At a glance
IXP charges 0.37% a year, above the 0.34% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 8). It has $518.8M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 3.58% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned −10.2% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 5th of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +20.9% a year. At its worst it fell 27.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 37.6% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 4 months and 16 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 67.7% of the fund, out of 78 in all.
The short version
iShares Global Comm Services ETF (IXP) is a BlackRock index fund. It tracks the S&P Global 1200 Communication Services 4.5/22.5/45 Capped Index, which holds large telecom, media and internet companies from the US and other major markets. Unlike US-only sector funds, it also owns companies such as Tencent, SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom. Its 0.37% annual fee is far higher than XLC, FCOM or VOX, which charge less than 0.10%.
Price history
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IXP -10.2% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IXP official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +29.09% | — | +12.16% | +10.18% | — |
| SP Global Broad Market Index Net index, same period | — | +21.96% | — | +10.50% | +11.28% | — |
| SP Global 1200 Communication Services 4522545 Capped Index index, same period | — | +28.72% | — | +12.25% | +10.23% | — |
| IXP price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -8.8% | -10.2% | +20.9% | +7.0% | +8.7% | +7.3% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, IXP returned -10.2%, 5th of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +7.0% and its 10-year +8.7%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 27.1% and regained its old high 3.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-33.4%); its best was 2023 (+38.8%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 50.1% (Oct 29, 2007 to Mar 9, 2009), recovered by Sep 13, 2013.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -8.8% | — |
| 2025 | +29.3% | +29.09% |
| 2024 | +31.3% | +31.31% |
| 2023 | +38.8% | +38.71% |
| 2022 | -33.4% | -33.06% |
| 2021 | +12.8% | +12.77% |
| 2020 | +22.2% | +22.26% |
| 2019 | +25.2% | +25.07% |
| 2018 | -13.7% | -13.54% |
| 2017 | +6.7% | +6.38% |
| 2016 | +5.5% | +5.59% |
| 2015 | -0.1% | — |
| 2014 | -1.4% | — |
| 2013 | +24.1% | — |
| 2012 | +7.5% | — |
| 2011 | +0.9% | — |
| 2010 | +11.6% | — |
| 2009 | +11.4% | — |
| 2008 | -30.9% | — |
| 2007 | +24.8% | — |
| 2006 | +33.1% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 46.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 50.1%, back to its old high 54.2 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 26.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 27.1%, back to its old high 3.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 37.6% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 37.6%, back to its old high 15.9 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.8100 | |
| 2025 | $3.6200 | +176.3% |
| 2024 | $1.3100 | +40.9% |
| 2023 | $0.9300 | +173.5% |
| 2022 | $0.3400 | -77.0% |
| 2021 | $1.4800 | +108.5% |
| 2020 | $0.7100 | -47.0% |
| 2019 | $1.3400 | -38.2% |
| 2018 | $2.1700 | +4.8% |
| 2017 | $2.0700 | -12.3% |
| 2016 | $2.3600 | +4.4% |
| 2015 | $2.2600 | -69.7% |
| 2014 | $7.4500 | +220.4% |
| 2013 | $2.3250 | -14.6% |
| 2012 | $2.7240 | -10.2% |
| 2011 | $3.0330 | +22.9% |
| 2010 | $2.4670 | +11.5% |
| 2009 | $2.2120 | -7.6% |
| 2008 | $2.3940 | +57.4% |
| 2007 | $1.5210 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | $1.5120 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 78 securities; the ten largest made up 67.67% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| META PLATFORMS, INC. | 16.60% | |
| ALPHABET INC. Class A | 13.02% | |
| ALPHABET INC. | 10.38% | |
| THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY | 4.54% | |
| Tencent Holdings Limited | 4.52% | |
| VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. | 4.21% | |
| NETFLIX, INC. | 4.07% | |
| SoftBank Group Corp. | 3.91% | |
| AT&T INC. | 3.91% | |
| Deutsche Telekom AG | 2.51% | |
| COMCAST CORPORATION | 2.38% | |
| T-MOBILE US, INC. | 2.12% | |
| WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY, INC. | 1.79% | |
| Nintendo Co., Ltd. | 1.33% | |
| KDDI CORPORATION | 1.28% |
By country
United States 68.93%Japan 9.47%Cayman Islands 6.58%Germany 2.51%United Kingdom 1.76%By asset type
Stocks 99.57%Other 0.22%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 63% 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 $40.1M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +7.44%, +0.19%, -8.20%.
How it works
IXP tracks an index built by S&P Dow Jones Indices. The index takes the communication services companies from the S&P Global 1200, a measure of large companies in major global markets. The index provider decides what goes in and how much each holding weighs, within limits. At each quarterly rebalance, no single company can be more than 22.5% of the index. All companies above 4.5% can add up to no more than 45% combined. Weights can drift between rebalances. As of June 30, 2026, Meta Platforms was 16.6% of the fund, and Alphabet's two share classes were 13.0% and 10.4%. As of March 31, 2026, the index held companies from 19 countries, including Japan, Germany, the U.K., China and Brazil.
BlackRock's adviser uses "representative sampling." That means it may not own every stock in the index. Instead, it buys a group of stocks chosen to behave like the index as a whole. The fund held 78 companies as of June 30, 2026, and must keep at least 80% of its assets in index stocks. It also held a small amount of stock index futures and 0.91% in cash. It may lend out up to one-third of its assets to earn extra income. Turnover was 28%. Its share price is set in US dollars, so changes in foreign currencies can raise or lower returns.
What it really costs
- IXP charges 0.37% a year, versus an average of 0.34% for the similar funds below (4th of 8, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $38 in the first year and $468 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IXP | $38 | $119 | $208 | $468 |
In a retirement portfolio
IXP is a single-sector fund with about two-thirds of its assets in its 10 largest holdings, so it fits better as a small add-on than as a foundation.
IXP can add global telecom, media and internet stocks to a portfolio, but it has fallen hard in past downturns. It dropped 50.1% from October 2007 to March 2009 and did not regain that peak until September 2013. It fell 27.1% in the 2020 COVID crash and recovered by July 2020. In the 2022 bear market it lost 37.6% and did not recover until February 2024. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -33.06%. Anyone forced to sell shares in those years would have sold at a steep loss. The trailing yield was 3.58% as of October 27, 2026. It pays twice a year, so income arrives unevenly. Its 0.37% fee is well above that of several similar funds. Past results don't predict future ones, and a retirement plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want communication stocks from outside the US, such as Tencent, SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom, along with Meta and Alphabet.
- People adding a small sector holding who accept that the top 10 holdings made up about 68% of assets as of June 30, 2026.
- Long-term holders who could live through drops like the 50.1% fall from 2007 to 2009, which took until September 2013 to recover.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-conscious investors: XLC, FCOM and VOX charged 0.08% to 0.09% a year, compared with IXP's 0.37%.
- People who need steady monthly income: IXP pays twice a year, with a trailing yield of 3.58% as of October 27, 2026.
- Anyone looking for a broad core fund: IXP covers one sector, and its 10-year return trailed a broad global stock index through December 31, 2025.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IXP this fund | — | 0.37% | $518.8M | -10.2% | +20.9% |
| XLC Communication Services Select Sector SPDR F… | 69% | 0.08% | $22.26B | -11.5% | +17.1% |
| FCOM Fidelity MSCI Communication Services Index … | 66% | 0.084% | $1.73B | -5.8% | +22.1% |
| VOX Vanguard Communication Services ETF | 65% | 0.09% | $5.93B | -5.5% | +22.2% |
| RSPC Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Communication … | 38% | 0.4% | $55.8M | -13.1% | +12.1% |
| LSGR Natixis Loomis Sayles Focused Growth ETF | 26% | 0.59% | $839.1M | -2.0% | +23.9% |
| FDN First Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | 24% | 0.51% | $4.98B | -1.2% | +23.7% |
| PNQI Invesco NASDAQ Internet ETF | 22% | 0.6% | $512.2M | -10.9% | +20.2% |
Questions investors ask
What's the difference between IXP and XLC?
The main differences are cost, size and reach. XLC is the closest match, sharing about 69% of IXP's holdings. XLC charges 0.08% a year, compared with 0.37% for IXP. XLC had about $22.3 billion in net assets, versus about $519 million for IXP, as of June 30, 2026. IXP also owns non-US companies such as Tencent and SoftBank. IXP's three-year annualized price return was 20.9% as of October 27, 2026. XLC's was 17.1% as of October 30, 2026.
Does IXP pay dividends?
Yes. IXP pays dividends twice a year, not monthly or quarterly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $3.93 per share, a trailing yield of 3.58%. Payments depend on the dividends its holdings pay, which include phone companies such as Verizon, AT&T and Deutsche Telekom. They can change from one payment to the next. Because only two payments arrive each year, people living on the income may need to budget around the gaps.
What are IXP's top holdings?
As of June 30, 2026, Meta Platforms was the largest holding at 16.6%. Alphabet's two share classes followed at 13.0% and 10.4%. Next came Walt Disney (4.5%), Tencent (4.5%), Verizon (4.2%), Netflix (4.1%), SoftBank Group (3.9%) and AT&T (3.9%). The top 10 holdings made up about 68% of the fund. US stocks were about 69% of assets, Japan about 9% and Germany about 3%.
How much does IXP cost per year?
IXP's expense ratio is 0.37%, according to its July 2026 prospectus. The SEC's standard example assumes a $10,000 investment, a 5% yearly return and a sale at the end of each period. In that example, costs come to about $38 after one year, $208 after five years and $468 after ten years. That is slightly above the 0.34% average of similar funds. It is far above XLC, FCOM and VOX, which charge 0.08% to 0.09%.
How did IXP do in the 2022 bear market?
IXP lost a lot in 2022. Its prospectus shows a -33.06% return for the calendar year, its worst on record. From January 3 to October 12, 2022, its price fell 37.6%. It did not recover that loss until February 2024. The rebound was strong: the fund returned 38.71% in 2023, 31.31% in 2024 and 29.09% in 2025. It was down 8.8% for 2026 through October 27.