Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EWJ vs XBI: how they differ
EWJ and XBI hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XBI returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI Japan ETF and State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Biotech ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in EWJ | Only in XBI |
|---|---|
| MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 4.70% | MODERNA INC 2.87% |
| TOYOTA MOTOR 3.41% | TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORP 1.81% |
| SOFTBANK GROUP 3.04% | HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC 1.47% |
| SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP 3.01% | NATERA INC 1.46% |
| ADVANTEST 2.98% | KYMERA THERAPEUTICS INC 1.45% |
| TOKYO ELECTRON 2.82% | TRAVERE THERAPEUTICS INC 1.40% |
| HITACHI 2.75% | ROIVANT SCIENCES LTD 1.39% |
| KIOXIA HOLDINGS 2.68% | ORUKA THERAPEUTICS INC 1.38% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF | XBI State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Biotech ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | MSCI Japan | SPDR S&P Biotech |
| Total return, 1 year | +26.5% | +64.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +9.0 pts | +46.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.35% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 8.5% |
| Holdings | 171 | 154 |
EWJ in plain words
EWJ is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +26.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 171 positions, with the top ten at 30.4%.
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 Sep 10, 2026, 8% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 154 positions, with the top ten at 15.9%. 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, EWJ or XBI?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +26.5% and XBI returned +64.0%, so XBI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or XBI?
- EWJ charges 0.49% a year and XBI charges 0.35%, so XBI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EWJ and XBI overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EWJ 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.
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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, EWJ against XBI, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-xbi Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources