FBT.L vs. BNKS.L

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

FBT.L (First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc) and BNKS.L (iShares S&P U.S. Banks) are both exchange-traded funds - FBT.L is a Health & Biotech Equities fund tracking the NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD, while BNKS.L is a Financials Equities fund tracking the MSCI World/Financials NR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, FBT.L returned 7.17%/yr vs 5.16%/yr for BNKS.L. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. FBT.L charges 0.60%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for BNKS.L.

Performance

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a £10,000 investment in First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc (FBT.L) and iShares S&P U.S. Banks (BNKS.L). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

FBT.L is traded in GBp, while BNKS.L is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the BNKS.L values have been converted to GBp using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FBT.L achieves a 4.41% return, which is significantly higher than BNKS.L's 0.49% return.

FBT.L

• 1D: 1.98%
• 1M: 8.09%
• YTD: 4.41%
• 6M: 1.93%
• 1Y: 34.35%
• 3Y*: 9.80%
• 5Y*: 7.17%
• 10Y*: —

BNKS.L

• 1D: -1.07%
• 1M: -2.34%
• YTD: 0.49%
• 6M: 4.85%
• 1Y: 24.14%
• 3Y*: 21.47%
• 5Y*: 5.16%
• 10Y*: —

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

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
FBT.L First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc	4.41%	17.24%	7.13%	-0.99%	3.88%	-2.57%	-2.54%
BNKS.L iShares S&P U.S. Banks	0.49%	11.87%	30.79%	-8.55%	-9.13%	41.04%	20.03%

Correlation

The correlation between FBT.L and BNKS.L is 0.30, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.30
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.25
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.24
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 16, 2020	0.21

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	FBT.L	BNKS.L
Healthcare	100.0%	-
Basic Materials	-	-
Communication Services	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	-
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	-
Financial Services	-	100.0%
Industrials	-	-
Real Estate	-	-
Technology	-	-
Utilities	-	-

Return for Risk

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L — Risk / Return Rank

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

FBT.L

FBT.L Risk / Return Rank: 48
FBT.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
FBT.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
FBT.L Omega Ratio Rank: 46
FBT.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
FBT.L Martin Ratio Rank: 41

BNKS.L

BNKS.L Risk / Return Rank: 29
BNKS.L Sharpe Ratio Rank: 31
BNKS.L Sortino Ratio Rank: 31
BNKS.L Omega Ratio Rank: 29
BNKS.L Calmar Ratio Rank: 28
BNKS.L Martin Ratio Rank: 27

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.

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc (FBT.L) and iShares S&P U.S. Banks (BNKS.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.

	FBT.L	BNKS.L	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.70	1.17	+0.54
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.52	1.65	+0.87
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.21	+0.09
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.48	1.53	+0.94
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	6.60	4.50	+2.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FBT.L Sharpe Ratio is 1.70, which is higher than the BNKS.L Sharpe Ratio of 1.17. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FBT.L and BNKS.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

	FBT.L	BNKS.L	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.70	1.17	+0.54
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.45	0.19	+0.26
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.19	+0.07

Drawdowns

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FBT.L drawdown since its inception was -30.39%, smaller than the maximum BNKS.L drawdown of -45.87%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FBT.L and BNKS.L.

Drawdown Indicators

	FBT.L	BNKS.L	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-30.39%	-45.87%	+15.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.81%	-15.69%	+1.88%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-23.70%	-29.89%	+6.19%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.70%	-45.87%	+22.17%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.97%	-7.44%	+5.47%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.45%	-15.29%	+1.84%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.19%	5.35%	-0.16%

Volatility

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Volatility Comparison

First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc (FBT.L) has a higher volatility of 6.10% compared to iShares S&P U.S. Banks (BNKS.L) at 4.93%. This indicates that FBT.L's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BNKS.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FBT.L	BNKS.L	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.10%	4.93%	+1.17%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.02%	15.45%	-0.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.11%	20.71%	-0.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.49%	26.92%	-4.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.86%	30.63%	-6.77%

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Expense Ratio Comparison

FBT.L has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than BNKS.L's 0.35% expense ratio.

Dividends

FBT.L vs. BNKS.L - Dividend Comparison

Neither FBT.L nor BNKS.L has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both FBT.L and BNKS.L in my portfolio?

FBT.L and BNKS.L have a correlation of 0.30, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, FBT.L or BNKS.L?

On fees, BNKS.L is cheaper at 0.35% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, FBT.L or BNKS.L?

BNKS.L is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.60% for FBT.L.

What is the main difference between FBT.L and BNKS.L?

FBT.L is categorized as Health & Biotech Equities, while BNKS.L is Financials Equities. FBT.L tracks NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD, while BNKS.L tracks MSCI World/Financials NR USD. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.60% for FBT.L and 0.35% for BNKS.L.