IMBA.L vs. FBT.L
IMBA.L (iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF (Acc)) and FBT.L (First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc) are both exchange-traded funds - IMBA.L is a Mortgage Backed Securities fund tracking the Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Index, while FBT.L is a Health & Biotech Equities fund tracking the NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, IMBA.L returned 0.11%/yr vs 6.96%/yr for FBT.L. At a 0.16 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. IMBA.L charges 0.28%/yr vs 0.60%/yr for FBT.L.
Performance
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
IMBA.L is traded in USD, while FBT.L is traded in GBp. To make them comparable, the FBT.L values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IMBA.L achieves a 0.11% return, which is significantly lower than FBT.L's 8.70% return.
IMBA.L
- 1D
- 0.04%
- 1M
- -0.14%
- YTD
- 0.11%
- 6M
- 0.85%
- 1Y
- 6.02%
- 3Y*
- 4.11%
- 5Y*
- 0.11%
- 10Y*
- —
FBT.L
- 1D
- 4.42%
- 1M
- 9.49%
- YTD
- 8.70%
- 6M
- 7.12%
- 1Y
- 38.32%
- 3Y*
- 13.20%
- 5Y*
- 6.96%
- 10Y*
- —
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IMBA.L iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF (Acc) | 0.11% | 8.36% | 1.51% | 3.65% | -11.44% | -1.51% | 0.21% |
FBT.L First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc | 8.71% | 25.50% | 5.77% | 4.91% | -7.76% | -3.45% | 5.59% |
Correlation
The correlation between IMBA.L and FBT.L is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.19 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 16, 2020 | 0.16 |
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Return for Risk
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L — Risk / Return Rank
IMBA.L
FBT.L
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF (Acc) (IMBA.L) and First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc (FBT.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.
| IMBA.L | FBT.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.59 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.89 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.22 | 1.31 | -0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.85 | 2.64 | -0.79 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.41 | 7.17 | -0.76 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| IMBA.L | FBT.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.22 | 1.81 | -0.59 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.02 | 0.40 | -0.39 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.20 | 0.35 | -0.14 |
Drawdowns
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IMBA.L drawdown since its inception was -18.05%, smaller than the maximum FBT.L drawdown of -33.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IMBA.L and FBT.L.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IMBA.L | FBT.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -18.05% | -33.79% | +15.74% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -3.24% | -14.43% | +11.19% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -7.48% | -20.15% | +12.67% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -17.67% | -29.92% | +12.25% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.60% | 0.00% | -1.60% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.49% | -12.69% | +8.20% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.94% | 5.33% | -4.39% |
Volatility
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares US Mortgage Backed Securities UCITS ETF (Acc) (IMBA.L) is 1.82%, while First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology UCITS ETF Acc (FBT.L) has a volatility of 7.09%. This indicates that IMBA.L experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FBT.L based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| IMBA.L | FBT.L | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.82% | 7.09% | -5.27% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.72% | 16.26% | -12.54% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.91% | 21.10% | -16.19% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 7.18% | 24.31% | -17.13% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 5.75% | 25.46% | -19.71% |
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Expense Ratio Comparison
IMBA.L has a 0.28% expense ratio, which is lower than FBT.L's 0.60% expense ratio.
Dividends
IMBA.L vs. FBT.L - Dividend Comparison
Neither IMBA.L nor FBT.L has paid dividends to shareholders.
Frequently Asked Questions
IMBA.L and FBT.L have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, IMBA.L is cheaper at 0.28% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
IMBA.L is cheaper with a 0.28% expense ratio, compared with 0.60% for FBT.L.
IMBA.L is categorized as Mortgage Backed Securities, while FBT.L is Health & Biotech Equities. IMBA.L tracks Bloomberg US Mortgage Backed Securities Index, while FBT.L tracks NASDAQ Biotechnology TR USD. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.28% for IMBA.L and 0.60% for FBT.L.
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