ETF Versus

SMH vs SOXX

VanEck Semiconductor ETF vs iShares Semiconductor ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

SMH VanEck

VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by VanEck that provides exposure to thematic - semiconductors securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.35%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.25%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $46.4B ER: 0.35% Yield: 0.25% Since: Dec 20, 2011
SOXX iShares

iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to thematic - semiconductors securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.34%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.43%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: $23.2B ER: 0.34% Yield: 0.43% Since: Jul 10, 2001

Quick Verdict

Both funds have nearly identical expense ratios (0.34% vs 0.35%), so fees are not a differentiator here. Over the past year, SOXX has significantly outperformed with a 129.3% return vs 123.2%.

Key Metrics

Metric SMH SOXX
Expense Ratio 0.35% 0.34%
Dividend Yield 0.3% 0.4%
Fund Family VanEck iShares
Category Thematic - Semiconductors Thematic - Semiconductors

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 122 179 236 293 350 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
SMH +246.1%
SOXX +162.4%

Performance Comparison

Period SMH SOXX Difference
1 Month +9.22% +13.01% -3.79%
3 Months +12.12% +17.02% -4.90%
6 Months +28.92% +35.70% -6.78%
YTD +17.33% +23.24% -5.91%
1 Year +123.23% +129.27% -6.04%
3 Years +243.72% +170.88% +72.84%
5 Years +246.09% +162.38% +83.71%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SMH Fees SOXX Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $690 $670 $19
$10,000 20 years $2,930 $2,849 $81
$10,000 30 years $9,337 $9,082 $255
$50,000 10 years $3,448 $3,351 $97
$50,000 30 years $46,685 $45,411 $1,274
$100,000 30 years $93,370 $90,823 $2,547

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SMH SOXX
Annualized Volatility 34.8% 35.6%
Max Drawdown -45.3% -46.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.76 0.60

Dividend Comparison

Metric SMH SOXX
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.11 $1.67
Dividend Yield 0.25% 0.43%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Quarterly

Top Holdings

6 of top 10 holdings overlap (60% overlap in top holdings)

SMH Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA19.37%
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company LimitedTSM11.59%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO7.67%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD4.91%
Intel CorporationINTC4.83%
KLA CorporationKLAC4.80%
ASML Holding N.V.ASML4.77%
Analog Devices, Inc.ADI4.68%
Lam Research CorporationLRCX4.60%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT4.58%

SOXX Top Holdings

NameWeight
Broadcom Inc.AVGO8.32%
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.79%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU7.48%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD6.55%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT5.86%
Marvell Technology, Inc.MRVL5.31%
Intel CorporationINTC4.90%
Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.MPWR4.36%
Teradyne, Inc.TER4.24%
KLA CorporationKLAC4.16%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SOXX if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Either works if...

you just need broad thematic - semiconductors exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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