Head-to-head over the 11-year window both funds have in common (2015-10-26 → 2026-10-23): SMH (VanEck Semiconductor ETF) vs SOXX (iShares Semiconductor ETF) — total return with dividends reinvested, both starting at $10,000 on the same date.
On risk-adjusted return, SMH came out ahead of SOXX —
but the gap is only half the story. Drawdown and yield often matter more.
SMH vs SOXX — the numbers
| Metric | SMH | SOXX |
|---|---|---|
| CAGR | 32.2% | 29.8% |
| Volatility | 32.7% | 34.0% |
| Sharpe | 1.02 | 0.94 |
| Sortino | 1.40 | 1.29 |
| Max drawdown | -45.3% | -45.8% |
| Dividend yield | 0.21% | 0.26% |
| $10k → today | $214,773 | $175,864 |
Compared over the exact period both funds existed, so the window is shorter than 10 years when one fund is newer. Past performance doesn't predict the future — try your own dates in the tool.