Are IBB and MUB in the same category?

IBB is a thematic ETF and MUB 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 MUB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +37.5% and MUB −0.4%.

Which is cheaper, IBB or MUB?

MUB 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.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

IBB vs MUB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IBB returned +37.5% to MUB's −0.4%, and MUB charges 0.05% to IBB's 0.44%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $11.0bn for iShares Biotechnology ETF and $54.1bn for iShares National Muni Bond ETF.

IBB on its own →MUB on its own →

At a glance

+37.5%

IBB total return, 1 year

−0.4%

MUB total return, 1 year

0.44%

IBB expense ratio

0.05%

MUB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

MUB costs 0.39 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 37.9 points; MUB is 4.9 times larger.

IBB vs MUB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	IBB	MUB
Return
Measure	IBB	MUB
Total return, 1 year	+37.5%	−0.4%
Benchmark
Measure	IBB	MUB
What it tracks	Biotech	ICE AMT-Free US National Municipal Index
Cost and size
Measure	IBB	MUB
Expense ratio	0.44%	0.05%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$11.0bn	$54.1bn
Active share vs the S&P 500	99%
Holdings
Measure	IBB	MUB
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 MUB 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 MUB

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 MUB

UNIVERSITY TEX UNIV REVS 0.16%

SAN ANTONIO TEX WTR REV 0.13%

NEW YORK ST TWY AUTH ST PERS I 0.12%

NORTHWEST TEX INDPT SCH DIST 0.12%

OKLAHOMA TRANSN AUTH OK F/K/A 0.12%

HOUSTON TEX HIGHER ED FIN CORP 0.11%

NEW JERSEY ST 0.11%

OHIO ST UNIV GEN RCPTS 0.11%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

IBB iShares Biotechnology ETF MUB iShares National Muni Bond ETF

Where it sits Thematic ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares iShares

What it is Biotech Tracks an index of National Muni Bond

Total return, 1 year +37.5% −0.4%

Expense ratio 0.44% 0.05%

Holdings 245 7873

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $11.0bn $54.1bn

IBB and MUB 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.

MUB

MUB tracks an index of National Muni Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year.

Questions people ask

Are IBB and MUB in the same category?: IBB is a thematic ETF and MUB 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 MUB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +37.5% and MUB −0.4%.
Which is cheaper, IBB or MUB?: MUB 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.

Other comparisons

IBB vs VTEB HYMB vs IBB EMB vs IBB IBB vs PFF MUB vs XBI MUB vs OVM BITO vs MUB IWO vs MUB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

IBB and MUB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

IBB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for IBB ↗

MUB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for MUB ↗

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

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