{"url":"https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it","section":"questions","title":"How different is a thematic ETF from the index? | ETFIQ","description":"Less different than the name suggests, on average. A theme is a story about the future; the holdings are what you own.","as_of":"Oct 27, 2026","structured_data":[{"@type":"FAQPage","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How different is a thematic ETF from the index?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Less different than the name suggests, on average. By their latest holdings filings, the typical thematic ETF ETFIQ tracks carries 32% of its weight in stocks the S&P 500 already holds."}}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"ETFIQ","item":"https://etfiq.com/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Questions","item":"https://etfiq.com/questions/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How different is a thematic ETF from the index?","item":"https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it"}]},{"@type":"WebPage","name":"How different is a thematic ETF from the index?","description":"Less different than the name suggests, on average. A theme is a story about the future; the holdings are what you own.","url":"https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it","dateModified":"2026-10-27","isPartOf":{"@type":"WebSite","name":"ETFIQ","url":"https://etfiq.com"},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".lede"]},"publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org"}}],"characters":2952,"truncated":false,"content":"ETFIQ / Questions / How different is a thematic ETF from the index? \n \n Answered from ETFIQ data as of Oct 27, 2026 .\n How different is a thematic ETF from the index?\n Less different than the name suggests, on average. By their latest holdings filings, the typical thematic ETF ETFIQ tracks carries 32% of its weight in stocks the S&P 500 already holds.\n A theme is a story about the future; the holdings are what you own. The two can differ a great deal. A themed index still needs liquid, investable companies, and the largest are usually already in the S&P 500.\n ETFIQ measures overlap for every fund and between funds, so you can check two funds in the same theme against each other. Some pairs share more than half their book at the same weights.\n None of this says a theme is good or bad. It says how much of it you did not already own.\n On ETFIQ today\n Ticker Fund Theme In the S&P 500 Active share Total return 1Y vs its benchmark 1Y \n PDBA Invesco Agriculture Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF Agriculture 0.0% 100.0% +8.2% not measured \n DRAI Draco Evolution AI ETF Artificial intelligence 0.0% 100.0% +7.5% \u22125.4 pts vs GUSA \n DRGN Themes China Generative Artificial Intelligence ETF Artificial intelligence 0.0% 100.0% \u221220.7% \u221233.8 pts vs ACWI \n KAIT KraneShares Asia AI Technology ETF Artificial intelligence 0.0% 100.0% not published not available \n BBC Virtus Biotech Clinical Trials ETF Biotech 0.0% 100.0% +36.6% not measured \n GXDW Global X Dorsey Wright Thematic ETF Broad innovation and megatrends 0.0% 100.0% \u221210.8% not measured \n LFSC F/m Emerald Life Sciences Innovation ETF Broad innovation and megatrends 0.0% 100.0% +35.8% +22.7 pts vs IWV \n MJ Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF Cannabis 0.0% 100.0% \u221232.6% not measured \n \n Where to next\n Every thematic ETF What active share means Browse by theme Sources\n Fund holdings from SEC Form N-PORT and from the issuers\u2019 own daily files SEC EDGAR, full-text search of fund filings SEC Form N-PORT, what a fund filed it holds Rule 19a-1, what a distribution notice must say Links are sources, not endorsements.\n ETFIQ is an independent publisher and makes no recommendations. Standards and sources \n Cite this page. ETFIQ, How different is a thematic ETF from the index?, data as of Oct 27, 2026. https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms. The underlying files are at Open data .\n Other forms Plain ETFIQ, How different is a thematic ETF from the index?, data as of Oct 27, 2026. https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it APA ETFIQ. (Oct 27, 2026). How different is a thematic ETF from the index?. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it Markdown [How different is a thematic ETF from the index? (ETFIQ, Oct 27, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it)","source":"ETFIQ, independent ETF data. Recomputed nightly from public filings and prices.","publisher":{"@id":"https://etfiq.com/#org","name":"ETFIQ","url":"https://etfiq.com"},"license":"https://etfiq.com/license/","license_text":"Data ETFIQ computes is free to use with attribution: ETFIQ (etfiq.com). Issuer data stays under its owner's terms.","citation":"ETFIQ, How different is a thematic ETF from the index?, data as of Oct 27, 2026. https://etfiq.com/questions/are-thematic-etfs-worth-it"}