iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (Acc) (BTEK.L)
A single fund that tracks US biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies listed on the Nasdaq.
Is iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (Acc) a good fund for a UK beginner?
The honest version: A single fund that tracks US biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies listed on the Nasdaq.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-15. This already includes the fund's dividends, which an accumulating fund reinvests for you. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
This is a fund, so it moves with its whole basket (Thematic) - not any single company's news. One share having a bad day barely shows up here.
What does iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (Acc) do?
This fund copies the Nasdaq Biotechnology index, giving you a slice of major US companies that research and develop medicines and treatments. By making one purchase, your money is spread across numerous businesses in the healthcare sector, including giants like Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, and Gilead Sciences. The ongoing charge of 0.35% a year means roughly £3.50 is taken annually for every £1,000 invested to cover running costs. Because this is an accumulating fund, any dividends collected from the companies are automatically reinvested inside the fund rather than paid out to you.
Holds US biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies listed on the Nasdaq; a single sector that can be volatile.
What's actually inside this fund?
Its 10 biggest holdings
- 1Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc8.1%
- 2Amgen Inc7.9%
- 3Gilead Sciences Inc6.9%
- 4Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc4.5%
- 5Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc2.8%
- 6Revolution Medicines Inc Ordinary Shares2.8%
- 7Biogen Inc2.2%
- 8Moderna Inc1.9%
- 9Illumina Inc1.9%
- 10argenx SE ADR1.8%
The top 10 add up to about 41% of the fund. A large chunk sits in just a handful of names - less spread than the total holding count suggests.
By sector
- Healthcare100%
Top holdings and sector split from the fund's published data as of the figures date - they drift over time as the fund and the index change.
- Simple exposure to a specialised sector with a single trade
- Spreads your money across a range of US biotech and pharmaceutical companies
- Clear, predictable ongoing cost of 0.35% a year
- Automatically reinvests dividends to grow the fund quietly behind the scenes
- Concentrated entirely in a single sector, meaning high industry-specific volatility
- The value will fall whenever the underlying US biotech market drops
- Heavy exposure to a few top holdings like Vertex and Amgen
- Currency swings between British pounds and US dollars can affect your returns
More in Thematic
iShares Automation & Robotics UCITS ETF (Acc)
iShares Digital Security UCITS ETF (Acc)
iShares Healthcare Innovation UCITS ETF (Acc)
iShares Global Clean Energy UCITS ETF (Dist)
iShares Electric Vehicles and Driving Technology UCITS ETF (Acc)
iShares Global Water UCITS ETF (Dist)
VanEck Defense UCITS ETF (Acc)What are the pros and cons of iShares Nasdaq US Biotechnology UCITS ETF (Acc)?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Simple exposure to a specialised sector with a single trade
- Spreads your money across a range of US biotech and pharmaceutical companies
- Clear, predictable ongoing cost of 0.35% a year
- Automatically reinvests dividends to grow the fund quietly behind the scenes
- Concentrated entirely in a single sector, meaning high industry-specific volatility
- The value will fall whenever the underlying US biotech market drops
- Heavy exposure to a few top holdings like Vertex and Amgen
- Currency swings between British pounds and US dollars can affect your returns
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.