BBC vs. IBB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC) and iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB).

BBC and IBB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BBC is a passively managed fund by Virtus Investment Partners that tracks the performance of the LifeSci Biotechnology Clinical Trials Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 2014. IBB is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index. It was launched on Feb 5, 2001. Both BBC and IBB are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

BBC vs. IBB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC) and iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BBC vs. IBB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BBC Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF	7.95%	63.77%	-1.11%	-1.80%	-35.13%	-22.31%	30.32%	63.81%	-18.29%	57.85%
IBB iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF	0.12%	27.98%	-2.41%	3.76%	-13.69%	0.95%	26.01%	25.42%	-9.53%	21.08%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BBC achieves a 7.95% return, which is significantly higher than IBB's 0.12% return. Over the past 10 years, BBC has outperformed IBB with an annualized return of 8.41%, while IBB has yielded a comparatively lower 6.84% annualized return.

BBC

• 1D: 7.67%
• 1M: -1.98%
• YTD: 7.95%
• 6M: 55.07%
• 1Y: 141.32%
• 3Y*: 25.09%
• 5Y*: -3.63%
• 10Y*: 8.41%

IBB

• 1D: 4.32%
• 1M: -3.65%
• YTD: 0.12%
• 6M: 17.17%
• 1Y: 32.33%
• 3Y*: 9.65%
• 5Y*: 2.46%
• 10Y*: 6.84%

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

BBC vs. IBB - Expense Ratio Comparison

BBC has a 0.79% expense ratio, which is higher than IBB's 0.47% expense ratio.

BBC

Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF

IBB

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF

Return for Risk

BBC vs. IBB — Risk / Return Rank

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

BBC

BBC Risk / Return Rank: 97
BBC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
BBC Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
BBC Omega Ratio Rank: 95
BBC Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
BBC Martin Ratio Rank: 98

IBB

IBB Risk / Return Rank: 78
IBB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
IBB Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
IBB Omega Ratio Rank: 70
IBB Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
IBB Martin Ratio Rank: 82

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.

BBC vs. IBB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC) and iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB). 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.

	BBC	IBB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.52	1.35	+2.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.86	1.91	+1.94
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.47	1.25	+0.23
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	6.54	2.41	+4.13
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	25.10	8.61	+16.49
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BBC vs. IBB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BBC Sharpe Ratio is 3.52, which is higher than the IBB Sharpe Ratio of 1.35. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BBC and IBB, 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

	BBC	IBB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.52	1.35	+2.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.09	0.11	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.22	0.29	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.12	0.26	-0.14

Correlation

The correlation between BBC and IBB is 0.83, 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.

Dividends

BBC vs. IBB - Dividend Comparison

BBC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.57%, more than IBB's 0.23% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BBC Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF	1.57%	1.70%	1.00%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.09%	0.00%	0.51%
IBB iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF	0.23%	0.23%	0.29%	0.26%	0.31%	0.21%	0.21%	0.33%	0.20%	0.30%	0.19%	0.03%

Drawdowns

BBC vs. IBB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BBC drawdown since its inception was -76.85%, which is greater than IBB's maximum drawdown of -62.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BBC and IBB.

Drawdown Indicators

	BBC	IBB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-76.85%	-62.85%	-14.00%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-18.03%	-11.65%	-6.38%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-72.58%	-39.82%	-32.76%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-76.85%	-39.82%	-37.03%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-30.71%	-4.88%	-25.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-37.30%	-21.30%	-16.00%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.05%	3.47%	+1.58%

Volatility

BBC vs. IBB - Volatility Comparison

Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC) has a higher volatility of 13.21% compared to iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) at 8.62%. This indicates that BBC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IBB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BBC	IBB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.21%	8.62%	+4.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	26.93%	14.53%	+12.40%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	40.92%	24.08%	+16.84%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	39.30%	21.87%	+17.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	37.86%	23.37%	+14.49%