AXTI vs. SMH

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about AXT, Inc. (AXTI) and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH).

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

AXTI vs. SMH - Performance Comparison

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

AXTI vs. SMH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
AXTI AXT, Inc.	188.32%	653.46%	-9.58%	-45.21%	-50.28%	-7.94%	120.00%	-0.00%	-50.00%	81.25%
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF	8.84%	49.17%	39.10%	73.38%	-33.53%	42.13%	55.53%	64.45%	-9.05%	38.48%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, AXTI achieves a 188.32% return, which is significantly higher than SMH's 8.84% return. Over the past 10 years, AXTI has outperformed SMH with an annualized return of 33.87%, while SMH has yielded a comparatively lower 31.58% annualized return.

AXTI

• 1D: -17.27%
• 1M: 1.77%
• YTD: 188.32%
• 6M: 860.08%
• 1Y: 2,961.04%
• 3Y*: 127.95%
• 5Y*: 30.81%
• 10Y*: 33.87%

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)

Return for Risk

AXTI vs. SMH — Risk / Return Rank

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

AXTI

AXTI Risk / Return Rank: 100
AXTI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 100
AXTI Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
AXTI Omega Ratio Rank: 98
AXTI Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
AXTI Martin Ratio Rank: 100

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.

AXTI vs. SMH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for AXT, Inc. (AXTI) 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.

	AXTI	SMH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	24.28	2.32	+21.96
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	6.31	2.92	+3.39
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.78	1.41	+0.37
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	88.65	5.39	+83.26
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	261.24	19.22	+242.02
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

AXTI vs. SMH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current AXTI Sharpe Ratio is 24.28, which is higher than the SMH Sharpe Ratio of 2.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of AXTI 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

	AXTI	SMH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.28	2.32	+21.96
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.34	0.76	-0.42
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.43	0.98	-0.55
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.07	0.28	-0.21

Correlation

The correlation between AXTI and SMH is 0.41, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

AXTI vs. SMH - Dividend Comparison

AXTI 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
AXTI AXT, Inc.	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

AXTI vs. SMH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum AXTI drawdown since its inception was -98.57%, which is greater than SMH's maximum drawdown of -84.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AXTI and SMH.

Drawdown Indicators

	AXTI	SMH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-98.57%	-84.96%	-13.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-36.59%	-15.95%	-20.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-90.65%	-45.30%	-45.35%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-92.45%	-45.30%	-47.15%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-31.12%	-8.02%	-23.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-82.77%	-41.35%	-41.42%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	12.41%	4.47%	+7.94%

Volatility

AXTI vs. SMH - Volatility Comparison

AXT, Inc. (AXTI) has a higher volatility of 52.34% compared to VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) at 11.74%. This indicates that AXTI's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SMH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	AXTI	SMH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	52.34%	11.74%	+40.60%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	101.66%	24.02%	+77.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	123.91%	36.88%	+87.03%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	91.42%	34.68%	+56.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	79.61%	32.29%	+47.32%