Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GOVT vs IBB: how they differ
GOVT and IBB hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and IBB returned more over the year.
iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and iShares Biotechnology ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and IBB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in GOVT | Only in IBB |
|---|---|
| US TREASURY N/B 0.60% | VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS 7.94% |
| TREASURY NOTE (OTR) 0.55% | AMGEN INC 7.85% |
| TREASURY BOND (OLD) 0.42% | GILEAD SCIENCES 7.44% |
| TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.25% | REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS 5.92% |
| TREASURY BOND (OTR) 0.16% | ARGENX SE ADR 3.78% |
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 0.11% | MODERNA 3.67% |
| TREASURY NOTE (OLD) 0.11% | NATERA 3.30% |
| TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 0.08% | REVOLUTION MEDICINES 2.87% |
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.
| GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF | IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | U.S. Treasury Bond | Biotechnology |
| Total return, 1 year | −1.0% | +41.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.5 pts | +24.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.05% | 0.44% |
| Holdings | 216 | 233 |
GOVT in plain words
GOVT is a bond fund tracking the U.S. Treasury Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −1.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. It sat 8.4% below its high of Aug 4, 2020 on Sep 11, 2026.
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 Sep 10, 2026, 36% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 233 positions, with the top ten at 47.5%. It sat 6.5% below its high of Aug 19, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or IBB?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and IBB returned +41.5%, so IBB returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GOVT or IBB?
- GOVT charges 0.05% a year and IBB charges 0.44%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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, GOVT against IBB, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-ibb Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources