Are IBB and IUSB in the same category?

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

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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +37.5% and IUSB −1.2%.

Which is cheaper, IBB or IUSB?

IUSB is cheaper, by 0.38 percentage points a year. That is about $38 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IBB vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IBB returned +37.5% to IUSB's −1.2%, and IUSB charges 0.06% to IBB's 0.44%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $11.0bn for iShares Biotechnology ETF and $49.8bn for iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF.

IBB on its own →IUSB on its own →

At a glance

+37.5%

IBB total return, 1 year

−1.2%

IUSB total return, 1 year

0.44%

IBB expense ratio

0.06%

IUSB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

IUSB costs 0.38 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 38.7 points; IUSB is 4.5 times larger.

IBB vs IUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IBB	IUSB
Return
Measure	IBB	IUSB
Total return, 1 year	+37.5%	−1.2%
Benchmark
Measure	IBB	IUSB
What it tracks	Biotech	Bloomberg U.S. Universal Index
Cost and size
Measure	IBB	IUSB
Expense ratio	0.44%	0.06%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$11.0bn	$49.8bn
Active share vs the S&P 500	99%
Holdings
Measure	IBB	IUSB
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, IBB and IUSB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first IBB IUSB

Only in one fund ↓

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%

Only in IUSB

BLK Liquidity Temp Cash Inst #21 4.75%

TREASURY NOTE 0.49%

TREASURY NOTE 0.42%

TREASURY NOTE 0.41%

TREASURY NOTE 0.38%

TREASURY NOTE 0.37%

TREASURY NOTE (2OLD) 0.36%

UMBS 15YR TBA(REG B) 0.35%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF IUSB iShares Core Universal USD Bond ETF

Where it sits Thematic ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Biotech Tracks an index of Universal USD Bond

Total return, 1 year +37.5% −1.2%

Expense ratio 0.44% 0.06%

Holdings 245 18338

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $11.0bn $49.8bn

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

Alert

About each fund

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.

IUSB

IUSB tracks an index of Universal USD Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.2% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.06% a year.

Questions people ask

Are IBB and IUSB in the same category?: IBB is a thematic ETF and IUSB is a bond ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
Which returned more over the last year, IBB or IUSB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +37.5% and IUSB −1.2%.
Which is cheaper, IBB or IUSB?: IUSB is cheaper, by 0.38 percentage points a year. That is about $38 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

BOND vs IBB IBB vs IEF IBB vs MBB IBB vs JAAA IUSB vs XBI CGBL vs IUSB IUSB vs VTEB IUSB vs MUB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IBB and IUSB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IBB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IBB ↗

IUSB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IUSB ↗

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

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