XBI vs XHB: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
XBI and XHB are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. XBI is State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF, while XHB is State Street SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF. XBI is broader by holdings count, with 156 positions versus 35 for XHB. XHB is more concentrated at the top, based on top-10 holdings weight. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has XBI ahead on AIQ Score, 59 versus 53.
What is the main difference between XBI and XHB?
XBI holds 156 positions to XHB's 35, and 0% of their weight is in the same securities.
| Metric | XBI | XHB |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.35% |
| Holdings | 156 | 35 |
| Top-10 concentration | 15.9% | 39.3% |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 0.35% | 1.12% |
| Average volume | 9,003,461 | 2,137,161 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | +45.3% | -10% |
| YTD return | +29.2% | -4.8% |
| 5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested | +4.1% | +5.5% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 29.1% | 28.1% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -14.9% | -23.5% |
| Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested | -53.2% | -39.5% |
| Beta | 1.08 | 1.13 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.19 | -0.36 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.04 | -0.67 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 59/100 | 53/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Momentum | 73/100 | 49/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 55/100 | 53/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF
XBI leads
XBI leads by 6 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality, and the lead has widened from 3 points over 30 sessions.
Competitive: 2 of 4 evidence groups support XBI, its lead is widening, and its signal state is cleanly positive.
State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF
State Street SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors XBI over XHB, 59 versus 53 as of Oct 31, 2026. XBI's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality, while XHB holds the stronger value profile. XBI also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor XBI today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. XBI lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 6 points over 30 sessions.
Compare State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF and State Street SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
XBI vs XHB: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | XBI | XHB | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.35% | 0.35% | Similar |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 156 | 35 | XBI |
| Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings | 15.9% | 39.3% | XBI |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 0.35% | 1.12% | XHB |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years | -53.2% | -39.5% | XHB |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 29.1% | 28.1% | XHB |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare XBI and XHB against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum73 vs 49XBI +24
- Quality64 vs 54XBI +10
- Value45 vs 54XHB +9
- Risk Resilience55 vs 53Even
2 of 4 evidence groups favor XBI. XBI’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality; XHB keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-30, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-29.
Largest factor move: Value -3
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Quality -1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
XBI's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — XBI and XHB both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
XBI (State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and quality.
XHB (State Street SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF): the counter-case, on value, valuation.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | XBI | XHB | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.35% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 156 | 35 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 9,003,461 | 2,137,161 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 29.1% | 28.1% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -14.9% | -23.5% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.19 | -0.36 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 1.08 | 1.13 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
How much of the same holdings they own
XBI and XHB share 0% of their weighted exposure across 0 common holdings.
154 holdings are unique to XBI, and 33 holdings are unique to XHB. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
XHB is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 39.31% of the fund, against 15.94% for XBI (35 holdings vs 156). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
What XBI adds that XHB doesn’t
| Holding | XBI | XHB |
|---|---|---|
| MRNAMODERNA INC | 2.87% | Not held |
| TWSTTWIST BIOSCIENCE CORP | 1.81% | Not held |
| HALOHALOZYME THERAPEUTICS INC | 1.47% | Not held |
| NTRANATERA INC | 1.46% | Not held |
| KYMRKYMERA THERAPEUTICS INC | 1.45% | Not held |
| TVTXTRAVERE THERAPEUTICS INC | 1.4% | Not held |
What XHB adds that XBI doesn’t
| Holding | XHB | XBI |
|---|---|---|
| ALLEALLEGION PLC | 4.42% | Not held |
| OCOWENS CORNING | 4.18% | Not held |
| WSMWILLIAMS SONOMA INC | 4.08% | Not held |
| SKYCHAMPION HOMES INC | 3.94% | Not held |
| IBPINSTALLED BUILDING PRODUCTS | 3.9% | Not held |
| JCIJOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATION | 3.87% | Not held |
Each list is a fund’s largest positions by weight that the other fund does not hold, or holds at less than half the weight.
XBI vs XHB: five-year payout growth
XHB grew its split-adjusted payout faster over 2020-2025 — 13.70% a year against XBI's 9.61%. XBI: The payout jumped 704.4% in 2024, a single step rather than steady compounding - often an index or mandate change. XBI: A single payment in an endpoint year was 10.6x the fund's median payment, so one distribution carries much of the result.
| Dividend metric | XBI | XHB |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y payout CAGR | 9.61% | 13.70% |
| 2020 annual payout | $0.282 | $0.422 |
| 2025 annual payout | $0.446 | $0.802 |
| Peer rank | #59 of 138 | #42 of 138 |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor XBI. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | XBI | 59 vs 53 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | XHB | Value 45 vs 54 |
| Technicals | XBI | Price vs 50-day -0.6% vs 2.2%; vs 200-day 11.5% vs -6.9% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 55 vs 53 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of XBI and XHB and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 6 points.
- Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's signal state is cleanly positive. (supports the conclusion holding)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on XBI.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jul 1 – Oct 30XBI lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 6 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- XBI +6
- 59 vs 53
- 7 sessions ago
- XBI +1
- 53 vs 52
- 30 sessions ago
- XBI +3
- 53 vs 50
- 90 sessions ago
- XBI +15
- 64 vs 49
The lead changed hands 4 times in this window, most recently on Oct 28 when XBI moved ahead of XHB.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
3 bullish / 0 bearish
Only XBI
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (11.08%)
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
1 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only XHB
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (6.50%)
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
Both carry 1 more signal that do not separate them: MACD Bullish Crossover.
XHB is conflicted, so the timing case there is weaker than the score alone suggests.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -1.15%, AIQ -1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.3%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1XHB closes the Momentum gap — currently 24 points behind, the largest single contributor to XBI's edge.
- 2XHB's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3XBI's Golden Cross Active breaks down — it is the strongest rule currently supporting the verdict.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Performance
XBI leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | XBI | XHB |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 3.1% | 2.5% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -0.1% | 2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 4% | -6.3% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 22.2% | -5.8% |
| Year to date | 29.2% | -4.8% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 45.3% | -10% |
Technicals
XBI has the stronger structure| Metric | XBI | XHB |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 60.1 | 56.2 |
| ADX (14) | 14.1 | 19 |
| Price vs 50-day | -0.6% | 2.2% |
| Price vs 200-day | 11.5% | -6.9% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 34.4% | 25.5% |
Risk
Split| Metric | XBI | XHB |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.08 | 1.13 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.19 | -0.36 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.04 | -0.67 |
| Max drawdown | -14.9% | -23.5% |
| Current drawdown | -7.1% | -19.3% |
| Annualized volatility | 29.1% | 28.1% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3% | -2.6% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
What is the difference between XBI and XHB?
XBI holds 156 positions to XHB's 35, and 0% of their weight is in the same securities.
How much do XBI and XHB overlap?
XBI and XHB share 0% of their weighted exposure across 0 common holdings. 154 holdings are unique to XBI, and 33 holdings are unique to XHB. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
Which ETF is more diversified, XBI or XHB?
XBI holds more positions: 156 versus 35 for XHB.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
Neither: both charge 0.35% a year.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
XHB, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 1.12% against 0.35% for XBI.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
XBI has been more volatile over the past year, at 29.1% annualized against 28.1% for XHB.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
XHB fell less from peak to trough over the past five years: -39.5% against -53.2% for XBI.
Compare XBI and XHB with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.