AIFD vs. SMH

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF (AIFD) and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH).

AIFD and SMH are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. AIFD is an actively managed fund by TCW. It was launched on Aug 31, 2017. SMH is a passively managed fund by VanEck that tracks the performance of the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index. It was launched on Dec 20, 2011.

Performance

AIFD vs. SMH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF (AIFD) and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

AIFD vs. SMH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
AIFD TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF	5.07%	28.30%	14.65%
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF	8.84%	49.17%	9.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AIFD achieves a 5.07% return, which is significantly lower than SMH's 8.84% return.

AIFD

• 1D: 2.39%
• 1M: -1.05%
• YTD: 5.07%
• 6M: 10.09%
• 1Y: 62.56%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SMH

• 1D: 2.24%
• 1M: -3.55%
• YTD: 8.84%
• 6M: 17.83%
• 1Y: 85.04%
• 3Y*: 44.53%
• 5Y*: 26.15%
• 10Y*: 31.58%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

AIFD vs. SMH - Expense Ratio Comparison

AIFD has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than SMH's 0.35% expense ratio.

AIFD

TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF

SMH

VanEck Semiconductor ETF

Return for Risk

AIFD vs. SMH — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

AIFD

AIFD Risk / Return Rank: 92
AIFD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
AIFD Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
AIFD Omega Ratio Rank: 88
AIFD Calmar Ratio Rank: 96
AIFD Martin Ratio Rank: 96

SMH

SMH Risk / Return Rank: 95
SMH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
SMH Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
SMH Omega Ratio Rank: 92
SMH Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
SMH Martin Ratio Rank: 97

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

AIFD vs. SMH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF (AIFD) and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	AIFD	SMH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.04	2.32	-0.28
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.67	2.92	-0.25
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.38	1.41	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.66	5.39	-0.73
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	18.89	19.22	-0.33
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AIFD vs. SMH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AIFD Sharpe Ratio is 2.04, which is comparable to the SMH Sharpe Ratio of 2.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AIFD and SMH, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	AIFD	SMH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.04	2.32	-0.28
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.76	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.98	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.88	0.28	+0.60

Correlation

The correlation between AIFD and SMH is 0.87, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

AIFD vs. SMH - Dividend Comparison

AIFD has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SMH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.28%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AIFD TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF	0.28%	0.31%	0.44%	0.60%	1.18%	0.51%	0.69%	1.50%	1.88%	1.43%	0.80%	2.14%

Drawdowns

AIFD vs. SMH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AIFD drawdown since its inception was -33.20%, smaller than the maximum SMH drawdown of -84.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AIFD and SMH.

Drawdown Indicators

	AIFD	SMH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-33.20%	-84.96%	+51.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.98%	-15.95%	+1.97%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-45.30%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-45.30%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.35%	-8.02%	+5.67%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.16%	-41.35%	+35.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.45%	4.47%	-1.02%

Volatility

AIFD vs. SMH - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for TCW Artificial Intelligence ETF (AIFD) is 10.76%, while VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has a volatility of 11.74%. This indicates that AIFD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SMH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AIFD	SMH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.76%	11.74%	-0.98%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.35%	24.02%	-3.67%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	30.83%	36.88%	-6.05%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	29.33%	34.68%	-5.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	29.33%	32.29%	-2.96%