XPH vs. BBC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (XPH) and Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC).

XPH and BBC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. XPH is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Pharmaceuticals Select Industry Index. It was launched on Jun 19, 2006. BBC is a passively managed fund by Virtus Investment Partners that tracks the performance of the LifeSci Biotechnology Clinical Trials Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 2014. Both XPH and BBC are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

XPH vs. BBC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (XPH) and Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

XPH vs. BBC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
XPH SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF	-3.32%	31.60%	4.94%	2.97%	-9.83%	-10.54%	14.68%	25.61%	-15.32%	12.05%
BBC Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF	7.95%	63.77%	-1.11%	-1.80%	-35.13%	-22.31%	30.32%	63.81%	-18.29%	57.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XPH achieves a -3.32% return, which is significantly lower than BBC's 7.95% return. Over the past 10 years, XPH has underperformed BBC with an annualized return of 3.82%, while BBC has yielded a comparatively higher 8.41% annualized return.

XPH

• 1D: 5.32%
• 1M: -5.56%
• YTD: -3.32%
• 6M: 13.19%
• 1Y: 24.45%
• 3Y*: 11.04%
• 5Y*: 2.79%
• 10Y*: 3.82%

BBC

• 1D: 7.67%
• 1M: -1.98%
• YTD: 7.95%
• 6M: 55.07%
• 1Y: 141.32%
• 3Y*: 25.09%
• 5Y*: -3.63%
• 10Y*: 8.41%

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

XPH vs. BBC - Expense Ratio Comparison

XPH has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than BBC's 0.79% expense ratio.

BBC

Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF

XPH

SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF

Return for Risk

XPH vs. BBC — Risk / Return Rank

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

XPH

XPH Risk / Return Rank: 59
XPH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
XPH Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
XPH Omega Ratio Rank: 50
XPH Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
XPH Martin Ratio Rank: 58

BBC

BBC Risk / Return Rank: 97
BBC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
BBC Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
BBC Omega Ratio Rank: 95
BBC Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
BBC Martin Ratio Rank: 98

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.

XPH vs. BBC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (XPH) and Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC). 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.

	XPH	BBC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.00	3.52	-2.51
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.47	3.86	-2.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.47	-0.29
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.77	6.54	-4.77
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.52	25.10	-19.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XPH vs. BBC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XPH Sharpe Ratio is 1.00, which is lower than the BBC Sharpe Ratio of 3.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XPH and BBC, 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

	XPH	BBC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.00	3.52	-2.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.14	-0.09	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.17	0.22	-0.05
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.38	0.12	+0.26

Correlation

The correlation between XPH and BBC is 0.76, 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

XPH vs. BBC - Dividend Comparison

XPH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.69%, less than BBC's 1.57% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
XPH SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF	0.69%	0.83%	1.58%	1.28%	1.64%	0.95%	0.47%	0.64%	0.65%	0.67%	0.63%	7.15%
BBC Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF	1.57%	1.70%	1.00%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	2.09%	0.00%	0.51%

Drawdowns

XPH vs. BBC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XPH drawdown since its inception was -48.03%, smaller than the maximum BBC drawdown of -76.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XPH and BBC.

Drawdown Indicators

	XPH	BBC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-48.03%	-76.85%	+28.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.15%	-18.03%	+4.88%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.63%	-72.58%	+40.95%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.97%	-76.85%	+40.88%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.29%	-30.71%	+23.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.37%	-37.30%	+19.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.23%	5.05%	+0.18%

Volatility

XPH vs. BBC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for SPDR S&P Pharmaceuticals ETF (XPH) is 9.49%, while Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC) has a volatility of 13.21%. This indicates that XPH experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BBC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	XPH	BBC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.49%	13.21%	-3.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.38%	26.93%	-10.55%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.72%	40.92%	-16.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.56%	39.30%	-18.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.22%	37.86%	-15.64%