At a glance
BUG charges 0.5% a year, above the 0.44% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 7th cheapest of 9). It has $1.17B in assets, the 4th largest of that group; it paid 0.02% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned +46.9% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 4th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +32.4% a year. At its worst it fell 34.4% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 29.4% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 2 months and 24 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 59.7% of the fund, out of 31 in all.
The short version
Global X Cybersecurity ETF (BUG) tracks the Indxx Cybersecurity Index. The index holds about 30 mostly mid-sized, US-listed companies that earn at least half their revenue from cybersecurity. Caps on each stock's weight spread money more evenly than pure size weighting, and no holding was above 7.5% as of May 31, 2026. Its 0.50% annual fee is above the 0.44% average of similar funds but below CIBR and HACK.
Price history
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BUG +46.9% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUG official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | -5.19% | — | +2.08% | — | +12.40% |
| BUG price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +71.9% | +46.9% | +32.4% | +10.5% | — | +19.4% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, BUG returned +46.9%, 4th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +10.5%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 34.4% and regained its old high 1.8 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-33.7%); its best was 2020 (+70.8%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 41.7% (Nov 9, 2021 to Jan 5, 2023), recovered by Dec 4, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +71.9% | — |
| 2025 | -5.0% | -5.19% |
| 2024 | +9.6% | +10.03% |
| 2023 | +41.4% | +40.95% |
| 2022 | -33.7% | -33.68% |
| 2021 | +13.2% | +13.67% |
| 2020 | +70.8% | +71.17% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 27.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 34.4%, back to its old high 1.8 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 27% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 29.4%, back to its old high 23.9 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.0100 | -66.7% |
| 2024 | $0.0300 | 0.0% |
| 2023 | $0.0300 | -90.6% |
| 2022 | $0.3200 | +52.4% |
| 2021 | $0.2100 | +61.5% |
| 2020 | $0.1300 |
What's inside
As of May 31, 2026, the fund held 31 securities; the ten largest made up 59.73% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| OKTA, INC. | 7.46% | |
| CROWDSTRIKE HOLDINGS, INC. | 7.31% | |
| FORTINET, INC. | 7.29% | |
| PALO ALTO NETWORKS, INC. | 7.00% | |
| AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | 6.47% | |
| SAILPOINT, INC. | 5.51% | |
| RUBRIK, INC. | 4.94% | |
| ZSCALER, INC. | 4.76% | |
| TENABLE HOLDINGS, INC. | 4.52% | |
| GEN DIGITAL INC. | 4.47% | |
| VARONIS SYSTEMS, INC. | 4.34% | |
| Qualys Inc | 4.20% | |
| Netskope Inc | 4.07% | |
| COMMVAULT SYSTEMS, INC. | 4.01% | |
| CHECK POINT SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES LTD. | 4.01% |
By country
United States 94.38%Japan 5.14%United Kingdom 0.85%South Korea 0.71%By asset type
Stocks 99.91%RA 1.17%What changed recently
- Over the three months to May 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $6.3M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +36.62%, +6.03%, -0.32%.
How it works
BUG follows an index built by Indxx LLC, a company not affiliated with the fund. Indxx starts with FactSet industries linked to cybersecurity. Then it checks each company's revenue. To get in, a company must earn at least 50% of its revenue from building and managing security that protects systems, networks, apps, computers and mobile devices from attacks. As of January 31, 2026, companies also needed a market value of at least $200 million and average daily trading of at least $2 million over six months. More than 40 countries qualify. Even so, about 94% of the fund was in US stocks and 5% in Japan as of May 31, 2026.
The index uses "modified" market-cap weighting. Bigger companies get bigger weights, but each stock's weight is capped. That leaves more room for mid-sized firms. The index is rebuilt and reweighted twice a year. It had 29 stocks as of January 31, 2026, and was concentrated in software. The fund held 31 positions as of May 31, 2026, with 59.7% in its top 10.
Global X Management Company, the adviser, usually buys every index stock in about the same proportions. It does not try to beat the index or move to cash when markets fall. The fund may lend out up to one-third of its assets. It also held a tiny Nasdaq-100 futures position, about 0.1% of assets.
What it really costs
- BUG charges 0.5% a year, versus an average of 0.44% for the similar funds below (7th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $51 in the first year and $628 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUG | $51 | $160 | $280 | $628 |
In a retirement portfolio
BUG is a single-industry stock fund with one-year volatility of 36.8% and almost no income, so it fits as a small add-on to a broader core, not as the core itself.
BUG could add focused exposure to cybersecurity spending, but the ride has been rough. It launched in October 2019, so it has no 2008 record. In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 34.4% in about a month, then got back to its peak by May 11, 2020. The 2022 slump took far longer to heal. BUG lost 33.7% in calendar 2022. Its deepest drop, 41.7% from November 2021 to January 2023, wasn't recovered until December 2024. Anyone who had to sell shares or draw cash during that stretch would have locked in large losses.
Income is close to zero. The trailing yield was 0.02% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost $51 in the first year and $628 over 10 years. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting a small, targeted stake in firms like Okta, CrowdStrike, Fortinet and Palo Alto Networks alongside a broad core fund.
- Those who prefer capped weights that spread money across about 30 mostly mid-sized security companies, so a few giants don't dominate.
- Long-horizon holders who can sit through drops like the 41.7% decline from November 2021 that took until December 2024 to recover.
Look elsewhere if
- People who need income: the yield was 0.02% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year.
- Cost-focused buyers: BUG ranks seventh-lowest of nine similar funds on fees at 0.50%. Xtrackers PSWD charges 0.20% but is far smaller.
- Anyone wanting broad diversification: the fund is about 94% US stocks, concentrated in software, with one-year volatility of 36.8%.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUG this fund | — | 0.5% | $1.17B | +46.9% | +32.4% |
| WCBR WisdomTree Cybersecurity Fund | 74% | 0.45% | $103.0M | +60.5% | +39.5% |
| HACK Amplify Cybersecurity ETF | 65% | 0.6% | $2.59B | +50.8% | +39.0% |
| SPAM Themes Cybersecurity ETF | 64% | 0.35% | $5.0M | +40.6% | — |
| IHAK iShares Cybersecurity & Tech ETF | 62% | 0.47% | $1.02B | +47.0% | +28.7% |
| PSWD Xtrackers Cybersecurity Select Equity ETF | 59% | 0.2% | $5.3M | +36.2% | +29.8% |
| CIBR First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF | 44% | 0.59% | $13.84B | +25.8% | +29.6% |
| FITE SPDR S&P Kensho Future Security ETF | 26% | 0.45% | $150.6M | +27.8% | +36.9% |
Questions investors ask
Is BUG a good ETF for retirement?
BUG is better seen as a small, higher-risk add-on than as a core retirement holding. It holds only about 30 cybersecurity stocks and yields almost nothing (0.02% as of October 27, 2026). It has also had deep drops. It fell 41.7% from November 2021 to January 2023 and didn't recover until December 2024. That can hurt anyone who has to sell during a slump. It may suit investors who keep it to a modest slice next to broader funds.
What's the difference between BUG and WCBR?
They are similar: by the latest N-PORT reports, 74% of their holdings overlap. WisdomTree's WCBR charges 0.45% a year versus 0.50% for BUG. WCBR is much smaller, with about $103 million in net assets as of June 30, 2026, compared with about $1.17 billion for BUG as of May 31, 2026. Through October 27, 2026, WCBR returned 60.5% over one year versus 46.9% for BUG. Over three years it returned 39.5% a year versus 32.4%.
Does BUG pay dividends?
Yes, but the payout is tiny and comes only once a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, BUG paid about $0.01 per share, a yield of 0.02%. That's because most of its holdings are growth-focused software companies that reinvest their earnings rather than paying dividends. Investors looking for regular income from this fund would mostly have to sell shares.
What are BUG's top holdings?
As of May 31, 2026, the five largest holdings were Okta (7.5%), CrowdStrike (7.3%), Fortinet (7.3%), Palo Alto Networks (7.0%) and Akamai Technologies (6.5%). Next came SailPoint, Rubrik, Zscaler, Tenable and Gen Digital. The top 10 made up 59.7% of the fund, spread across 31 positions. Because the index caps single-stock weights, no company dominates the fund the way the biggest names can in purely size-weighted funds.
How has BUG performed over 5 years?
The five-year record has been modest, with big swings. According to the prospectus, BUG returned 2.08% a year over the five years to December 31, 2025, and 12.4% a year since its 2019 launch. Calendar years ranged from a 71.17% gain in 2020 to a 33.68% loss in 2022. Based on prices, its five-year annualized return was 10.5% as of October 27, 2026, helped by a 71.9% gain in 2026 through that date.