SMH vs. XLK

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK).

SMH and XLK are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. 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. XLK is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Technology Select Sector Daily Capped 35/20 Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both SMH and XLK are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

SMH vs. XLK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SMH vs. XLK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF	6.46%	49.17%	39.10%	73.38%	-33.53%	42.13%	55.53%	64.45%	-9.05%	38.48%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	-7.57%	24.61%	21.63%	56.02%	-27.73%	34.74%	43.62%	49.86%	-1.68%	34.26%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SMH achieves a 6.46% return, which is significantly higher than XLK's -7.57% return. Over the past 10 years, SMH has outperformed XLK with an annualized return of 31.28%, while XLK has yielded a comparatively lower 20.82% annualized return.

SMH

• 1D: 5.76%
• 1M: -5.65%
• YTD: 6.46%
• 6M: 17.84%
• 1Y: 81.87%
• 3Y*: 43.47%
• 5Y*: 25.59%
• 10Y*: 31.28%

XLK

• 1D: 4.24%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: -7.57%
• 6M: -5.44%
• 1Y: 29.46%
• 3Y*: 21.58%
• 5Y*: 15.31%
• 10Y*: 20.82%

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

SMH vs. XLK - Expense Ratio Comparison

SMH has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than XLK's 0.08% expense ratio.

SMH

VanEck Semiconductor ETF

XLK

State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

SMH vs. XLK — Risk / Return Rank

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

SMH

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

XLK

XLK Risk / Return Rank: 69
XLK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
XLK Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
XLK Omega Ratio Rank: 67
XLK Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
XLK Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

SMH vs. XLK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). 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	XLK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.23	1.10	+1.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.85	1.66	+1.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.23	+0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	5.10	1.85	+3.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	18.29	5.98	+12.31
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SMH vs. XLK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SMH Sharpe Ratio is 2.23, which is higher than the XLK Sharpe Ratio of 1.10. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SMH and XLK, 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

	SMH	XLK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.23	1.10	+1.14
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74	0.62	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.97	0.86	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.28	0.36	-0.08

Correlation

The correlation between SMH and XLK is 0.85, 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

SMH vs. XLK - Dividend Comparison

SMH's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.29%, less than XLK's 0.57% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF	0.29%	0.31%	0.44%	0.60%	1.18%	0.51%	0.69%	1.50%	1.88%	1.43%	0.80%	2.14%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	0.57%	0.54%	0.66%	0.76%	1.04%	0.65%	0.92%	1.16%	1.60%	1.37%	1.74%	1.79%

Drawdowns

SMH vs. XLK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SMH drawdown since its inception was -84.96%, roughly equal to the maximum XLK drawdown of -82.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SMH and XLK.

Drawdown Indicators

	SMH	XLK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-84.96%	-82.05%	-2.91%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.95%	-15.92%	-0.03%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-45.30%	-33.56%	-11.74%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-45.30%	-33.56%	-11.74%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.03%	-12.36%	+2.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-41.36%	-35.17%	-6.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.44%	4.93%	-0.49%

Volatility

SMH vs. XLK - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) has a higher volatility of 12.11% compared to State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) at 8.06%. This indicates that SMH's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SMH	XLK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.11%	8.06%	+4.05%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	23.95%	16.43%	+7.52%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	36.84%	27.02%	+9.82%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	34.71%	24.72%	+9.99%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	32.28%	24.33%	+7.95%