At a glance
XAIX charges 0.35% a year, the same as the average of the 8 funds most like it (the 4th cheapest of 8). It has $173.4M in assets, the 8th largest of that group; it paid 0.38% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned +31.0% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), the best of those 8 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 43.7% of the fund, out of 101 in all.
The short version
Xtrackers Artificial Intelligence and Big Data ETF (XAIX), from Deutsche Bank's Xtrackers line, is an index fund that tracks the Nasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Index. The index holds about 100 stocks from around the world, picked partly by their patent filings. The fund charges 0.35% a year, about half the 0.68% of the much larger Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ). Its index also screens out companies on ESG grounds.
Price history
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XAIX +31.0% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAIX official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +29.55% | — | — | — | +29.35% |
| XAIX price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +33.8% | +31.0% | — | — | — | +36.2% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, XAIX returned +31.0%, 1st of 8 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+29.1%); its best was 2025 (+29.1%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 24% (Feb 18, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 9, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +33.8% | — |
| 2025 | +29.1% | +29.55% |
| 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 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.1000 | |
| 2025 | $0.2300 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 101 securities; the ten largest made up 43.66% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| MICROSOFT CORP | 5.87% | |
| NVIDIA CORP | 4.75% | |
| APPLE INC | 4.72% | |
| AMAZON.COM INC | 4.70% | |
| META PLATFORMS INC | 4.38% | |
| ALPHABET INC | 4.09% | |
| WALMART INC | 3.99% | |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD | 3.80% | |
| PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC | 3.73% | |
| CISCO SYSTEMS INC | 3.63% | |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP | 3.63% | |
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC | 3.58% | |
| ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC | 3.50% | |
| SK HYNIX INC | 3.09% | |
| INTEL CORP | 2.76% |
By country
United States 82.45%South Korea 7.16%Cayman Islands 2.8%Germany 2.32%China 1.52%By asset type
Stocks 99.58%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 76.4% 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 Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $21.5M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -1.91%, -6.58%, +6.45%.
How it works
XAIX is a passive fund. It aims to match the Nasdaq Global Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Index before fees. Nasdaq builds the index from a larger parent index, the Nasdaq Global Disruptive Technology Benchmark2 Index. It picks companies in two themes. The first is artificial intelligence: deep learning, image recognition, language processing, and speech recognition and chatbots. The second is data computing and processing: big data, cloud computing, cybersecurity and quantum computing. To decide which companies fit, Nasdaq studies millions of approved patents filed over a rolling two-year window.
To qualify, a stock must trade on an approved global exchange. It needs a float-adjusted market value (counting only shares available to the public) of at least $500 million. It also needs average daily trading of at least $2 million over six months. Companies are removed if Sustainalytics gives them a high ESG risk rating, finds they break UN Global Compact principles, or ties them to areas such as tobacco, thermal coal or weapons. Nasdaq then gives each stock two patent scores, a Pure Score and a Contribution Score, and groups stocks by size and sub-theme. Low scorers are dropped.
As of August 31, 2026, the fund held 101 stocks, and its top 10 made up 43.7% of assets. Because selection is based on patents, it can include companies outside the tech sector, such as Walmart and Bank of America. Portfolio turnover was 19%.
What it really costs
- XAIX charges 0.35% a year, versus an average of 0.35% for the similar funds below (4th of 8, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $36 in the first year and $443 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAIX | $36 | $113 | $197 | $443 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a concentrated, tech-heavy theme fund that has swung more than the market and has a short record.
XAIX could add a focused stake in AI and data stocks next to a broad core fund, but its record is short. It launched on August 2, 2024, so it has no record from the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns. Its only full calendar year, 2025, returned 29.55%. Its deepest drop, about 24%, ran from February 18 to April 8, 2025, and it recovered by June 9, 2025. As of October 27, 2026, its one-year beta (a measure of its swings compared with the market) was 1.77. That means selling in a slump could lock in bigger losses than a broad fund would. Its yield was 0.38%, paid twice a year. It costs 0.35% a year, or $36 in the first year on $10,000 in 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 who want global AI and data stocks, including Samsung and SK Hynix, for 0.35% a year, about half of AIQ's 0.68%.
- People who want an index that excludes companies tied to tobacco, thermal coal, weapons or high ESG risk ratings.
- Holders of a broad core fund who want a small satellite position and can live with drops like the 24% fall in early 2025.
Look elsewhere if
- Investors who need income: the yield was 0.38% as of October 27, 2026, paid only twice a year.
- People who want a long track record: the fund launched in August 2024, so it has no history from the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns.
- Cost-focused investors: XLK charges 0.08% and IETC 0.18%, though their holdings overlap only 42% and 50% with XAIX.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XAIX this fund | — | 0.35% | $173.4M | +31.0% | — |
| AIQ Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technolo… | 52% | 0.68% | $10.17B | +20.0% | +35.5% |
| TECB iShares U.S. Tech Breakthrough Multisector … | 51% | 0.3% | $462.2M | +23.7% | +31.7% |
| IETC iShares U.S. Tech Independence Focused ETF | 50% | 0.18% | $668.3M | +2.9% | +28.9% |
| IGM iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF | 48% | 0.41% | $10.71B | +21.3% | +38.6% |
| IYW iShares U.S. Technology ETF | 45% | 0.39% | $23.58B | +13.9% | +30.4% |
| FAI First Trust Bloomberg Artificial Intelligen… | 44% | — | $97.3M | — | — |
| IXN iShares Global Tech ETF | 43% | 0.41% | $9.46B | +30.4% | +36.5% |
Questions investors ask
What does XAIX invest in?
XAIX holds global stocks linked to artificial intelligence and big data. As of August 31, 2026, it owned 101 stocks. The largest were Microsoft (5.9%), Nvidia (4.8%), Apple (4.7%), Amazon (4.7%), Meta Platforms (4.4%) and Alphabet (4.1%). US companies made up 82.5% of the fund and South Korea 7.2%. Because Nasdaq picks stocks by their patents, the fund also held Walmart and Bank of America.
XAIX vs AIQ: what's the difference?
Both funds track AI-themed indexes, and their holdings overlap by 52%. XAIX charges 0.35% a year, compared with 0.68% for the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (AIQ). AIQ is far larger, with about $10.2 billion in net assets versus about $173 million for XAIX, both as of August 31, 2026. Over the year through October 27, 2026, XAIX returned 31% and AIQ 20%. XAIX's index also applies ESG screens.
Does XAIX pay dividends?
Yes, but not much. XAIX pays dividends twice a year. Over the 12 months through October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.22 per share, a yield of 0.38%. The yield is low because the fund holds mostly technology companies, and these often keep their profits to reinvest or buy back shares rather than paying large dividends. The fund suits growth more than income.
What is XAIX's expense ratio?
XAIX's expense ratio is 0.35% a year, according to its prospectus filed September 25, 2026. That equals the average for similar funds and ranks 4th lowest of 8. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 invested with a 5% yearly return would cost about $36 after one year, $113 after three years, $197 after five years and $443 after ten years.
Is XAIX good for retirement?
XAIX works more like a higher-risk add-on than a core retirement holding. It returned 29.55% in 2025, its only full calendar year. But it fell about 24% between February and April 2025, and its one-year volatility was 27.5% as of October 27, 2026. Since it launched in August 2024, it has no record from earlier bear markets. Its 0.38% yield adds little income.