Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
GOVT vs IBB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, GOVT returned −1.5% to IBB's +37.5%, and GOVT charges 0.05% to IBB's 0.44%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $42.8bn for iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and $11.0bn for iShares Biotechnology ETF.
Pair scorecard
GOVT costs 0.39 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 39.0 points; GOVT is 3.9 times larger.
| Measure | GOVT | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.5% | +37.5% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 8.1%, high on Aug 4, 2020 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond Index | Biotech |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.44% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $42.8bn | $11.0bn |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 99% | |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 40% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 50% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and IBB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
GOVT and IBB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
GOVT
GOVT tracks an index of U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.1% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 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 GOVT and IBB in the same category?
- GOVT is a bond 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, GOVT or IBB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.5% and IBB +37.5%.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or IBB?
- GOVT is cheaper, by 0.39 percentage points a year. That is about $39 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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.
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ETFIQ, GOVT against IBB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-ibb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). GOVT against IBB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-ibb
[GOVT against IBB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-ibb)
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