ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

ESIH.L (iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF) and BIGT.L (L&G Pharma Breakthrough UCITS ETF) are both Health & Biotech Equities funds - ESIH.L tracks the MSCI World/Health Care NR USD while BIGT.L tracks the NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, ESIH.L returned 5.89%/yr vs 2.49%/yr for BIGT.L. A 0.56 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. ESIH.L charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.49%/yr for BIGT.L.

Performance

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.L) and L&G Pharma Breakthrough UCITS ETF (BIGT.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

ESIH.L is traded in GBP, while BIGT.L is traded in GBp. To make them comparable, the BIGT.L values have been converted to GBP using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ESIH.L achieves a -2.72% return, which is significantly lower than BIGT.L's -0.70% return.

ESIH.L

• 1D: 3.06%
• 1M: 0.43%
• YTD: -2.72%
• 6M: -1.64%
• 1Y: 8.67%
• 3Y*: 2.83%
• 5Y*: 5.89%
• 10Y*: —

BIGT.L

• 1D: 2.65%
• 1M: -3.25%
• YTD: -0.70%
• 6M: -3.88%
• 1Y: 25.65%
• 3Y*: 2.96%
• 5Y*: 2.49%
• 10Y*: —

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

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
ESIH.L iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF	-2.72%	12.76%	-0.46%	5.44%	1.56%	17.09%	0.82%
BIGT.L L&G Pharma Breakthrough UCITS ETF	-0.70%	27.03%	-3.16%	-14.88%	2.68%	-2.30%	4.10%

Correlation

The correlation between ESIH.L and BIGT.L is 0.59, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.59
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.53
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.55
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 24, 2020	0.56

The correlation between ESIH.L and BIGT.L has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.53 to 0.59 - a consistent structural relationship.

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	ESIH.L	BIGT.L
Healthcare	100.0%	97.3%
Basic Materials	-	2.7%
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	-
Financial Services	-	-
Industrials	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Technology	-	-
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

ESIH.L

ESIH.L Risk / Return Rank: 17
ESIH.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 18
ESIH.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
ESIH.L Omega Ratio Rank: 17
ESIH.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 17
ESIH.L Martin Ratio Rank: 17

BIGT.L

BIGT.L Risk / Return Rank: 43
BIGT.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
BIGT.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 41
BIGT.L Omega Ratio Rank: 37
BIGT.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
BIGT.L Martin Ratio Rank: 45

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.

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.L) and L&G Pharma Breakthrough UCITS ETF (BIGT.L). 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.

	ESIH.L	BIGT.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.53	1.39	-0.86
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.88	2.04	-1.16
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.10	1.24	-0.13
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.64	2.57	-1.93
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.54	7.42	-5.88
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESIH.L Sharpe Ratio is 0.53, which is lower than the BIGT.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.39. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESIH.L and BIGT.L, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ESIH.L	BIGT.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.53	1.39	-0.86
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	0.15	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.22	+0.17

Drawdowns

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESIH.L drawdown since its inception was -24.44%, smaller than the maximum BIGT.L drawdown of -30.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESIH.L and BIGT.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESIH.L	BIGT.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-24.44%	-30.23%	+5.79%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.81%	-9.93%	-3.88%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.44%	-23.74%	-0.70%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.44%	-30.23%	+5.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.94%	-5.41%	-5.53%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.76%	-10.57%	+3.81%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.77%	3.45%	+2.32%

Volatility

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares MSCI Europe Health Care Sector UCITS ETF (ESIH.L) is 5.50%, while L&G Pharma Breakthrough UCITS ETF (BIGT.L) has a volatility of 6.35%. This indicates that ESIH.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BIGT.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESIH.L	BIGT.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.50%	6.35%	-0.85%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.21%	14.10%	-1.89%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.83%	18.38%	-1.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.50%	16.86%	-1.36%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.36%	18.38%	-3.02%

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

ESIH.L has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than BIGT.L's 0.49% expense ratio.

Dividends

ESIH.L vs. BIGT.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither ESIH.L nor BIGT.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ESIH.L and BIGT.L in my portfolio?

ESIH.L and BIGT.L have a correlation of 0.59, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, ESIH.L or BIGT.L?

On fees, ESIH.L is cheaper at 0.18% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ESIH.L or BIGT.L?

ESIH.L is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.49% for BIGT.L.

What is the main difference between ESIH.L and BIGT.L?

ESIH.L tracks MSCI World/Health Care NR USD, while BIGT.L tracks NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD. They also come from different issuers: iShares and Legal & General. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for ESIH.L and 0.49% for BIGT.L.