iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX)
$493.39−4.14%close of Oct 16, 2026
iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF) run by iShares (BlackRock). This fund owns about 30 companies that design or make computer chips. It charges 0.33% a year. From July 2001 to October 2026 it returned about 13.6% a year, and its worst drop was −70.2%.
Written by the Tactfolio research team. Fund facts checked October 17, 2026. Prices through October 16, 2026.
- Yearly fee
- 0.33%
- about $33 on $10,000
- 1-year return
- 71.3%
- to Oct 16, 2026
- Return per year
- 13.6%
- since July 2001
- Worst drop
- −70.2%
- since 2001
- Below its high
- −24.6%
- now
- Volatility
- 33.6%
- yearly swings
- Issuer
- iShares (BlackRock)
- Tracks
- NYSE Semiconductor Index
- Started trading
- July 10, 2001
- Type
- US stocks, ETF
- Holdings
- 30 holdings as of October 15, 2026
- Expense ratio
- 0.33% a year
How has SOXX done since 2001?#
From July 2001 to October 2026, SOXX returned about 13.6% a year. The S&P 500 returned about 9.5% a year over the same dates. Say you put in $10,000 at the start. It would have been worth about $248,283 at the end, with every dividend reinvested.
| Period | SOXX | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.7% | 1.5% |
| 3 months | −6.9% | 1.9% |
| 6 months | 21.7% | 9.3% |
| Year to date | 64.1% | 12.8% |
| 1 year | 71.3% | 16.8% |
| 3 years per year | 46.0% | 22.0% |
| 5 years per year | 27.6% | 12.8% |
| 10 years per year | 31.0% | 15.4% |
| Since 2001 per year | 13.6% | 9.5% |
Periods longer than a year show the return per year (CAGR). Prices through October 16, 2026. Figures use daily closing prices adjusted for splits, with dividends reinvested. They do not include taxes or the cost of buying and selling. Past results do not tell you what will happen next.
SOXX returns by month and year#
SOXX rose in 177 of its 304 months (58%). Its best month was April 2026, at 40.4%. Its worst was September 2001, at −30.3%.
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 64.1% | 15.0 | 1.7 | −6.6 | 40.4 | 23.3 | 12.7 | −21.2 | 1.2 | 11.3 | −13.2 | ||
| 2025 | 40.7% | 1.2 | −4.4 | −9.6 | −2.3 | 11.5 | 16.7 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 10.8 | 13.1 | −3.2 | 1.6 |
| 2024 | 12.9% | 1.7 | 11.3 | 4.0 | −5.3 | 9.4 | 5.5 | −4.6 | −1.8 | 0.0 | −5.3 | −1.3 | 0.2 |
| 2023 | 67.1% | 16.0 | 1.5 | 8.8 | −7.3 | 15.7 | 6.6 | 5.5 | −4.6 | −6.9 | −6.6 | 16.1 | 12.4 |
| 2022 | −35.1% | −11.6 | −1.1 | 0.0 | −15.3 | 6.3 | −17.8 | 16.5 | −9.2 | −13.3 | 2.4 | 18.9 | −10.1 |
| 2021 | 44.1% | 3.2 | 6.5 | 1.9 | −0.5 | 2.5 | 5.1 | 0.6 | 2.5 | −4.5 | 6.5 | 11.5 | 2.7 |
| 2020 | 52.7% | −3.2 | −4.6 | −11.2 | 14.5 | 7.2 | 7.8 | 7.2 | 5.8 | −0.5 | 0.3 | 18.4 | 5.0 |
| 2019 | 62.4% | 10.1 | 6.4 | 3.4 | 11.6 | −16.6 | 12.9 | 5.6 | −2.3 | 3.7 | 6.1 | 4.1 | 7.9 |
| 2018 | −6.5% | 8.6 | 0.2 | −2.4 | −6.3 | 11.1 | −4.6 | 4.1 | 2.6 | −2.3 | −11.9 | 3.3 | −6.5 |
| 2017 | 39.8% | 4.2 | 2.8 | 4.4 | −0.6 | 8.7 | −5.0 | 4.8 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 8.9 | −0.1 | −1.4 |
| 2016 | 38.3% | −7.6 | 1.7 | 8.8 | −4.6 | 8.7 | −1.1 | 11.1 | 4.7 | 4.2 | −1.4 | 7.2 | 3.0 |
| 2015 | −2.0% | −4.9 | 9.6 | −2.7 | −1.3 | 8.9 | −8.6 | −4.9 | −5.2 | −1.3 | 9.9 | 2.3 | −1.7 |
| 2014 | 29.8% | −1.1 | 6.7 | 4.1 | −1.9 | 4.4 | 6.1 | −4.3 | 6.4 | −1.0 | 0.4 | 7.2 | 0.2 |
| 2013 | 41.6% | 7.7 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 5.7 | 0.0 | 2.3 | −3.9 | 7.3 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 5.0 |
| 2012 | 6.6% | 12.4 | 3.9 | 3.3 | −5.6 | −10.5 | 4.4 | −0.2 | 3.4 | −3.4 | −3.8 | 2.1 | 2.5 |
| 2011 | −10.6% | 6.8 | 4.4 | −4.7 | 2.9 | −2.0 | −6.6 | −5.5 | −7.9 | −4.8 | 14.1 | −3.6 | −2.0 |
| 2010 | 13.7% | −12.7 | 8.0 | 6.5 | 2.0 | −6.5 | −6.8 | 5.2 | −10.5 | 14.9 | 6.9 | 4.9 | 5.0 |
| 2009 | 74.9% | −2.6 | −1.6 | 14.6 | 12.4 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 15.5 | 2.6 | 3.1 | −9.3 | 6.8 | 14.1 |
| 2008 | −51.7% | −13.8 | −2.0 | −1.3 | 7.7 | 8.5 | −11.4 | −8.2 | 4.4 | −17.4 | −17.6 | −18.9 | 5.7 |
| 2007 | −2.1% | −0.3 | 1.8 | −2.4 | 6.1 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 1.4 | 1.2 | −4.2 | −8.5 | 0.6 |
| 2006 | 0.2% | 9.0 | −2.2 | 0.4 | 2.4 | −9.5 | −4.0 | −4.3 | 9.0 | 1.8 | −1.0 | 3.3 | −3.0 |
| 2005 | 13.4% | −7.4 | 7.9 | −5.2 | −5.8 | 11.4 | −1.5 | 11.6 | 0.2 | 0.6 | −5.8 | 10.8 | −1.4 |
| 2004 | −14.3% | 3.6 | −0.9 | −4.3 | −10.3 | 10.3 | −2.9 | −14.4 | −9.8 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
| 2003 | 81.0% | −4.8 | 8.6 | −2.5 | 12.8 | 15.2 | −4.0 | 10.8 | 16.4 | −6.7 | 18.9 | 5.3 | −4.3 |
| 2002 | −47.9% | 4.3 | −11.0 | 15.5 | −9.4 | −7.3 | −19.9 | −13.6 | −8.2 | −22.3 | 23.6 | 23.8 | −23.3 |
| 2001 | −8.5% | 1.7 | −6.8 | −30.3 | 21.4 | 16.5 | −2.0 |
Each month runs from the last close of the month before. The first month counts from the first close.
How risky is SOXX compared with the S&P 500?#
Measured from October 2021 to October 2026, on the days both traded.
- Beta 1.81. When the S&P 500 moved 1% in a day, SOXX tended to move about 1.81%.
- Correlation 0.80. SOXX mostly moved with the S&P 500.
- Up and down months. In months the S&P 500 rose, SOXX rose 172% as much on average. In months it fell, SOXX fell 116% as much.
| Measure | SOXX | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|
| Return per year | 27.5% | 12.8% |
| Volatility | 38.8% | 17.1% |
| Worst drop | −45.8% | −24.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.82 | 0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.20 | 1.15 |
| Calmar ratio | 0.60 | 0.52 |
Volatility is how much the price swings in a year. The Sharpe ratio is return per unit of volatility, the Sortino ratio counts only the falls, and the Calmar ratio is the return per year over the worst drop. Higher ratios mean more return for the risk taken.
Is SOXX above its 200-day average?#
SOXX closed 5.6% above its 200-day average on October 16, 2026. A rule that holds SOXX only above that average would hold it today.
- vs 200-day average
- +5.6%
- above it
- 50-day vs 200-day
- +15.0%
- trend rising
- vs 52-week high
- −24.6%
- high of $654.58
A moving average is the average close over the last so many days. Trend rules such as the 10-month moving average strategy hold a fund only while it is above one. You can build that rule for SOXX and backtest it in a minute.
What was SOXX’s worst drop?#
A drawdown is how far a fund falls from its last high point. SOXX’s worst fall was −70.2%, from August 2, 2001 to November 20, 2008. It got back to that high on February 12, 2014. On October 16, 2026 it was 24.6% below its highest close.
| Drop | From the high | To the bottom | Back to the high |
|---|---|---|---|
| −70.2% | Aug 2, 2001 | Nov 20, 20087.3 years | Feb 12, 20145.2 years |
| −45.8% | Dec 27, 2021 | Oct 14, 202210 months | Dec 13, 202314 months |
| −41.4% | Jul 10, 2024 | Apr 8, 20259 months | Sep 18, 20255 months |
| −34.3% | Feb 19, 2020 | Mar 20, 202030 days | Jun 5, 20203 months |
| −29.0% | Jun 22, 2026 | Jul 29, 202637 days | Not yet |
Big drops are normal for some funds. They matter because selling during a drop locks in the loss.
What does SOXX hold?#
This fund owns about 30 companies that design or make computer chips. Because it holds only one industry and few companies, its price can rise and fall sharply. A handful of companies make up a large part of the fund.
It tracks the NYSE Semiconductor Index. It had 30 holdings as of October 15, 2026, according to iShares (BlackRock).
What is the SOXX expense ratio?#
SOXX charges 0.33% a year. An expense ratio is the yearly fee a fund takes to run itself. On $10,000, a 0.33% fee comes to about $33 a year. Of the 162 ETFs on Tactfolio, 23% charge more.
You never get a bill for it. The fund takes the fee out of its own value a little each day.
Which Tactfolio strategies hold SOXX?#
No classic strategy holds SOXX yet. You can add it to your own rules in the builder and see how they would have done.
How does SOXX compare with similar ETFs?#
Funds that can stand in for SOXX:
- SMH: VanEck Semiconductor ETF, 0.35% a year
- XLK: State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF, 0.08% a year
- FTEC: Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF, 0.084% a year
- VGT: Vanguard Information Technology ETF, 0.09% a year
See all 8 SOXX alternatives, compared on the same dates as SOXX.
Test SOXX in your own rules#
Tactfolio is a platform where you build rules-based investing strategies, backtest them on decades of real prices, share them, and run them automatically in your own Alpaca account. Open the builder, add SOXX, and see how a rule such as “hold it only above its 200-day average” would have done. Strategies run on daily prices and hold US stocks and ETFs only.
The details#
Prices come from Tactfolio’s stored daily prices for SOXX and SPY. Each close is adjusted for splits, and dividends are reinvested on the day the fund pays them out. CAGR is the steady yearly return that turns the starting value into the ending value. Volatility is the yearly standard deviation of daily returns. Beta and correlation compare daily returns with the S&P 500 over the same dates.
Fund facts come from iShares (BlackRock). We checked them on October 17, 2026. Read what a backtest simulates and how to read drawdown and CAGR for more on these measures.
Common questions#
What is the expense ratio of SOXX?#
SOXX charges 0.33% a year, according to iShares (BlackRock) as of October 17, 2026. That is about $33 a year for every $10,000 you hold.
When did SOXX start trading?#
SOXX started trading on July 10, 2001. It is run by iShares (BlackRock).
What does SOXX track?#
SOXX tracks the NYSE Semiconductor Index. This fund owns about 30 companies that design or make computer chips.
How much has SOXX returned per year?#
From July 2001 to October 2026, SOXX returned about 13.6% a year with dividends reinvested. Its worst drop was −70.2%. Past returns do not tell you what it will do next.
Is SOXX above its 200-day moving average?#
On October 16, 2026, SOXX closed 5.6% above its 200-day moving average. This page updates after each US market close.
Which strategies use SOXX?#
None of Tactfolio’s classic strategies hold SOXX yet. You can test it in your own rules in the builder.