At a glance
BUZZ charges 0.76% a year, above the 0.13% average of the 8 funds most like it (the most expensive of 9). It has $104.5M in assets, the 8th largest of that group. Over the past year it returned −8.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the weakest of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +36.3% a year. At its worst it fell 47.1% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 29 months after the low. Its ten largest positions make up 33.2% of the fund, out of 75 in all.
The short version
VanEck Social Sentiment ETF (BUZZ) is an index fund that holds 75 stocks of U.S. companies with the most positive online chatter, as ranked by the BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index. Few funds pick stocks this way, using social media, news and blog posts. It is also costly: its expense ratio is 0.76%, against an average of 0.13% for similar funds, and its swings have been much larger than the broad market's.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
BUZZ -8.3% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUZZ official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +30.59% | — | — | — | +5.86% |
| BUZZ Next Gen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) index, same period | — | +31.10% | — | — | — | +6.18% |
| S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) index, same period | — | +17.88% | — | — | — | +14.19% |
| BUZZ price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +8.9% | -8.3% | +36.3% | +7.1% | — | +8.1% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, BUZZ returned -8.3%, 9th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +7.1%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-47.7%); its best was 2023 (+54.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 56.9% (Nov 8, 2021 to Dec 28, 2022), recovered by Feb 13, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +8.9% | — |
| 2025 | +30.6% | +30.59% |
| 2024 | +33.7% | +33.76% |
| 2023 | +54.7% | +54.48% |
| 2022 | -47.7% | -47.67% |
| 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 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 46.8% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 47.1%, back to its old high 28.7 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $0.1200 | +20.0% |
| 2023 | $0.1000 | +100.0% |
| 2022 | $0.0500 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 75 securities; the ten largest made up 33.18% of assets. It also reported 6.12% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Nebius Group NV | 3.73% | |
| ImmunityBio Inc | 3.65% | |
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc | 3.57% | |
| Micron Technology Inc | 3.48% | |
| SoFi Technologies Inc | 3.23% | |
| Intel Corp | 3.21% | |
| Marvell Technology Inc | 3.19% | |
| Tesla Inc | 3.16% | |
| GameStop Corp | 2.99% | |
| Meta Platforms Inc | 2.98% | |
| NVIDIA Corp | 2.93% | |
| ServiceNow Inc | 2.89% | |
| Microsoft Corp | 2.87% | |
| Super Micro Computer Inc | 2.75% | |
| AST SpaceMobile Inc | 2.73% |
By country
United States 93.35%Netherlands 3.73%Australia 2.42%Cayman Islands 0.38%By asset type
Stocks 99.88%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 64.3% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Jun 30, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors withdrew a net $7.6M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +17.29%, +20.14%, -8.77%.
How it works
BUZZ tracks the BUZZ NextGen AI US Sentiment Leaders Index. The index provider, BUZZ Holdings ULC, built it with fixed rules applied by computer. The rules scan social media, news articles, blog posts and other online data for "positive insights." This score combines how favorably people talk about a company with how widely it is discussed. The 75 highest-scoring companies that also meet minimums for market value and daily trading volume make the index. As of December 31, 2025, those companies ranged from about $4.2 billion to $4.5 trillion in market value. Mid-size companies can qualify.
The fund is passive, or index-tracking. It doesn't try to beat its index. It generally holds the same stocks and keeps at least 80% of its assets in them. The index is rebuilt and rebalanced every month, so holdings change often. The prospectus reports portfolio turnover of 202%, which means the fund replaced the equivalent of its whole portfolio about twice in a year. That trading creates costs not counted in the expense ratio, and it can produce taxable gains.
The fund uses no leverage, options or swaps. As of June 30, 2026, it held no derivatives. Its 10 largest positions made up about 33% of assets, and technology stocks made up a large share of the portfolio.
What it really costs
- BUZZ charges 0.76% a year, versus an average of 0.13% for the similar funds below (9th of 9, cheapest first).
- Of that, 0.75% is the management fee; the rest covers other fund expenses.
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $78 in the first year and $942 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUZZ | $78 | $243 | $422 | $942 |
In a retirement portfolio
BUZZ holds a concentrated, fast-changing basket of popular stocks. It has fallen far more than the market, pays no income and charges a high fee, so it fits best as a small side position, not a foundation.
BUZZ launched in March 2021, so it has no record in the 2008 crisis or the 2020 COVID crash. In the 2022 bear market, it fell 47.1% between January 3 and June 16, 2022. It took about 29 months after that low to recover, finally doing so on November 7, 2024. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -47.7%. Its deepest drop was 56.9%, from November 2021 to December 2022. Anyone selling shares to cover spending in 2022 would have locked in steep losses. It made no distributions in the year through October 27, 2026, so it adds no income. Costs are high: on the SEC's standard $10,000 example, fees total $78 after one year and $942 after 10 years. Past results don't predict future returns, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want a small, rules-based bet on stocks with the most positive social media and news sentiment, such as Nebius, AMD and Micron.
- Investors who can stomach big swings, like BUZZ's 47.7% loss in 2022 and its 54.5% gain in 2023.
- Investors who don't need income from this holding, since it made no distributions in the year through October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-conscious investors: its 0.76% expense ratio ranks last of nine similar funds, whose average is 0.13%.
- Retirees who may need to sell in a downturn: after its 56.9% drop, it took until February 2025 to recover.
- Investors who want a steady core holding: monthly rebuilds and 202% turnover mean holdings, and taxable gains, can change quickly.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUZZ this fund | — | 0.76% | $104.5M | -8.3% | +36.3% |
| SFYF SoFi Social 50 ETF | 43% | 0.29% | $42.5M | +12.7% | +38.8% |
| QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust Series I | 37% | 0.2% | $490.10B | +8.8% | +24.0% |
| IWF iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF | 32% | 0.19% | $128.90B | -3.7% | +20.3% |
| VUG Vanguard Growth ETF | 30% | 0.04% | $379.29B | +3.8% | +25.1% |
| IWL iShares Russell Top 200 ETF | 30% | 0.15% | $2.19B | +12.5% | +25.5% |
| MGC Vanguard Mega Cap ETF | 29% | 0.07% | $10.90B | +13.5% | +26.0% |
| VV Vanguard Large Cap ETF | 29% | 0.04% | $73.83B | +12.0% | +23.8% |
Questions investors ask
Does BUZZ ETF pay a dividend?
No. BUZZ made no distributions in the 12 months through October 27, 2026, so its trailing yield was 0%. The fund is built around online sentiment, not income, and many of its holdings are fast-growing companies that pay little or nothing to shareholders. Investors who need regular cash flow from a holding would have to sell shares to get it.
What's the difference between BUZZ and SFYF?
Both pick stocks based on social media popularity, and about 43% of their holdings overlap. The biggest difference is cost: SoFi Social 50 ETF (SFYF) charges 0.29% a year, while BUZZ charges 0.76%. As of October 27, 2026, SFYF returned 12.7% over one year, while BUZZ lost 8.3%. Over three years, SFYF averaged 38.8% a year and BUZZ averaged 36.3%. Both are small funds.
What is the BUZZ ETF expense ratio?
BUZZ's expense ratio is 0.76% a year, according to its prospectus filed January 27, 2026. That includes a 0.75% management fee. In the SEC's standard example, someone who invested $10,000 and earned 5% a year would pay about $78 in fees after one year and $942 after 10 years. Among nine similar funds, BUZZ is the most expensive. The group's average is 0.13%.
What stocks are in the VanEck Social Sentiment ETF?
As of June 30, 2026, BUZZ held 75 stocks. The largest were Nebius Group, ImmunityBio, Advanced Micro Devices, Micron Technology, SoFi Technologies, Intel, Marvell Technology, Tesla, GameStop and Meta Platforms. Each made up about 3% to 4% of the fund, and together the top 10 came to about 33%. Technology was the biggest sector. The index is rebuilt every month, so this list can change quickly.
How has BUZZ performed compared with the S&P 500?
Since launch, it has trailed. As of December 31, 2025, BUZZ returned an average of 5.86% a year since its March 2021 launch, compared with 14.19% for the S&P 500. It was far more volatile along the way: it lost 47.67% in 2022, then gained 54.48% in 2023, 33.76% in 2024 and 30.59% in 2025. Its one-year return through October 27, 2026, was -8.3%.