SMH vs. FLOT
SMH (VanEck Semiconductor ETF) and FLOT (iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - SMH is a Semiconductors fund tracking the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index, while FLOT is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note < 5 Years Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, SMH returned 36.92%/yr vs 3.03%/yr for FLOT. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. SMH charges 0.35%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for FLOT.
Performance
SMH vs. FLOT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, SMH achieves a 66.10% return, which is significantly higher than FLOT's 1.87% return. Over the past 10 years, SMH has outperformed FLOT with an annualized return of 36.92%, while FLOT has yielded a comparatively lower 3.03% annualized return.
SMH
- 1D
- 5.00%
- 1M
- 5.58%
- YTD
- 66.10%
- 6M
- 62.81%
- 1Y
- 137.42%
- 3Y*
- 60.43%
- 5Y*
- 37.89%
- 10Y*
- 36.92%
FLOT
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.41%
- YTD
- 1.87%
- 6M
- 2.15%
- 1Y
- 4.85%
- 3Y*
- 5.60%
- 5Y*
- 4.20%
- 10Y*
- 3.03%
SMH vs. FLOT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 66.10% | 49.17% | 39.10% | 73.38% | -33.53% | 42.13% | 55.53% | 64.45% | -9.05% | 38.48% |
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.87% | 4.91% | 6.53% | 6.43% | 1.28% | 0.45% | 0.87% | 3.97% | 1.48% | 1.65% |
Correlation
The correlation between SMH and FLOT is 0.23, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.22 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.23 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 20, 2011 | 0.10 |
The correlation between SMH and FLOT shifts across timeframes, from 0.10 (all time) to 0.23 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
SMH vs. FLOT — Risk / Return Rank
SMH
FLOT
SMH vs. FLOT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) and iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT). 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.
| SMH | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.27 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -7.46 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.62 | 3.22 | -1.60 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 9.26 | 11.27 | -2.01 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 34.80 | 104.83 | -70.03 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| SMH | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 4.27 | 6.54 | -2.27 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 1.08 | 2.38 | -1.30 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 1.13 | 0.73 | +0.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.33 | 0.66 | -0.33 |
Drawdowns
SMH vs. FLOT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum SMH drawdown since its inception was -84.96%, which is greater than FLOT's maximum drawdown of -13.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMH and FLOT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| SMH | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -84.96% | -13.54% | -71.42% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -14.93% | -0.43% | -14.50% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -35.74% | -1.57% | -34.17% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -45.30% | -2.36% | -42.94% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.30% | -13.54% | -31.76% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -6.23% | -0.02% | -6.21% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -41.07% | -0.21% | -40.86% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.96% | 0.05% | +3.91% |
Volatility
SMH vs. FLOT - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has a higher volatility of 15.45% compared to iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT) at 0.20%. This indicates that SMH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FLOT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| SMH | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 15.45% | 0.20% | +15.25% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 26.71% | 0.62% | +26.09% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 32.42% | 0.75% | +31.67% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 35.32% | 1.77% | +33.55% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 32.75% | 4.15% | +28.60% |
SMH vs. FLOT - Expense Ratio Comparison
SMH has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than FLOT's 0.15% expense ratio.
Dividends
SMH vs. FLOT - Dividend Comparison
SMH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.18%, less than FLOT's 4.54% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 4.54% | 4.84% | 5.82% | 5.66% | 2.06% | 0.43% | 1.25% | 2.78% | 2.41% | 1.46% | 0.97% | 0.53% |
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 FLOT have a correlation of 0.23, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
SMH has higher volatility (15.45%) compared to FLOT (0.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SMH dropped -84.96% vs FLOT's -13.54%.
On 10-year performance, SMH leads with 36.92% vs 3.03% for FLOT. On fees, FLOT is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, FLOT has been the lower-risk option at 0.20%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, SMH has performed better with a 36.92% return vs 3.03%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FLOT is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.35% for SMH.
FLOT has the higher dividend yield at 4.54%, compared with 0.18% for SMH.
SMH is categorized as Semiconductors, while FLOT is Ultrashort Bond. SMH tracks MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index, while FLOT tracks Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note < 5 Years Index. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.35% for SMH and 0.15% for FLOT.
FLOT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.54 vs 4.27), 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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