What if you invested monthly in a Biotech ETF (XBI) for 15 years?
This scenario invests a fixed USD amount every month in a U.S. biotech ETF (XBI) from July 2011 to July 2026 — 15 years of dollar-cost averaging. It honestly compares this high-risk, high-volatility sector's performance and deep drawdowns against the S&P 500.
Investment conditions
Asset · Biotech ETF (XBI)
Method · Recurring monthly investment
Period · 2011-07-01 ~ 2026-07-01
Amount · $222 / month
As of · 2026-07-01
Key metrics
These results do not reflect taxes. Based on historical data.
Risk & recovery
As important as returns. This service does not hide maximum drawdown or loss periods.
Maximum drawdown (MDD)
-61.8%
Largest drop from peak
Longest loss period
4months
Months in loss: 4
Recovery period
44months
Growth over time
Invested principal (dashed) and portfolio value (solid). Values below match the calculation.
Total invested $40,222 → Final value $103,469 (+157.2%), Maximum drawdown (MDD) -61.8%
Why this period and asset
XBI broadly holds biotech firms developing new drugs, mixing large caps with small, clinical-stage names, which makes it very volatile. The 2011-2026 window saw a biotech rally around 2015, a long correction afterward, and repeated sharp swings driven by trial results, regulation, and the rate environment.
Interpreting the result
Biotech is a classic high-risk, high-volatility sector where success brings large gains and failure large losses. Fifteen years of monthly buying spreads entry points, but the sector's maximum drawdown can be very deep, and the resulting loss period and recovery period can run long. Versus the S&P 500 it can lead sharply during biotech rallies yet fall far behind in corrections — an extreme spread.
Caveats & limits
Biotech is sensitive to trial failures, regulation, and rates, so single news items can cause sharp drops, and its drawdowns have historically run far deeper than the market average. Past rallies are no guarantee of repeats. Expense ratios, commissions, taxes, and currency moves affect results, and this scenario does not recommend buying biotech.
Data sources & limits
- Price data source: Yahoo Finance / FinanceDataReader
- Collected on: 2026-07-23
- Effective trading date: 2026-07-01
- Price basis: Adjusted close (reflects dividends and stock splits)
- Trading fees and taxes are not reflected — figures are pre-tax.
- Based on historical data; does not guarantee future returns.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a biotech ETF so volatile?
Company value hinges heavily on the success or failure of drug trials, and clinical-stage small caps in the mix mean sharp moves on single news — hence deep maximum drawdowns.
High risk means high return?
It carries both large upside and large downside potential. This service does not predict future returns or recommend buying.
Does monthly investing reduce the risk?
It spreads entry points, but it cannot remove the sector's deep maximum drawdown and long recovery period.
Related scenarios
📋 Results are based on historical data; past returns do not guarantee future returns.
📋 This service is provided for educational purposes to help you understand investing, not as investment advice.