Are FXI and IBB in the same category?

FXI is a stock ETF and IBB is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.

Which returned more over the last year, FXI or IBB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FXI returned −19.1% and IBB +37.5%.

Which is cheaper, FXI or IBB?

IBB is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do FXI and IBB overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 0% of FXI and 40% of IBB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

FXI vs IBB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FXI returned −19.1% to IBB's +37.5%, and IBB charges 0.44% to FXI's 0.73%.

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Net assets: $3.7bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares China Large-Cap ETF, and $11.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Biotechnology ETF.

FXI on its own →IBB on its own →

At a glance

−19.1%

FXI total return, 1 year

+37.5%

IBB total return, 1 year

0.73%

FXI expense ratio

0.44%

IBB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IBB costs 0.29 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 56.6 points; IBB is 2.9 times larger.

FXI vs IBB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FXI	IBB
Return
Measure	FXI	IBB
Total return, 1 year	−19.1%	+37.5%
Drawdown
Measure	FXI	IBB
Below its high	32.7%, high on Feb 17, 2021
Benchmark
Measure	FXI	IBB
What it tracks	FTSE China 50 Index	Biotech
Cost and size
Measure	FXI	IBB
Expense ratio	0.73%	0.44%
Net assets, as of Oct 26, 2026	$3.7bn	$10.7bn
Active share vs the S&P 500		99%
Holdings
Measure	FXI	IBB
Holdings in common	2%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	58.4%	50%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, FXI and IBB hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

2% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FXI IBB

BEONE MEDICINES AG 2.11% 2.15%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FXI

CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK CORP H 9.81%

ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING 8.63%

TENCENT HOLDINGS 8.60%

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL BANK OF 6.69%

XIAOMI 4.86%

BANK OF CHINA LTD H 4.76%

MEITUAN 4.58%

NETEASE 3.85%

Only in IBB

GILEAD SCIENCES 8.56%

AMGEN INC 8.20%

VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS 7.53%

REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS 5.64%

MODERNA 5.29%

NATERA 3.85%

ARGENX SE ADR 3.42%

ILLUMINA INC 2.93%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

FXI iShares China Large-Cap ETF IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Thematic ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Tracks an index of China Large-Cap Biotech

Total return, 1 year −19.1% +37.5%

Expense ratio 0.73% 0.44%

Already in the S&P 500 0.0% 40.2%

Holdings 51 245

Net assets, FXI as of Oct 28, 2026 and IBB as of Oct 27, 2026 $3.7bn $11.0bn

FXI and IBB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

FXI

FXI tracks an index of China Large-Cap. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −19.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.73% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 51 positions, with the top ten at 58.4%. It sat 32.7% below its high of Feb 17, 2021 on Oct 28, 2026.

IBB

By weight, 40% of IBB's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 99%. The top ten holdings are 50% of the fund across 245 positions, as published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 the fund returned +37.5% with distributions reinvested.

Questions people ask

Are FXI and IBB in the same category?: FXI is a stock ETF and IBB is a thematic ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, FXI or IBB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FXI returned −19.1% and IBB +37.5%.
Which is cheaper, FXI or IBB?: IBB is cheaper, by 0.29 percentage points a year. That is about $29 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do FXI and IBB overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 0% of FXI and 40% of IBB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

FXI vs XBI CGBL vs FXI BITO vs FXI FXI vs IWO EWT vs IBB IBB vs URTH IBB vs VPL EWJ vs IBB

Where to next

FXI on its own →IBB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →FXI dividend history →FXI holdings →IBB dividend history →IBB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FXI and IBB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FXI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for FXI ↗

IBB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IBB ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, FXI against IBB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fxi-vs-ibb

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.