IBB vs. SPAQ

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) and Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF (SPAQ).

IBB and SPAQ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IBB is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index. It was launched on Feb 5, 2001. SPAQ is an actively managed fund by Horizon. It was launched on Jun 29, 2007.

Performance

IBB vs. SPAQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) and Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF (SPAQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IBB vs. SPAQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
IBB iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF	0.88%	27.98%	-2.41%	1.06%
SPAQ Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF	0.14%	7.35%	4.33%	5.52%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IBB achieves a 0.88% return, which is significantly higher than SPAQ's 0.14% return.

IBB

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: -2.11%
• YTD: 0.88%
• 6M: 14.77%
• 1Y: 37.04%
• 3Y*: 9.92%
• 5Y*: 2.62%
• 10Y*: 6.92%

SPAQ

• 1D: 0.09%
• 1M: -0.41%
• YTD: 0.14%
• 6M: 1.74%
• 1Y: 4.91%
• 3Y*: 5.25%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

IBB vs. SPAQ - Expense Ratio Comparison

IBB has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is lower than SPAQ's 0.85% expense ratio.

SPAQ

Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF

IBB

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF

Return for Risk

IBB vs. SPAQ — Risk / Return Rank

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

IBB

IBB Risk / Return Rank: 81
IBB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
IBB Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
IBB Omega Ratio Rank: 73
IBB Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
IBB Martin Ratio Rank: 85

SPAQ

SPAQ Risk / Return Rank: 30
SPAQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
SPAQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
SPAQ Omega Ratio Rank: 29
SPAQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 33
SPAQ Martin Ratio Rank: 34

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.

IBB vs. SPAQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) and Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF (SPAQ). 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.

	IBB	SPAQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.56	0.57	+0.99
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.16	0.85	+1.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.13	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.86	0.93	+1.94
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.20	3.46	+6.73
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IBB vs. SPAQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IBB Sharpe Ratio is 1.56, which is higher than the SPAQ Sharpe Ratio of 0.57. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IBB and SPAQ, 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

	IBB	SPAQ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.56	0.57	+0.99
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.12	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.30	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.26	0.78	-0.52

Correlation

The correlation between IBB and SPAQ is 0.06, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

IBB vs. SPAQ - Dividend Comparison

IBB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.23%, less than SPAQ's 16.66% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
SPAQ Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF	16.66%	16.69%	3.00%	2.60%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

IBB vs. SPAQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IBB drawdown since its inception was -62.85%, which is greater than SPAQ's maximum drawdown of -5.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IBB and SPAQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	IBB	SPAQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.85%	-5.30%	-57.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.65%	-5.30%	-6.35%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-39.82%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.82%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.16%	-1.89%	-2.27%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-21.30%	-0.53%	-20.77%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.27%	1.42%	+1.85%

Volatility

IBB vs. SPAQ - Volatility Comparison

iShares Nasdaq Biotechnology ETF (IBB) has a higher volatility of 8.38% compared to Horizon Kinetics SPAC Active ETF (SPAQ) at 1.75%. This indicates that IBB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPAQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IBB	SPAQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.38%	1.75%	+6.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.50%	6.21%	+8.29%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.01%	8.59%	+15.42%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.87%	7.04%	+14.83%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.37%	7.04%	+16.33%