SMH vs. BABA
SMH (VanEck Semiconductor ETF) is Semiconductors fund tracking the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index, while BABA (Alibaba Group Holding Limited) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, SMH returned 37.49%/yr vs 4.42%/yr for BABA. At a 0.43 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
SMH vs. BABA - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SMH achieves a 72.15% return, which is significantly higher than BABA's -22.32% return. Over the past 10 years, SMH has outperformed BABA with an annualized return of 37.49%, while BABA has yielded a comparatively lower 4.42% annualized return.
SMH
- 1D
- 1.72%
- 1M
- 7.20%
- YTD
- 72.15%
- 6M
- 75.62%
- 1Y
- 141.99%
- 3Y*
- 60.05%
- 5Y*
- 38.42%
- 10Y*
- 37.49%
BABA
- 1D
- 0.12%
- 1M
- -19.32%
- YTD
- -22.32%
- 6M
- -26.87%
- 1Y
- 0.87%
- 3Y*
- 11.06%
- 5Y*
- -10.74%
- 10Y*
- 4.42%
SMH vs. BABA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 72.15% | 49.17% | 39.10% | 73.38% | -33.53% | 42.13% | 55.53% | 64.45% | -9.05% | 38.48% |
BABA Alibaba Group Holding Limited | -22.32% | 75.80% | 11.77% | -10.83% | -25.84% | -48.96% | 9.73% | 54.74% | -20.51% | 96.37% |
Correlation
The correlation between SMH and BABA is 0.38, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.38 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.32 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.43 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 19, 2014 | 0.43 |
The correlation between SMH and BABA shifts across timeframes, from 0.32 (3 years) to 0.43 (10 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SMH vs. BABA — Risk / Return Rank
SMH
BABA
SMH vs. BABA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) and Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA). 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.
| SMH | BABA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +4.19 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +4.00 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.60 | 1.03 | +0.57 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 9.18 | -0.06 | +9.24 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 33.74 | -0.12 | +33.86 |
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Drawdowns
SMH vs. BABA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SMH drawdown since its inception was -84.96%, which is greater than BABA's maximum drawdown of -80.09%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMH and BABA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SMH | BABA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -84.96% | -80.09% | -4.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.93% | -39.94% | +25.01% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -35.74% | -39.94% | +4.20% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -45.30% | -72.48% | +27.18% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.30% | -80.09% | +34.79% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.81% | -62.20% | +59.39% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -41.04% | -37.56% | -3.48% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.06% | 19.58% | -15.52% |
Volatility
SMH vs. BABA - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has a higher volatility of 16.25% compared to Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA) at 10.07%. This indicates that SMH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BABA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SMH | BABA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 16.25% | 10.07% | +6.18% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 27.73% | 29.24% | -1.51% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 33.20% | 43.83% | -10.63% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 35.47% | 51.40% | -15.93% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 32.82% | 43.40% | -10.58% |
Dividends
SMH vs. BABA - Dividend Comparison
SMH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.18%, less than BABA's 0.93% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BABA Alibaba Group Holding Limited | 0.93% | 1.36% | 1.96% | 1.29% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.18% | 0.31% | 0.44% | 0.60% | 1.18% | 0.51% | 0.69% | 1.50% | 1.88% | 1.43% | 0.80% | 2.14% |
Frequently Asked Questions
SMH and BABA have a correlation of 0.38, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SMH has higher volatility (16.25%) compared to BABA (10.07%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SMH dropped -84.96% vs BABA's -80.09%.
SMH currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.13 vs -0.05), 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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