Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
IBB vs XLV: how they differ
IBB and XLV hold 11% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares Biotechnology ETF and State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IBB and XLV hold 11% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | IBB | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| Amgen, Inc. | 7.84% | 3.41% |
| Gilead Sciences, Inc. | 6.85% | 2.74% |
| Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 8.09% | 2.20% |
| Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | 4.91% | 1.09% |
| Biogen, Inc. | 2.47% | 0.56% |
| Moderna, Inc. | 1.99% | 0.43% |
| Incyte Corp. | 1.75% | 0.33% |
| Bio-Techne Corp. | 0.86% | 0.19% |
| Charles River Laboratories International | 0.84% | 0.19% |
| Only in IBB | Only in XLV |
|---|---|
| Argenx SE 3.76% | Eli Lilly & Co 16.56% |
| Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 3.12% | Johnson & Johnson 10.67% |
| Natera, Inc. 2.89% | AbbVie Inc 7.76% |
| Revolution Medicines, Inc. 2.78% | UnitedHealth Group Inc 6.59% |
| Illumina, Inc. 2.07% | Merck & Co Inc 5.54% |
| Insmed, Inc. 1.79% | Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 3.25% |
| BeOne Medicines Ltd. 1.77% | Abbott Laboratories 2.76% |
| United Therapeutics Corp. 1.74% | Intuitive Surgical Inc 2.46% |
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 | XLV State Street(R) Health Care Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | Biotechnology | Health care |
| Total return, 1 year | +41.5% | +20.4% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +24.0 pts | +2.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.44% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 35.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 248 | 59 |
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.
XLV in plain words
XLV is an index equity fund tracking the Health care. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +20.4% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 59 positions, with the top ten at 61.7%. It sat 5.9% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, IBB or XLV?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +41.5% and XLV returned +20.4%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, IBB or XLV?
- IBB charges 0.44% a year and XLV charges 0.08%, so XLV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do IBB and XLV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 36% of IBB and 100% of XLV by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 11% 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 XLV, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/IBB-XLV Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources