At a glance
CTEC charges 0.5% a year, below the 0.54% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 9). It has $33.8M in assets, the 7th largest of that group; it paid 0.68% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned −10.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +6.1% a year. At its worst it fell 32.5% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and is still below its earlier high. Its ten largest positions make up 61.1% of the fund, out of 41 in all.
The short version
Global X CleanTech ETF (CTEC) tracks the Indxx Global ClimateTech Index. As of January 31, 2026, the index held 38 companies worldwide that earn at least half their revenue from renewable energy, batteries, fuel cells, smart grids, energy efficiency or pollution control. Its 0.50% annual fee is a bit below the 0.54% average of similar funds. But it is very volatile: it fell about 82% from its February 2021 peak to its April 2025 low.
Price history
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CTEC -10.0% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTEC official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +56.66% | — | -13.41% | — | -5.84% |
| CTEC price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -2.5% | -10.0% | +6.1% | -12.7% | — | -5.9% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, CTEC returned -10.0%, 6th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was -12.7%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (-36.3%); its best was 2025 (+57.8%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 81.6% (Feb 9, 2021 to Apr 8, 2025), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -2.5% | — |
| 2025 | +57.8% | +56.66% |
| 2024 | -36.3% | -35.85% |
| 2023 | -25.6% | -25.82% |
| 2022 | -16.8% | -16.60% |
| 2021 | -22.2% | -21.72% |
| 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 26.5% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 32.5%, not recovered by the end of the data |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.0700 | |
| 2025 | $0.3800 | -30.9% |
| 2024 | $0.5500 | +83.3% |
| 2023 | $0.3000 | +50.0% |
| 2022 | $0.2000 | -42.9% |
| 2021 | $0.3500 |
What's inside
As of May 31, 2026, the fund held 41 securities; the ten largest made up 61.08% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| BNYREPOS RA | 8.48% | |
| BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION | 8.25% | |
| SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD. | 7.69% | |
| FIRST SOLAR, INC. | 7.06% | |
| NEXTPOWER INC. | 6.14% | |
| Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. | 5.53% | |
| ENPHASE ENERGY, INC. | 5.47% | |
| VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S | 5.18% | |
| PLUG POWER INC. | 3.66% | |
| NIBE Industrier AB | 3.61% | |
| QUANTUMSCAPE CORPORATION | 3.43% | |
| Nordex SE | 3.26% | |
| JOHNSON MATTHEY PLC | 3.20% | |
| SOLAREDGE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | 3.06% | |
| China Everbright Environment Group Limited | 2.77% |
By country
United States 59.25%Hong Kong 12.84%South Korea 11.21%Taiwan 5.37%Denmark 5.18%By asset type
Stocks 99.95%RA 8.48%What changed recently
- Over the three months to May 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $1.7M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +13.80%, +17.87%, -2.68%.
How it works
CTEC is an index fund. Rather than picking stocks, it aims to match the Indxx Global ClimateTech Index. (Its March 27, 2026 prospectus calls it the Global X ClimateTech ETF.) Indxx keeps only companies earning at least 50% of revenue from renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage, smart grids, lithium-ion batteries or fuel cells, or pollution control. As of January 31, 2026, members needed a market value of at least $500 million, and the index held 38 companies from the US and abroad.
Weights follow company size, with caps. At each twice-yearly reset, no stock can top 6%. Stocks at 5% or more can't together exceed 40%, the rest are capped at 4.5%, and each gets at least 0.3%. Between resets, rising stocks can drift past the caps. On May 31, 2026, Bloom Energy was 8.2% of assets, ahead of Samsung SDI (7.7%), First Solar (7.1%) and Nextpower (6.1%).
The fund generally holds every index stock in about the index's proportions. It may use a representative sample (a smaller set that mimics the index) when that is more practical. It may lend securities worth up to one-third of its total assets to earn extra income. Portfolio turnover, the share of holdings replaced over a year, was 34.8%, per the prospectus. The objective and index can change without a shareholder vote.
What it really costs
- CTEC charges 0.5% a year, versus an average of 0.54% for the similar funds below (4th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTEC | $51 | $160 | $280 | $628 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a narrow, highly volatile bet on clean-technology stocks that fell about 82% from its 2021 peak, so it could fit as a small slice beside broader holdings rather than as a core position.
CTEC could add concentrated exposure to clean-technology stocks, but not stability. It launched in October 2020, so it has no record from the 2008 financial crisis or the 2020 COVID crash. In the 2022 bear market it fell 32.5% from January 3 to May 12, 2022. Its worst calendar year was 2024, a loss of about 36%. Its deepest peak-to-trough drop was about 82%, from February 2021 to April 2025. It had not recovered as of October 27, 2026. Cashing in shares during such slumps locks in losses.
Income is minor: the yield over the previous year was 0.68% as of October 27, 2026, paid twice a year. The expense ratio, the yearly fee taken from fund assets, is 0.50%. In the SEC's standard example, that comes to $51 in year one on $10,000. 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 wanting a small, global clean-tech slice, with Bloom Energy, Samsung SDI, First Solar and Vestas among the largest holdings as of May 31, 2026.
- Holders comfortable with big swings: it lost about 36% in 2024, then gained about 57% in 2025, per its prospectus.
- Investors who want an index that caps each company at 6% at each twice-yearly reset, plus a 0.50% fee just under the 0.54% peer average.
Look elsewhere if
- Anyone needing steady value or income: the yield was 0.68% as of October 27, 2026, and an 82% drop from 2021 had not recovered.
- Cost-focused investors: Fidelity Clean Energy ETF (FRNW) charges 0.40% and iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) 0.41%, versus CTEC's 0.50%.
- Those wary of small funds: net assets were $33.8 million as of May 31, 2026, ranking 7th of 9 similar funds by size.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CTEC this fund | — | 0.5% | $33.8M | -10.0% | +6.1% |
| ICLN iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | 41% | 0.41% | $2.31B | -4.3% | +8.8% |
| VCLN Virtus Duff & Phelps Clean Energy ETF | 36% | 0.59% | $5.5M | +1.8% | +19.9% |
| FRNW Fidelity Clean Energy ETF | 35% | 0.4% | $153.8M | -3.2% | +14.9% |
| TAN Invesco Solar ETF | 31% | 0.71% | $1.05B | -14.1% | +1.1% |
| CTEX ProShares S&P Kensho Cleantech ETF | 30% | 0.58% | $4.8M | -15.8% | +14.4% |
| SMOG VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF | 30% | 0.61% | $143.7M | -1.1% | +13.4% |
| CNRG SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF | 26% | 0.45% | $249.7M | -18.9% | +11.7% |
Questions investors ask
What does the CTEC ETF invest in?
CTEC holds clean-technology stocks from around the world. It tracks the Indxx Global ClimateTech Index. That index includes companies earning at least half their revenue from renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage, smart grids, lithium-ion batteries or fuel cells, or pollution control. As of May 31, 2026, its largest stocks were Bloom Energy (8.2%), Samsung SDI (7.7%), First Solar (7.1%), Nextpower (6.1%), Contemporary Amperex Technology (5.5%) and Enphase Energy (5.5%). About 59% was in US companies.
Is CTEC a good ETF for retirement?
CTEC is a high-risk fund that may suit only a small slice of a retirement portfolio. Volatility measures how widely returns swing, and its one-year volatility was 38.1% as of October 27, 2026. It also fell about 82% from February 2021 to April 2025 and had not recovered by October 27, 2026. Its 0.68% yield adds little income. Drawing money from it in a bad year could lock in deep losses.
What's the difference between CTEC and ICLN?
Mainly cost, size and holdings. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) is the most similar fund by holdings overlap. It charges 0.41% a year versus CTEC's 0.50%. ICLN had about $2.3 billion in net assets as of July 31, 2026, while CTEC had $33.8 million as of May 31, 2026. Their portfolios overlap by about 41%. Through October 27, 2026, ICLN lost 4.3% over one year and gained 8.8% a year over three years. CTEC lost 10% and gained 6.1% a year.
Does CTEC pay dividends?
Yes, but very little. CTEC pays distributions semiannually, meaning twice a year. In the year to October 27, 2026, it paid $0.35 per share, a trailing yield of 0.68%. That means nearly all of its return, good or bad, comes from share-price changes in companies like Bloom Energy, Samsung SDI and First Solar. Income plays almost no part. It offers little regular cash flow for retirees who rely on payouts.
How has CTEC performed since it launched?
It has lost money overall, with sharp swings. Its March 27, 2026 prospectus shows an average annual return of -5.84% from its October 27, 2020 launch through December 31, 2025. It fell in every calendar year from 2021 to 2024, including a 35.85% loss in 2024, then gained 56.66% in 2025. Its strongest quarter returned 40.31% (ended September 30, 2025), and its weakest lost 25.46% (ended September 30, 2023). As of October 27, 2026, it was down 2.5% year to date.