Which returned more over the last year, GOVT or XBI?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and XBI returned +64.0%, so XBI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, GOVT or XBI?

GOVT charges 0.05% a year and XBI charges 0.35%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

GOVT vs XBI: how they differ

GOVT and XBI hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XBI returned more over the year.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF and State Street(R) SPDR(R) S&P(R) Biotech ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, GOVT and XBI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in GOVT	Only in XBI
US TREASURY N/B 0.60%	MODERNA INC 2.87%
TREASURY NOTE (OTR) 0.55%	TWIST BIOSCIENCE CORP 1.81%
TREASURY BOND (OLD) 0.42%	HALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC 1.47%
TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.25%	NATERA INC 1.46%
TREASURY BOND (OTR) 0.16%	KYMERA THERAPEUTICS INC 1.45%
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY 0.11%	TRAVERE THERAPEUTICS INC 1.40%
TREASURY NOTE (OLD) 0.11%	ROIVANT SCIENCES LTD 1.39%
TREASURY BOND (2OLD) 0.08%	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.

GOVT and XBI on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	GOVT iShares U.S. Treasury Bond 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	U.S. Treasury Bond	SPDR S&P Biotech
Total return, 1 year	−1.0%	+64.0%
S&P 500 over the same days	+17.5%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−18.5 pts	+46.5 pts
Expense ratio	0.05%	0.35%
Holdings	216	154

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.

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, GOVT or XBI?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GOVT returned −1.0% and XBI returned +64.0%, so XBI returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, GOVT or XBI?: GOVT charges 0.05% a year and XBI charges 0.35%, so GOVT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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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.

GOVT against XBI, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, GOVT against XBI, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/govt-vs-xbi Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources