Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IBB vs VUG: how they differ
IBB and VUG hold 1% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares Biotechnology ETF and Vanguard Growth Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IBB and VUG hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IBB | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 8.09% | 0.36% |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 3.12% | 0.13% |
| Insmed, Inc. | 1.79% | 0.05% |
| Only in IBB | Only in VUG |
|---|---|
| Amgen, Inc. 7.84% | NVIDIA Corp 12.63% |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. 6.85% | Apple Inc 11.67% |
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 4.91% | Microsoft Corp 7.62% |
| Argenx SE 3.76% | Alphabet Inc 5.76% |
| Natera, Inc. 2.89% | Alphabet Inc 4.54% |
| Revolution Medicines, Inc. 2.78% | Amazon.com Inc 4.47% |
| Biogen, Inc. 2.47% | Broadcom Inc 4.29% |
| Illumina, Inc. 2.07% | Meta Platforms Inc 3.41% |
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 | VUG Vanguard Growth Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | Biotechnology | US growth |
| Total return, 1 year | +41.5% | +12.9% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +24.0 pts | −4.6 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.44% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 35.6% | 97.4% |
| Holdings | 248 | 147 |
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.
VUG in plain words
VUG is an index equity fund tracking the US growth. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +12.9% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 147 positions, with the top ten at 60.5%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IBB or VUG?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +41.5% and VUG returned +12.9%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IBB or VUG?
- IBB charges 0.44% a year and VUG charges 0.03%, so VUG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IBB and VUG overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 36% of IBB and 97% of VUG 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.
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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 VUG, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IBB-VUG Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources