^NBI vs. ^IXIC

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (^NBI) and NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC).

Performance

^NBI vs. ^IXIC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (^NBI) and NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^NBI vs. ^IXIC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^NBI NASDAQ Biotechnology Index	2.55%	32.40%	-1.37%	3.74%	-10.91%	-0.63%	25.69%	24.41%	-9.32%	21.06%
^IXIC NASDAQ Composite	-5.86%	20.36%	28.64%	43.42%	-33.10%	21.39%	43.64%	35.23%	-3.88%	28.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^NBI achieves a 2.55% return, which is significantly higher than ^IXIC's -5.86% return. Over the past 10 years, ^NBI has underperformed ^IXIC with an annualized return of 7.53%, while ^IXIC has yielded a comparatively higher 16.16% annualized return.

^NBI

• 1D: -0.37%
• 1M: -0.38%
• YTD: 2.55%
• 6M: 16.17%
• 1Y: 39.04%
• 3Y*: 12.17%
• 5Y*: 4.20%
• 10Y*: 7.53%

^IXIC

• 1D: 0.18%
• 1M: -2.83%
• YTD: -5.86%
• 6M: -4.22%
• 1Y: 24.31%
• 3Y*: 21.53%
• 5Y*: 10.17%
• 10Y*: 16.16%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^NBI vs. ^IXIC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^NBI

^NBI Risk / Return Rank: 91
^NBI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
^NBI Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
^NBI Omega Ratio Rank: 87
^NBI Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
^NBI Martin Ratio Rank: 94

^IXIC

^IXIC Risk / Return Rank: 74
^IXIC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
^IXIC Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
^IXIC Omega Ratio Rank: 76
^IXIC Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
^IXIC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^NBI vs. ^IXIC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (^NBI) and NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^NBI	^IXIC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.67	1.05	+0.62
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.29	1.63	+0.66
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.23	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.67	1.91	+1.75
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.92	6.77	+7.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^NBI vs. ^IXIC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^NBI Sharpe Ratio is 1.67, which is higher than the ^IXIC Sharpe Ratio of 1.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^NBI and ^IXIC, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^NBI	^IXIC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.67	1.05	+0.62
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.19	0.46	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.32	0.74	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.51	-0.12

Correlation

The correlation between ^NBI and ^IXIC is 0.70, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Drawdowns

^NBI vs. ^IXIC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^NBI drawdown since its inception was -74.70%, roughly equal to the maximum ^IXIC drawdown of -77.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^NBI and ^IXIC.

Drawdown Indicators

	^NBI	^IXIC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-74.70%	-77.93%	+3.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.66%	-13.21%	+3.55%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.50%	-36.40%	-2.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-38.50%	-36.40%	-2.10%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.45%	-8.68%	+5.23%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-26.72%	-21.46%	-5.26%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.99%	3.75%	-0.76%

Volatility

^NBI vs. ^IXIC - Volatility Comparison

NASDAQ Biotechnology Index (^NBI) has a higher volatility of 8.20% compared to NASDAQ Composite (^IXIC) at 6.91%. This indicates that ^NBI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^IXIC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^NBI	^IXIC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.20%	6.91%	+1.29%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.22%	13.09%	+1.13%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.53%	23.32%	+0.21%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.88%	22.43%	-0.55%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.56%	21.96%	+1.60%