6 Best-Performing Semiconductor ETFs in January
If you don’t have the risk appetite for individual semiconductor stocks like NVIDIA, you can invest in semiconductor ETFs.
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Semiconductors — the tiny chips that power everything from cell phones to AI computing — work behind the scenes to keep modern technology running. Demand for faster, more efficient chips continues to grow, suggesting this sector will remain important to the tech market for years to come.
For investors seeking exposure to this space but skeptical of their ability to uncover the next NVIDIA, semiconductor ETFs offer access to the industry without having to bet all of your chips on one company.
Below are the best-performing semiconductor ETFs from the last year.
6 best semiconductor ETFs by performance
Ticker | Company | Performance (Year) |
|---|---|---|
FTXL | First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF | 84.44% |
SHOC | Strive U.S. Semiconductor ETF | 77.76% |
SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 77.09% |
SOXQ | Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF | 71.56% |
PSI | Invesco Semiconductors ETF | 70.94% |
SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | 70.01% |
Source: Finviz. Data is current as of Jan. 28, 2026, and is intended for informational purposes only. | ||
Want to know more about these best-performing semiconductor ETFs? Click through the tabs below to see their holdings, expense ratios and more.
First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF (FTXL)
This ETF tracks the Nasdaq U.S. Smart Semiconductor Index and invests at least 90% of its net assets in the index's companies.
Top five holdings: Micron Technology, Inc., Intel Corp., Lam Research Corp., Broadcom Inc., NVIDIA.
Expense ratio: 0.60%.
Three-year return: 38.86%.
All information is from Finviz and is current as of 2026-01-28.
» Looking for more diversification? Check out the top S&P 500 ETFs
Types of semiconductor ETFs
The funds shown above are thematic ETFs, which are basically just semiconductor index funds and may be used for more long-term investing. But there are a few other types of semiconductor ETFs to be aware of, such as single-stock ETFs and leveraged ETFs.
Single-stock ETFs seek to deliver some multiple of the daily returns of an individual semiconductor stock. These are typically used for high-risk, short-term speculation on a single company. An example of a single-stock ETF is GraniteShares 1.5x Long NVDA Daily ETF (NVDL), which returns 1.5 times the daily return of NVIDIA.
Leveraged ETFs seek to deliver some multiple of the daily return of an entire index. The Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares (SOXL), for example, returns three times the NYSE Semiconductor Index. Like single-stock ETFs, they are often used for speculative trading.
» Need to zoom out? View our full list of the best-performing ETFs overall
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How to buy semiconductor ETFs
If you don't have an investment account — such as a brokerage account or an individual retirement account (IRA) — you'll need one of those to invest in semiconductor ETFs. Then, you'll need to determine how semiconductor ETFs fit into your portfolio — and which kind you want. It's important to research ETFs before buying, just as you'd research stocks.
If you're day trading with a little bit of "play money," and you don't mind taking on a lot of risk for a potential short-term profit, single-stock ETFs or leveraged ETFs in the semiconductor space might be what you're looking for. If you're looking to invest in semiconductor stocks for the long term, however, you may find a thematic semiconductor ETF less volatile.
Neither the author nor editor owned shares in the aforementioned investments at the time of publication.