At a glance
SOXX charges 0.33% a year, below the 0.34% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 9). It has $47.82B in assets, the 3rd largest of that group; it paid 0.09% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +48.5% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 5th of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +44.1% a year. At its worst it fell 34.3% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 44.7% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 3 months and 14 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 61.6% of the fund, out of 30 in all.
The short version
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) is a BlackRock index fund tracking the NYSE Semiconductor Index of the 30 largest U.S.-listed chip companies; its biggest holdings as of June 30, 2026, were Micron, AMD and NVIDIA. It gives a focused stake in one volatile industry, losing 35% in 2022 and gaining 67% in 2023. Its 0.33% yearly fee is close to the 0.34% average of similar funds, though Invesco's SOXQ charges 0.19%.
Price history
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SOXX +48.5% over the year to Nov 2, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOXX official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +40.71% | — | +19.94% | +27.28% | — |
| MSCI USA Index index, same period | — | +17.75% | — | +13.87% | +14.79% | — |
| SOXX price data to Nov 2, 2026 | +50.9% | +48.5% | +44.1% | +23.7% | +29.9% | +17.4% |
- Over the year to Nov 2, 2026, SOXX returned +48.5%, 5th of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +23.7% and its 10-year +29.9%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 34.3% and regained its old high 2.5 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2008 (-51.7%); its best was 2009 (+75.0%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 66.8% (Jul 17, 2007 to Nov 20, 2008), recovered by Sep 17, 2013.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +50.9% | — |
| 2025 | +40.7% | +40.71% |
| 2024 | +12.9% | +12.97% |
| 2023 | +67.1% | +66.90% |
| 2022 | -35.1% | -35.03% |
| 2021 | +44.1% | +44.00% |
| 2020 | +52.7% | +52.93% |
| 2019 | +62.4% | +62.38% |
| 2018 | -6.5% | -6.47% |
| 2017 | +39.8% | +39.83% |
| 2016 | +38.4% | +38.41% |
| 2015 | -2.0% | — |
| 2014 | +29.1% | — |
| 2013 | +41.6% | — |
| 2012 | +6.6% | — |
| 2011 | -10.6% | — |
| 2010 | +14.3% | — |
| 2009 | +75.0% | — |
| 2008 | -51.7% | — |
| 2007 | -2.2% | — |
| 2006 | +0.2% | — |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Lost 61.3% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 65.7%, back to its old high 54.9 months after the low |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 31.9% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 34.3%, back to its old high 2.5 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 44.7% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 44.7%, back to its old high 14 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.2733 | |
| 2025 | $0.5733 | +19.4% |
| 2024 | $0.4800 | -4.2% |
| 2023 | $0.5011 | +3.2% |
| 2022 | $0.4856 | +26.7% |
| 2021 | $0.3833 | +12.0% |
| 2020 | $0.3422 | -0.6% |
| 2019 | $0.3444 | +43.5% |
| 2018 | $0.2400 | +41.2% |
| 2017 | $0.1700 | +15.0% |
| 2016 | $0.1478 | +15.6% |
| 2015 | $0.1278 | +21.9% |
| 2014 | $0.1048 | +9.6% |
| 2013 | $0.0956 | +32.4% |
| 2012 | $0.0722 | +54.6% |
| 2011 | $0.0467 | -22.2% |
| 2010 | $0.0600 | +54.2% |
| 2009 | $0.0389 | -10.2% |
| 2008 | $0.0433 | +25.9% |
| 2007 | $0.0344 | +218.5% |
| 2006 | $0.0108 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 30 securities; the ten largest made up 61.65% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Micron Technology, Inc. | 8.54% | |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | 8.09% | |
| NVIDIA Corp. | 6.81% | |
| Intel Corp. | 6.33% | |
| Broadcom, Inc. | 6.08% | |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | 5.77% | |
| KLA Corp. | 5.64% | |
| Marvell Technology, Inc. | 5.22% | |
| Lam Research Corp. | 4.89% | |
| Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. | 4.26% | |
| Texas Instruments, Inc. | 3.50% | |
| Analog Devices, Inc. | 3.45% | |
| Teradyne, Inc. | 3.36% | |
| NXP Semiconductors NV | 3.14% | |
| Astera Labs, Inc. | 3.02% |
By country
United States 83.6%Taiwan 6.5%Netherlands 6.24%Cayman Islands 2.01%United Kingdom 0.79%By asset type
Stocks 99.9%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 72.1% 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 added a net $6.25B (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +40.33%, +23.24%, +12.66%.
How it works
SOXX tracks the NYSE Semiconductor Index, run by ICE Data Indices. The index covers the 30 largest U.S.-listed companies that ICE's sector system classifies as semiconductor businesses: chipmakers, companies using LED and OLED technology, and firms providing chip equipment or services such as packaging and testing. Each must also pass minimum size and liquidity (ease of trading) tests. ICE, not BlackRock, picks the members and sets each one's weight, and the lineup changes over time.
BlackRock uses “representative sampling”: it may hold a selection of stocks chosen to behave like the index rather than copying it exactly. Normally at least 80% of assets must be in the index's stocks, and the fund may use derivatives (contracts such as futures that track other assets) and cash to stay on course. As of June 30, 2026, it had 30 holdings, the top 10 made up about 62% of assets, and derivatives were a negligible slice.
As a “non-diversified” fund, it can put more money into a few companies than diversified funds, and it concentrates in chips as heavily as its index does. It uses no leverage and does not shift into safer assets when markets fall. It may lend out up to one-third of its assets for a fee, adding a small risk that a borrower fails to return them.
What it really costs
- SOXX charges 0.33% a year, versus an average of 0.34% for the similar funds below (4th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $34 in the first year and $418 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOXX | $34 | $106 | $185 | $418 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a concentrated, 30-stock bet on one volatile industry, so it fits a small, higher-risk slice of a portfolio rather than its core.
SOXX could add growth: it returned 27.28% a year over the 10 years to December 31, 2025, versus 14.79% for the MSCI USA Index. The trade-off is deep drops. In the 2008 financial crisis it suffered its deepest fall, 66.8% from July 2007 to November 2008, and took until September 2013 to recover; 2008 was its worst calendar year, down 51.7%. It fell 34.3% in the 2020 COVID crash, recovering by June 2020, and 44.7% from January to October 2022, recovering by December 2023. Drawing money during such a slump means cashing out at low prices.
Income is minimal: the yield was 0.08% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. The 0.33% fee comes to about $34 in the first year on $10,000 under the SEC's standard example. 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, focused slice of the 30 largest U.S.-listed chip companies, led by Micron and AMD as of June 30, 2026.
- Long-horizon investors who could ride out a fall like 2022's 44.7% drop, which took 14 months from the low to recover, without cashing out.
- Investors who prefer a large, long-running fund: launched in 2001, with $47.8 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026, and a 0.33% fee.
Look elsewhere if
- Income seekers: the yield was just 0.08% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Cost-focused investors: Invesco's SOXQ, with about 82% holdings overlap, charges 0.19% a year versus SOXX's 0.33%.
- Anyone who may need this money soon: it fell 66.8% from July 2007 to November 2008 and didn't recover until September 2013.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOXX this fund | — | 0.33% | $47.82B | +48.5% | +44.1% |
| SOXQ Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF | 81% | 0.19% | $3.00B | +60.9% | +53.6% |
| SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 74% | 0.35% | $77.20B | +40.5% | +52.2% |
| FTXL First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF | 70% | 0.6% | $2.75B | +81.9% | +54.2% |
| CHPS Xtrackers Semiconductor Select Equity ETF | 57% | 0.15% | $107.1M | +75.7% | +55.7% |
| PSI Invesco Semiconductors ETF | 48% | 0.56% | $2.38B | +65.1% | +49.1% |
| XLK Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund | 42% | 0.08% | $123.91B | +20.1% | +4.0% |
| IGM iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF | 38% | 0.41% | $10.71B | +21.3% | +38.6% |
Compared head to head: SMH vs SOXX · all comparisons →
Questions investors ask
Is SOXX good for retirement?
It may suit a small, higher-risk slot in a retirement portfolio, but its swings and tiny yield make it hard to use as a core holding or income source. SOXX owns about 30 semiconductor stocks. It fell 66.8% from July 2007 to November 2008, then 44.7% from January to October 2022. On the upside, it returned 27.28% a year over the 10 years to December 31, 2025. Its yield was only 0.08% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. Past results don't predict future returns.
What's the difference between SOXX and SOXQ?
The main differences are cost, size and index. SOXX, from BlackRock's iShares, tracks the NYSE Semiconductor Index and charges 0.33% a year. Invesco's SOXQ follows its own semiconductor index and charges 0.19%. Their holdings overlap by about 82%. SOXX is far larger: $47.8 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026, versus about $2.4 billion for SOXQ as of May 31, 2026. As of October 27, 2026, SOXX returned 68.6% over one year and 52% a year over three, versus 60.9% and 53.6% for SOXQ.
Does SOXX pay a dividend?
Yes, SOXX pays dividends quarterly, but they are small. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $0.42 per share, a yield of 0.08%. That is very little for anyone who needs regular income. Nearly all of the fund's return has come from changes in its share price, which can swing sharply: it fell 10.8% in the month to October 27, 2026.
What are SOXX's top holdings?
As of June 30, 2026, SOXX's largest holdings were Micron Technology (8.5%), Advanced Micro Devices (8.1%), NVIDIA (6.8%), Intel (6.3%) and Broadcom (6.1%). Applied Materials, KLA, Marvell Technology, Lam Research and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing completed the top 10, which together made up about 62% of the fund. It had 30 holdings in all, with about 84% in U.S. companies and most of the rest in Taiwan and the Netherlands.
What is the SOXX expense ratio?
SOXX's expense ratio, the yearly fee taken from fund assets, is 0.33%, according to its prospectus filed July 27, 2026. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested, a 5% annual return and shares cashed in at the end. On that basis, costs would total about $34 after one year, $185 after five years and $418 after 10. That's close to the 0.34% average of similar funds. Invesco's SOXQ charges 0.19%, and VanEck's SMH charges 0.35%.