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IBB vs. FTXH
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

IBB vs. FTXH

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

IBB (iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF) and FTXH (First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF) are both Health & Biotech Equities funds - IBB tracks the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index while FTXH tracks the Nasdaq U.S. Smart Pharmaceuticals Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IBB returned 2.65%/yr vs 9.58%/yr for FTXH. Their 0.68 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. IBB charges 0.47%/yr vs 0.60%/yr for FTXH.

Performance

IBB vs. FTXH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) and First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IBB achieves a 10.55% return, which is significantly lower than FTXH's 18.55% return.

IBB

1D
-1.87%
1M
-4.75%
6M
8.20%
YTD
10.55%
1Y
40.47%
3Y*
13.65%
5Y*
2.65%
10Y*
6.89%
ALL TIME*
7.16%

FTXH

1D
-1.05%
1M
-0.66%
6M
15.17%
YTD
18.55%
1Y
50.60%
3Y*
15.55%
5Y*
9.58%
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
8.11%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

FTXH

First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF
$132.14M$63.96M$21.87M

IBB

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF
$252.83M$308.82M$278.87M

IBB vs. FTXH - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
IBB
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF		10.55%27.98%-2.41%3.76%-13.69%0.95%26.01%25.42%-9.53%21.08%
FTXH
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF		18.55%24.15%2.98%-1.41%2.55%6.14%11.73%22.13%-9.51%19.44%

Correlation

The correlation between IBB and FTXH is 0.84, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.84

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.85

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.77

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 22, 2016

0.68

The correlation between IBB and FTXH shifts across timeframes, from 0.68 (all time) to 0.85 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

IBB vs. FTXH - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
IBB
FTXH

Healthcare

100.0%
100.0%

Basic Materials

-

-

Communication Services

-

-

Consumer Cyclical

-

-

Consumer Defensive

-

-

Energy

-

-

Financial Services

-

-

Industrials

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Technology

-

-

Utilities

-

-

Healthcare

IBB
100.0%
FTXH
100.0%

Basic Materials

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Communication Services

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Consumer Cyclical

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Consumer Defensive

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Energy

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Financial Services

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Industrials

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Real Estate

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Technology

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Utilities

IBB

-

FTXH

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF

First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF

Often compared with IBB:
IBB vs. XBIIBB vs. ARKGIBB vs. XLVIBB vs. IBBQIBB vs. BBHIBB vs. SPYIBB vs. FBIOX
Often compared with FTXH:
FTXH vs. PPHFTXH vs. BBPFTXH vs. XLVFTXH vs. MEDIFTXH vs. FXAIXFTXH vs. SPUSFTXH vs. IAGG

Return for Risk

IBB vs. FTXH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
IBB
IBB Risk / Return Rank: 8686
Overall Rank
IBB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8686
Sharpe Ratio Rank
IBB Sortino Ratio Rank: 8585
Sortino Ratio Rank
IBB Omega Ratio Rank: 7979
Omega Ratio Rank
IBB Calmar Ratio Rank: 9292
Calmar Ratio Rank
IBB Martin Ratio Rank: 8686
Martin Ratio Rank
FTXH
FTXH Risk / Return Rank: 9696
Overall Rank
FTXH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9797
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FTXH Sortino Ratio Rank: 9696
Sortino Ratio Rank
FTXH Omega Ratio Rank: 9494
Omega Ratio Rank
FTXH Calmar Ratio Rank: 9797
Calmar Ratio Rank
FTXH Martin Ratio Rank: 9595
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

IBB vs. FTXH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) and First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

IBBFTXHDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.00
3.12

-1.12

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.80
4.55

-1.75

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.33

1.52

-0.18

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

4.25

7.13

-2.87

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

12.35

21.24

-8.89

IBB vs. FTXH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IBB Sharpe Ratio is 2.00, which is lower than the FTXH Sharpe Ratio of 3.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IBB and FTXH, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

IBB vs. FTXH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IBB drawdown since its inception was -62.85%, which is greater than FTXH's maximum drawdown of -32.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IBB and FTXH.

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Drawdown Indicators

IBBFTXHDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-62.85%

-32.11%

-30.74%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-9.63%

-7.47%

-2.16%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-24.85%

-19.51%

-5.34%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-39.82%

-19.51%

-20.31%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-39.82%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-5.96%

-2.01%

-3.95%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-21.06%

-5.76%

-15.30%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.31%

2.50%

+0.81%

Volatility

IBB vs. FTXH - Volatility Comparison

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) has a higher volatility of 6.14% compared to First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF (FTXH) at 5.56%. This indicates that IBB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTXH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

IBBFTXHDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

6.14%

5.56%

+0.58%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

15.87%

12.78%

+3.09%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

20.45%

17.21%

+3.24%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

22.12%

16.53%

+5.59%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

23.12%

18.43%

+4.69%

IBB vs. FTXH - Expense Ratio Comparison

IBB has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is lower than FTXH's 0.60% expense ratio.

Dividends

IBB vs. FTXH - Dividend Comparison

IBB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.22%, less than FTXH's 1.09% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
FTXH
First Trust Nasdaq Pharmaceuticals ETF		1.09%1.41%1.66%1.55%1.11%1.03%0.82%0.67%0.91%2.18%0.19%0.00%
IBB
iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF		0.22%0.23%0.29%0.26%0.31%0.21%0.21%0.33%0.20%0.30%0.19%0.03%

Frequently Asked Questions

IBB and FTXH have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

IBB has higher volatility (6.14%) compared to FTXH (5.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IBB dropped -62.85% vs FTXH's -32.11%.

On 5-year performance, FTXH leads with 9.58% vs 2.65% for IBB. On fees, IBB is cheaper at 0.47% per year. On volatility, FTXH has been the lower-risk option at 5.56%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 5-year period, FTXH has performed better with a 9.58% return vs 2.65%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

IBB is cheaper with a 0.47% expense ratio, compared with 0.60% for FTXH.

FTXH has the higher dividend yield at 1.09%, compared with 0.22% for IBB.

IBB tracks NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, while FTXH tracks Nasdaq U.S. Smart Pharmaceuticals Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.47% for IBB and 0.60% for FTXH.

FTXH currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.12 vs 2.00), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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