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ETEC vs. SOXX
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

ETEC vs. SOXX

Last updated Aug 2, 2026
Documentation

ETEC (iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF) and SOXX (iShares Semiconductor ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - ETEC is a Technology Equities fund tracking the Morningstar Global Emerging Green Technologies Select Index - Benchmark TR Net, while SOXX is a Semiconductors fund tracking the NYSE Semiconductor Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 3 years, ETEC returned 1.23%/yr vs 42.35%/yr for SOXX. Their 0.64 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. ETEC charges 0.47%/yr vs 0.34%/yr for SOXX.

Performance

ETEC vs. SOXX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF (ETEC) and iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ETEC achieves a 5.73% return, which is significantly lower than SOXX's 67.84% return.

ETEC

1D
-0.29%
1M
-9.96%
6M
-0.42%
YTD
5.73%
1Y
25.22%
3Y*
1.23%
5Y*
—
10Y*
—
ALL TIME*
1.96%

SOXX

1D
0.07%
1M
-10.85%
6M
45.95%
YTD
67.84%
1Y
113.81%
3Y*
42.35%
5Y*
28.10%
10Y*
32.19%
ALL TIME*
13.83%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

ETEC

iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF
$15.42K$21.23K$24.41K

SOXX

iShares Semiconductor ETF
$6.04B$5.84B$5.80B

ETEC vs. SOXX - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023
ETEC
iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF		5.73%31.89%-18.16%-6.50%
SOXX
iShares Semiconductor ETF		67.84%40.74%12.92%33.42%

Correlation

The correlation between ETEC and SOXX is 0.74, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.74

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.65

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 30, 2023

0.64

The correlation between ETEC and SOXX shifts across timeframes, from 0.64 (all time) to 0.74 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

ETEC vs. SOXX - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
ETEC
SOXX

Industrials

36.9%

-

Technology

28.0%
100.0%

Consumer Cyclical

23.6%

-

Energy

4.1%

-

Utilities

3.7%

-

Basic Materials

3.4%

-

Communication Services

-

-

Consumer Defensive

-

-

Financial Services

-

-

Healthcare

-

-

Real Estate

-

-

Industrials

ETEC
36.9%
SOXX

-

Technology

ETEC
28.0%
SOXX
100.0%

Consumer Cyclical

ETEC
23.6%
SOXX

-

Energy

ETEC
4.1%
SOXX

-

Utilities

ETEC
3.7%
SOXX

-

Basic Materials

ETEC
3.4%
SOXX

-

Communication Services

ETEC

-

SOXX

-

Consumer Defensive

ETEC

-

SOXX

-

Financial Services

ETEC

-

SOXX

-

Healthcare

ETEC

-

SOXX

-

Real Estate

ETEC

-

SOXX

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF

iShares Semiconductor ETF

Often compared with ETEC:
ETEC vs. VGTETEC vs. AOAETEC vs. FTECETEC vs. VTWOETEC vs. smhETEC vs. SCHGETEC vs. SMH
Often compared with SOXX:
SOXX vs. SMHSOXX vs. QQQSOXX vs. SOXLSOXX vs. SOXQSOXX vs. FSELXSOXX vs. VGTSOXX vs. VOO

Return for Risk

ETEC vs. SOXX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
ETEC
ETEC Risk / Return Rank: 3838
Overall Rank
ETEC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4040
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ETEC Sortino Ratio Rank: 3838
Sortino Ratio Rank
ETEC Omega Ratio Rank: 3838
Omega Ratio Rank
ETEC Calmar Ratio Rank: 3636
Calmar Ratio Rank
ETEC Martin Ratio Rank: 4040
Martin Ratio Rank
SOXX
SOXX Risk / Return Rank: 9090
Overall Rank
SOXX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9393
Sharpe Ratio Rank
SOXX Sortino Ratio Rank: 8686
Sortino Ratio Rank
SOXX Omega Ratio Rank: 8787
Omega Ratio Rank
SOXX Calmar Ratio Rank: 9090
Calmar Ratio Rank
SOXX Martin Ratio Rank: 9393
Martin Ratio Rank
The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

ETEC vs. SOXX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF (ETEC) and iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

ETECSOXXDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.00
2.53

-1.53

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
1.45
2.83

-1.38

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.18

1.38

-0.20

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

1.25

3.86

-2.61

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

4.30

16.24

-11.94

ETEC vs. SOXX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ETEC Sharpe Ratio is 1.00, which is lower than the SOXX Sharpe Ratio of 2.53. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ETEC and SOXX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

ETEC vs. SOXX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ETEC drawdown since its inception was -39.71%, smaller than the maximum SOXX drawdown of -70.21%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ETEC and SOXX.

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Drawdown Indicators

ETECSOXXDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-39.71%

-70.21%

+30.50%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-19.95%

-29.01%

+9.06%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-37.19%

-41.36%

+4.17%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

—

-45.75%

—

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-45.75%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-18.05%

-22.92%

+4.87%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-14.78%

-19.92%

+5.14%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

5.77%

6.88%

-1.11%

Volatility

ETEC vs. SOXX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF (ETEC) is 8.56%, while iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) has a volatility of 17.83%. This indicates that ETEC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SOXX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

ETECSOXXDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

8.56%

17.83%

-9.27%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

20.87%

38.92%

-18.05%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

24.97%

44.48%

-19.51%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

24.61%

38.24%

-13.63%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

24.61%

34.54%

-9.93%

ETEC vs. SOXX - Expense Ratio Comparison

ETEC has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is higher than SOXX's 0.34% expense ratio.

Dividends

ETEC vs. SOXX - Dividend Comparison

ETEC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.50%, more than SOXX's 0.29% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
ETEC
iShares Breakthrough Environmental Solutions ETF		0.50%0.33%1.24%4.18%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
SOXX
iShares Semiconductor ETF		0.29%0.57%0.67%0.78%1.26%0.64%0.81%1.23%1.37%0.90%1.08%1.29%

Frequently Asked Questions

ETEC and SOXX have a correlation of 0.74, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

SOXX has higher volatility (17.83%) compared to ETEC (8.56%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ETEC dropped -39.71% vs SOXX's -70.21%.

On 3-year performance, SOXX leads with 42.35% vs 1.23% for ETEC. On fees, SOXX is cheaper at 0.34% per year. On volatility, ETEC has been the lower-risk option at 8.56%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Over the 3-year period, SOXX has performed better with a 42.35% return vs 1.23%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

SOXX is cheaper with a 0.34% expense ratio, compared with 0.47% for ETEC.

ETEC has the higher dividend yield at 0.50%, compared with 0.29% for SOXX.

ETEC is categorized as Technology Equities, while SOXX is Semiconductors. ETEC tracks Morningstar Global Emerging Green Technologies Select Index - Benchmark TR Net, while SOXX tracks NYSE Semiconductor Index. Their fees differ too: 0.47% for ETEC and 0.34% for SOXX.

SOXX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.53 vs 1.00), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.

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