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Should You Invest in the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB)?
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If you're interested in broad exposure to the Healthcare - Biotech segment of the equity market, look no further than the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 02/05/2001.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Healthcare - Biotech is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 3, placing it in top 19%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $8.43 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Healthcare - Biotech segment of the equity market. IBB seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index before fees and expenses.
The ICE Biotechnology Index contains securities of NASDAQ listed companies that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceuticals.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.44%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.27%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Healthcare sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX - Free Report) accounts for about 7.06% of total assets, followed by Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD - Free Report) and Amgen Inc (AMGN - Free Report) .
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -14.25% and is down about -17.09% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 11/09/2022), respectively. IBB has traded between $105.82 and $156.06 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 28.29% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 375 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Biotechnology ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IBB is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Health Care ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT - Free Report) tracks NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI - Free Report) tracks S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index. First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF has $1.37 billion in assets, SPDR S&P Biotech ETF has $7.22 billion. FBT has an expense ratio of 0.55% and XBI charges 0.35%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Should You Invest in the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB)?
If you're interested in broad exposure to the Healthcare - Biotech segment of the equity market, look no further than the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 02/05/2001.
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.
Additionally, sector ETFs offer convenient ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Healthcare - Biotech is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 3, placing it in top 19%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by Blackrock. It has amassed assets over $8.43 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Healthcare - Biotech segment of the equity market. IBB seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index before fees and expenses.
The ICE Biotechnology Index contains securities of NASDAQ listed companies that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceuticals.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.44%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.27%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Healthcare sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc (VRTX - Free Report) accounts for about 7.06% of total assets, followed by Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD - Free Report) and Amgen Inc (AMGN - Free Report) .
Performance and Risk
The ETF has lost about -14.25% and is down about -17.09% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 11/09/2022), respectively. IBB has traded between $105.82 and $156.06 during this last 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 0.84 and standard deviation of 28.29% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 375 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
IShares Biotechnology ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, IBB is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Health Care ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT - Free Report) tracks NYSE Arca Biotechnology Index and the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI - Free Report) tracks S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index. First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF has $1.37 billion in assets, SPDR S&P Biotech ETF has $7.22 billion. FBT has an expense ratio of 0.55% and XBI charges 0.35%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.