.10% |
| Ascendis Pharma A/S 1.29% | UnitedHealth Group Inc 5.46% |
| Genmab A/S 1.12% | Merck & Co Inc 4.67% |
| Abivax SA 0.67% | Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 2.93% |
| Alkermes plc 0.67% | Intuitive Surgical Inc 2.39% |
| BioNTech SE 0.66% | Abbott Laboratories 2.36% |
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 and May 31, 2026.
| IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF | VHT Vanguard Health Care Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Biotechnology | Health Care |
| Total return, 1 year | +41.5% | +21.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +24.0 pts | +4.1 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.44% | 0.09% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 35.6% | 85.6% |
| Holdings | 248 | 401 |
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.
VHT in plain words
VHT is an index equity fund tracking the Health Care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +21.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.09% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 86% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 401 positions, with the top ten at 52.0%. It sat 5.7% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IBB or VHT?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +41.5% and VHT returned +21.6%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IBB or VHT?
- IBB charges 0.44% a year and VHT charges 0.09%, so VHT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IBB and VHT overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 36% of IBB and 86% of VHT by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 17% 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 VHT, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IBB-VHT Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources