Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IBB vs VUSB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IBB returned +37.5% to VUSB's +3.5%, and VUSB charges 0.10% to IBB's 0.44%.
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Net assets: $11.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Biotechnology ETF, and $9.9bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Ultra-Short Bond ETF.
Pair scorecard
VUSB costs 0.34 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 34.0 points; IBB is 1.1 times larger.
| Measure | IBB | VUSB |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +37.5% | +3.5% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Biotech | No index, actively managed |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.44% | 0.10% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $11.2bn | $9.9bn |
| 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 Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IBB and VUSB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IBB and VUSB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
VUSB
VUSB is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +3.5% with distributions reinvested, against −1.4% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.10% a year.
Questions people ask
- Are IBB and VUSB in the same category?
- IBB is a thematic ETF and VUSB 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 VUSB?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IBB returned +37.5% and VUSB +3.5%.
- Which is cheaper, IBB or VUSB?
- VUSB is cheaper, by 0.34 percentage points a year. That is about $34 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.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, IBB against VUSB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibb-vs-vusb
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IBB against VUSB. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibb-vs-vusb
[IBB against VUSB (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ibb-vs-vusb)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.