BLFS vs IBB: Correlation
BioLife Solutions, Inc. (BLFS) and iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB) show a strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.62.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are BLFS and IBB?
On 3 years of weekly data the BLFS/IBB correlation comes out at 0.62, strong. The relationship has been stable: the 1-year correlation (0.54) sits close to the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 0.59, and annualized covariance runs at 641.1 %².
In BLFS's tracked universe of 15 assets, IBB sits right near the top at #1. The trailing year gives IBB the advantage: +46.3% versus +55.4%, a 9.1-point spread. One caveat on sizing: BLFS is 2.4 times as volatile as the other leg, so an equal-dollar split is far from equal-risk.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
BLFS vs IBB: side by side
| BLFS (BioLife Solutions, Inc.) | IBB (iShares Biotechnology ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +46.3% | +55.4% |
| 5-year return | -36.2% | +26.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 50.1% | 20.7% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.66 | 0.81 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -37.0% | -24.9% |
| Market cap | $1.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 37.2 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.22% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.44% |
| Assets under management | – | $9.2B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | ETF · Thematic |
IBB, iShares's Health fund, carries $9.2B under management, 235 holdings, a 0.44% expense ratio, a 0.22% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | BLFS | IBB |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -51.2% | -13.7% |
| 2023 | -10.7% | +3.8% |
| 2024 | +59.8% | -2.4% |
| 2025 | -6.9% | +28.0% |
| 2026 | +53.8% | +27.4% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are BLFS and IBB good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.62 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
FAQ
What is the correlation between BLFS and IBB?
The BLFS/IBB correlation stands at 0.62 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.54, 5 years: 0.59), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is IBB a good diversifier for BLFS?
To a limited degree. At 0.62 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
What does a correlation of 0.62 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.62 describes how much the two returns move together: +1 is lockstep, 0 is independence, negative values mean opposite directions. It says nothing about which performed better.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/blfs-vs-ibb.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/blfs-vs-ibb/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: BLFS correlations · IBB correlations
