Is State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The State Street SPDR S&P Biotech ETF (XBI) debuted on January 31, 2006, and provides broad exposure to the Health Care ETFs category [1] - XBI is a smart beta ETF that aims to outperform the market through non-cap weighted strategies [3][4] - The fund is managed by State Street Investment Management and has amassed over $7.49 billion in assets, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Health Care sector [5] Fund Structure - XBI seeks to match the performance of the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry Index, which represents the biotechnology sub-industry of the S&P Total Markets Index [6] - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.35%, making it one of the least expensive options in its category [7] - The fund is fully allocated to the Healthcare sector, with its top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 19.54% of total assets [8][9] Performance Metrics - As of November 19, 2025, XBI has gained about 27.94% and is up approximately 25.3% year-to-date [11] - The ETF has traded between $69.80 and $115.18 over the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 0.95 and a standard deviation of 27.12% for the trailing three-year period [11] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the biotechnology space include the First Trust NYSE Arca Biotechnology ETF (FBT) and the iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB), with assets of $1.24 billion and $7.56 billion respectively [13] - FBT has an expense ratio of 0.54%, while IBB charges 0.44%, providing investors with alternative options [13]