Data as of .
FTXL vs SMH: which is really different?
FTXL and SMH hold 61% of their weight in the same names, and FTXL returned more over the year.
ETFIQ Off-Index Score: FTXL scores higher
How much of it is not the index it is sold as an alternative to?
A percentile among the 379 thematic ETFs with a holdings filing. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All thematic ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
61% of the two portfolios are the same securities at the same weight.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, FTXL and SMH hold 61% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | FTXL | SMH |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corporation | 7.49% | 19.99% |
| Broadcom Inc. | 7.19% | 5.67% |
| Micron Technology, Inc. | 7.89% | 4.98% |
| Intel Corporation | 9.03% | 4.63% |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | 4.43% | 5.41% |
| Marvell Technology, Inc. | 4.29% | 4.39% |
| Analog Devices, Inc. | 3.86% | 4.08% |
| QUALCOMM Incorporated | 7.76% | 3.82% |
| Texas Instruments Incorporated | 3.80% | 4.62% |
| KLA Corporation | 3.75% | 4.39% |
| Applied Materials, Inc. | 3.61% | 4.30% |
| Lam Research Corporation | 3.56% | 4.13% |
| Only in FTXL | Only in SMH |
|---|---|
| Amkor Technology, Inc. 3.69% | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co L 9.34% |
| Entegris, Inc. 2.25% | Sk Hynix Inc 4.75% |
| Cirrus Logic, Inc. 1.71% | Asml Holding Nv 4.40% |
| Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. 1.01% | Cadence Design Systems Inc 1.75% |
| Rambus Inc. 0.86% | Synopsys Inc 1.67% |
| Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd 0.73% | Arm Holdings Plc 1.14% |
| Onto Innovation Inc. 0.72% | Stmicroelectronics Nv 0.91% |
| Diodes Incorporated 0.67% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | vs the S&P 500 | vs the Nasdaq-100 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTXL | SMH | FTXL | SMH | FTXL | SMH | |
| 3 months | −17.9% | −13.2% | −20.2 pts | −15.4 pts | −15.4 pts | −10.7 pts |
| 6 months | +59.0% | +48.9% | +41.0 pts | +30.9 pts | +34.8 pts | +24.7 pts |
| 1 year | +116.0% | +81.3% | +99.4 pts | +64.8 pts | +94.2 pts | +59.6 pts |
| 3 years | +253.0% | +297.7% | +174.6 pts | +219.3 pts | +154.8 pts | +199.5 pts |
| Since launch | +1147.2% | +5067.0% | +833.7 pts | +4263.5 pts | +593.6 pts | +3376.8 pts |
| FTXL First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF Holds 38 stocks in semiconductors, 78% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | SMH VanEck Semiconductor ETF Holds 26 stocks in semiconductors, 82% of its weight in S&P 500 companies | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | VanEck |
| Theme | Semiconductors | Semiconductors |
| In the S&P 500 | 78.5% | 82.2% |
| Active share vs the S&P 500 | 81.0% | 80.6% |
| In the Nasdaq-100 | 75.1% | 80.1% |
| Holdings | 38 | 26 |
| Top ten, share of the fund | 59.5% | 72.3% |
| Expense ratio | 0.60% | 0.35% |
| Fee for the differing part | 0.74% | 0.43% |
| Total return, 1 year | +116.0% | +81.3% |
| vs the S&P 500 | +99.4 pts | +64.8 pts |
| vs the Nasdaq-100 | +94.2 pts | +59.6 pts |
| Below its high | −20.1% | −14.3% |
| Net assets | $1.5bn | $70.0bn |
FTXL in plain words
By weight, 78% of FTXL's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 81%. The top ten holdings are 60% of the fund across 38 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +116.0% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 99.4 pts. It sits 20.1% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.
SMH in plain words
By weight, 82% of SMH's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 81%. The top ten holdings are 72% of the fund across 26 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 18, 2026. Over the year to Sep 18, 2026 the fund returned +81.3% with distributions reinvested against +16.6% for the S&P 500, so a holder was ahead by 64.8 pts. It sits 14.3% below its all-time high of Jun 22, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Do FTXL and SMH hold the same stocks?
- By their latest filings, 61% of their books are the same securities at the same weight, which is close to holding one of them twice. Overlap is the sum of the smaller weight of every security they share.
- Which is more different from the S&P 500, FTXL or SMH?
- FTXL has 78% of its weight in S&P 500 names and SMH has 82%, so FTXL differs more from the index.
- Which is cheaper, FTXL or SMH?
- FTXL charges 0.60% a year and SMH charges 0.35%, so SMH is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, FTXL against SMH, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/themes/ftxl-vs-smh Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.