IBB
iShares Biotechnology ETF · BlackRock
US Sectors
1Y Return
+50.7%
Expense Ratio
0.44%
AUM
$9.00B
Dividend Yield
0.21%
Avg Annual Growth (10Y)
+7.4%
Issuer
BlackRock / iShares

Overview

The benchmark biotechnology sector ETF. 200+ companies in drug discovery, biopharmaceuticals, and genetic medicine. Broad biotech exposure including smaller cap explorers alongside large established biopharmaceutical companies.

Top Holdings

TickerHoldingWeight
AMGNAmgen Inc.8.4%
VRTXVertex Pharma7.8%
REGNRegeneron Pharma7.4%
GILDGilead Sciences6.8%
BIIBBiogen Inc.4.8%
MRNAModerna Inc.4.4%
ALNYAlnylam Pharma3.8%
ILMNIllumina Inc.3.4%
BMRNBioMarin Pharma2.8%
EXASExact Sciences2.4%

Fund Details

Index
ICE Biotechnology Index
# Holdings
~230
Inception
Feb 2001
Exchange
NASDAQ
Structure
Open-End Fund
Distribution
Annual
Avg Annual Growth (10Y)
+7.4%
Avg Annual Yield (10Y)
0.38%

Investment Thesis

IBB provides comprehensive exposure to the biotechnology sector across all market capitalizations, from large-cap biopharmaceutical leaders like Amgen and Regeneron to innovative mid and small-cap drug discovery companies. The sector is driven by breakthrough science in gene therapy, RNA medicine, targeted oncology, and rare disease treatments. FDA approval events create significant binary price movements in individual holdings, which IBB's 200+ holding diversification mitigates without eliminating the sector's inherent innovation premium.

Who It's For

Healthcare investors who want dedicated biotechnology sector exposure beyond what broad healthcare ETFs like XLV or VHT provide. IBB suits those who believe genomic medicine, mRNA therapeutics, and cell therapy represent multi-decade investment themes with secular growth characteristics. The fund is best held with a long-term perspective as clinical trial binary events create significant short-term volatility. More appropriate as a complement to broader healthcare holdings than as a standalone position.

10-Year History

Annual Closing Price
YearClose% Chg
2016$258.42--
2017$308.42+19.4%
2018$282.42-8.4%
2019$112.42--
2020$148.42+32.0%
2021$148.420.0%
2022$118.42-20.2%
2023$138.42+16.9%
2024$148.42+7.2%
2025$166.60+12.2%
Annual Dividend Yield
YearYield
20160.42%
20170.38%
20180.44%
20190.40%
20200.34%
20210.30%
20220.38%
20230.34%
20240.38%
20250.42%
Annual AUM
YearAUM% Chg
2016$8B--
2017$10B+25.0%
2018$8B-20.0%
2019$7B-12.5%
2020$10B+42.9%
2021$10B0.0%
2022$7B-30.0%
2023$7B0.0%
2024$8B+14.3%
2025$8.5B+6.2%

Historical figures are ETFHub estimates modelled from asset-class return patterns and may differ from official fund records. Data as of August 2026.

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