At a glance
TECB charges 0.3% a year, below the 0.37% average of the 8 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 9). It has $462.2M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 0.27% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, quarterly. Over the past year it returned +23.7% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 2nd of those 9 funds; over three years it returned +31.7% a year. At its worst it fell 38.2% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 14 months after the low. Its ten largest positions make up 41.7% of the fund, out of 173 in all.
The short version
iShares U.S. Tech Breakthrough Multisector ETF (TECB) is a BlackRock index fund that tracks the NYSE FactSet U.S. Tech Breakthrough Index. The index holds U.S. companies in five themes: robotics and AI, cybersecurity, cloud and data, financial technology, and genomics. Its 0.30% expense ratio is below the 0.37% average of similar funds. A 4% cap on any one stock keeps giants like Microsoft and NVIDIA from dominating the fund.
Price history
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TECB +23.7% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TECB official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +24.46% | — | +16.79% | — | — |
| TECB price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +29.6% | +23.7% | +31.7% | +13.6% | — | +14.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, TECB returned +23.7%, 2nd of 9 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +13.6%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-34.4%); its best was 2023 (+57.5%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 41.6% (Nov 8, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022), recovered by Jan 18, 2024.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +29.6% | — |
| 2025 | +14.8% | — |
| 2024 | +24.4% | +24.46% |
| 2023 | +57.5% | +57.41% |
| 2022 | -34.4% | -34.34% |
| 2021 | — | +19.61% |
| 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 | Not in the price data, which starts Feb 22, 2021 |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 38.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 38.2%, back to its old high 14.1 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.1400 | |
| 2025 | $0.1900 | +5.6% |
| 2024 | $0.1800 | +100.0% |
| 2023 | $0.0900 | -47.1% |
| 2022 | $0.1700 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 173 securities; the ten largest made up 41.72% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Networks, Inc. | 4.59% | |
| Microsoft Corp. | 4.46% | |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | 4.42% | |
| Merck & Co., Inc. | 4.31% | |
| Visa, Inc. | 4.29% | |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | 4.08% | |
| Apple, Inc. | 4.02% | |
| NVIDIA Corp. | 3.92% | |
| Alphabet, Inc. | 3.87% | |
| Meta Platforms, Inc. | 3.76% | |
| Intel Corp. | 3.64% | |
| Netflix, Inc. | 3.31% | |
| Mastercard, Inc. | 3.29% | |
| Crowdstrike Holdings, Inc. | 3.22% | |
| Palantir Technologies, Inc. | 2.98% |
By country
United States 99.9%By asset type
Stocks 99.9%Other 0%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 85.2% 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 Jul 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $35.6M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +15.18%, -2.06%, -2.47%.
How it works
TECB tracks the NYSE FactSet U.S. Tech Breakthrough Index, run by ICE Data Indices. To qualify, a company must fit one of five themes: robotics and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud and data tech, financial technology, or genomics and immunology. FactSet's industry classification system decides which companies qualify. In most themes, a company must earn at least half its revenue from related industries. Robotics and AI also admits companies with a 20% market share or $1 billion in revenue in those industries. Genomics picks only the top 50 companies by a keyword score. Every company must be incorporated in the U.S., listed on a U.S. exchange, worth at least $500 million and trade at least $2 million a day on average.
Stocks are weighted by float-adjusted market value, meaning the value of shares available to the public. No stock can exceed 4%, and each theme must make up at least 10%. The index is rebuilt each December and reweighted in June and December. It can include large, mid-size and small companies.
BlackRock Fund Advisors doesn't try to beat the index or make defensive moves when markets fall. The fund may not hold every index stock. As of July 31, 2026, it held 173 stocks, almost all of its assets, plus a tiny stock-index futures position. It uses no leverage or options. Portfolio turnover was 15%.
What it really costs
- TECB charges 0.3% a year, versus an average of 0.37% for the similar funds below (4th of 9, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $31 in the first year and $381 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TECB | $31 | $97 | $169 | $381 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a themed, tech-heavy stock fund that has swung more than the broad market and pays almost no income.
TECB adds focused exposure to cybersecurity, cloud, fintech, AI and genomics companies, but with sharp swings. Its one-year beta was 1.34 as of October 27, 2026. Beta measures how much a fund moves with the market, so 1.34 means it moved about a third more. In the 2022 bear market it fell 38.2% and took 14.1 months to recover, regaining its peak on December 13, 2023. Its worst calendar year was 2022, down 34.34%. Its deepest drop was 41.6%, and recovery took 15.1 months, ending January 18, 2024. The fund launched in 2020, so it has no 2008 record, and its price history starts after the 2020 crash. Anyone selling in such a stretch would lock in losses. The yield was 0.27% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting one fund spanning cybersecurity, cloud, fintech, AI and genomics, with Palo Alto Networks, Visa and Merck alongside Microsoft and NVIDIA.
- Cost-conscious investors: the 0.30% expense ratio is below the 0.37% average of similar funds, or $31 in the first year on $10,000.
- Those wanting a capped tech fund, where no stock tops 4% and the 10 largest made up 41.7% as of July 31, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Retirees who need income: the yield was 0.27% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly.
- Anyone who can't sit through drops like the 41.6% fall from November 2021 to October 2022, which took 15.1 months to recover.
- Investors wanting the cheapest tech-heavy index fund: Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) charges 0.15%, about half of TECB's cost.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TECB this fund | — | 0.3% | $462.2M | +23.7% | +31.7% |
| XAIX Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big D… | 51% | 0.35% | $173.4M | +31.0% | — |
| IGM iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF | 44% | 0.41% | $10.71B | +21.3% | +38.6% |
| QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust Series I | 43% | 0.2% | $490.10B | +8.8% | +24.0% |
| QQQM Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF | 43% | 0.15% | $104.38B | +8.8% | +24.1% |
| IYW iShares U.S. Technology ETF | 42% | 0.39% | $23.58B | +13.9% | +30.4% |
| XPND First Trust Expanded Technology ETF | 42% | 0.65% | $39.4M | +1.8% | +25.7% |
| QGRW WisdomTree U.S. Quality Growth Fund | 40% | 0.28% | $2.65B | +12.3% | +30.1% |
Questions investors ask
What does TECB invest in?
TECB invests in U.S. stocks tied to five technology themes: robotics and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud and data tech, financial technology, and genomics and immunology. It is an index fund. That means it follows a rules-based list of stocks, the NYSE FactSet U.S. Tech Breakthrough Index, instead of relying on a manager's picks. As of July 31, 2026, it held 173 stocks. The largest were Palo Alto Networks, Microsoft, Amazon, Merck and Visa, at about 4.3% to 4.6% each. The top 10 holdings made up about 42% of assets.
What is TECB's expense ratio?
TECB's expense ratio, the yearly fee taken out of fund assets, is 0.30%, according to its prospectus filed November 21, 2025. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested, a 5% yearly return and a sale at the end of each period. On that basis, costs would total about $31 after one year, $169 after five years and $381 after 10 years. That fee is below the 0.37% average for similar funds matched by holdings overlap. Invesco's QQQM (0.15%) and QQQ (0.20%) cost less.
Is TECB good for retirement?
TECB may suit retirees only as a small growth slice of a wider portfolio, not as a source of income. Its trailing 12-month yield was 0.27% as of October 27, 2026, paid quarterly. It also swings widely. It fell 41.6% from November 2021 to October 2022 and needed about 15 months from that low to get back to its old peak. Its one-year beta, a measure of how much it moves compared with the stock market, was 1.34 on October 27, 2026. So it has moved more sharply than the market.
How has TECB performed?
TECB has produced big gains, with deep drops along the way. Its prospectus reports an average annual return of 16.79% for the five years ended December 31, 2024. Calendar-year results ranged from a 34.34% loss in 2022 to a 57.41% gain in 2023. Based on market prices through October 27, 2026, it gained 23.7% over one year. It averaged 31.7% a year over three years and 13.6% a year over five. Past returns don't predict future results.
What's the difference between TECB and XAIX?
The main difference is how broad each fund is. TECB spreads across five themes, including financial technology and genomics. The Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big Data ETF (XAIX) focuses on AI and big data, as its name suggests. Still, their portfolios overlap by about 51%. TECB charges 0.30% a year, compared with 0.35% for XAIX. In the year to October 27, 2026, XAIX returned 31% and TECB returned 23.7%. TECB is also larger, with $462 million in net assets (July 31, 2026), compared with $173 million for XAIX (August 31, 2026).