IBRN vs. MEDI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF (IBRN) and Harbor Health Care ETF (MEDI).

IBRN and MEDI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IBRN is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the NYSE FactSet Global Neuro Biopharma and MedTech Index. It was launched on Aug 24, 2022. MEDI is an actively managed fund by Harbor. It was launched on Nov 16, 2022.

Performance

IBRN vs. MEDI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF (IBRN) and Harbor Health Care ETF (MEDI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IBRN vs. MEDI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
IBRN iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF	2.99%	28.49%	-2.78%	0.92%	2.08%
MEDI Harbor Health Care ETF	-5.40%	27.11%	0.58%	24.87%	2.60%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IBRN achieves a 2.99% return, which is significantly higher than MEDI's -5.40% return.

IBRN

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: 4.90%
• YTD: 2.99%
• 6M: 25.12%
• 1Y: 56.67%
• 3Y*: 12.28%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

MEDI

• 1D: 1.48%
• 1M: -5.60%
• YTD: -5.40%
• 6M: 2.20%
• 1Y: 21.19%
• 3Y*: 14.13%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

IBRN vs. MEDI - Expense Ratio Comparison

IBRN has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is lower than MEDI's 0.80% expense ratio.

MEDI

Harbor Health Care ETF

IBRN

iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF

Return for Risk

IBRN vs. MEDI — Risk / Return Rank

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

IBRN

IBRN Risk / Return Rank: 87
IBRN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
IBRN Sortino Ratio Rank: 89
IBRN Omega Ratio Rank: 81
IBRN Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
IBRN Martin Ratio Rank: 87

MEDI

MEDI Risk / Return Rank: 45
MEDI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
MEDI Sortino Ratio Rank: 51
MEDI Omega Ratio Rank: 43
MEDI Calmar Ratio Rank: 40
MEDI Martin Ratio Rank: 40

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.

IBRN vs. MEDI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF (IBRN) and Harbor Health Care ETF (MEDI). 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.

	IBRN	MEDI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.96	0.94	+1.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.64	1.43	+1.21
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.33	1.18	+0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.27	1.15	+2.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.55	4.02	+7.54
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IBRN vs. MEDI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IBRN Sharpe Ratio is 1.96, which is higher than the MEDI Sharpe Ratio of 0.94. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IBRN and MEDI, 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

	IBRN	MEDI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.96	0.94	+1.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.76	-0.39

Correlation

The correlation between IBRN and MEDI is 0.70, 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

IBRN vs. MEDI - Dividend Comparison

IBRN's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.96%, more than MEDI's 0.29% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023
IBRN iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF	0.96%	0.99%	0.40%	0.06%
MEDI Harbor Health Care ETF	0.29%	0.28%	0.54%	1.86%

Drawdowns

IBRN vs. MEDI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IBRN drawdown since its inception was -35.38%, which is greater than MEDI's maximum drawdown of -19.24%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IBRN and MEDI.

Drawdown Indicators

	IBRN	MEDI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.38%	-19.24%	-16.14%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.44%	-15.34%	-0.10%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.74%	-9.34%	+8.60%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.19%	-4.09%	-6.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.37%	4.38%	-0.01%

Volatility

IBRN vs. MEDI - Volatility Comparison

iShares Neuroscience and Healthcare ETF (IBRN) has a higher volatility of 12.02% compared to Harbor Health Care ETF (MEDI) at 8.13%. This indicates that IBRN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than MEDI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IBRN	MEDI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.02%	8.13%	+3.89%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.63%	14.16%	+5.47%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	29.38%	22.74%	+6.64%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.39%	18.48%	+6.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.39%	18.48%	+6.91%