SMH vs SOXX ETF Comparison
Set your investment period and amount to compare the returns, growth and risk of two ETFs.
Data as of 2026-10-23
Key comparison
Compare growth, loss risk, and cost in the same rows first.
| Portfolio A · SMH 100% | Portfolio B · SOXX 100% |
|---|---|
CAGR +32.9% | CAGR +30.5% |
Final Balance $217,184 | Final Balance $177,320 |
Volatility +28.4% | Volatility +30.2% |
MDD · daily -45.3% | MDD · daily -45.8% |
Sharpe Ratio 1.13 | Sharpe Ratio 1.02 |
Weighted expense ratio 0.35% | Weighted expense ratio 0.33% |
Result summary
SMH had the higher CAGR. SMH had the smaller maximum drawdown.
- SMH: CAGR 32.94%, daily maximum drawdown -45.30%.
- SOXX: CAGR 30.47%, daily maximum drawdown -45.75%.
Key points in this comparison
- In 2024, returns were SMH +39.1% and SOXX +12.9%, a gap of 26.2 percentage points.
- Across 10 complete calendar years, SMH had the higher return in 6 and SOXX in 4.
- The monthly-return correlation is 0.99: the two portfolios moved almost in step.
Period & basis
2016-01-04 – 2026-10-23
Historical results for this period.Cumulative performance
Compare growth paths and cumulative returns over the same period.
Portfolio value
Compare portfolio value and cumulative contributions on the same dates.
| ETF | Total Return | CAGR | Total invested |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | +2071.8% | +32.9% | 10000 |
| B | +1673.2% | +30.5% | 10000 |
Risk and recovery
Compare the volatility taken for return with the loss path investors actually experienced.
Risk vs Return
Lower-left is safer, upper-right is higher risk/reward. Ideal: upper-left.
| Compared portfolios | CAGR | Volatility (Ann.) | Sharpe Ratio | MDD · daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 32.94% | 28.39% | 1.13 | -45.3% |
| B | 30.47% | 30.17% | 1.02 | -45.75% |
Drawdown paths
Compare how far each portfolio's daily closing value fell from its prior peak over the same period.
| Compared portfolios | MDD · daily |
|---|---|
| A | -45.3 |
| B | -45.75 |
Returns and major declines
Compare annual returns and daily peak, trough, and recovery dates.
Annual Returns Comparison
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2026· Partial year | +69.1% | +89.2% |
| 2025 | +49.2% | +40.7% |
| 2024 | +39.1% | +12.9% |
| 2023 | +73.4% | +67.1% |
| 2022 | -33.5% | -35.1% |
| 2021 | +42.1% | +44.1% |
| 2020 | +55.5% | +52.7% |
| 2019 | +64.4% | +62.4% |
| 2018 | -9.0% | -6.5% |
| 2017 | +38.4% | +39.8% |
| 2016 | +35.5% | +38.4% |
Worst Drawdown Periods
| Peak date | Trough date | Recovery date | Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-27 | 2022-10-14 | 2023-07-13 | -45.3% |
| 2024-07-10 | 2025-04-08 | 2025-07-02 | -35.8% |
| 2020-02-19 | 2020-03-20 | 2020-06-05 | -33.6% |
| Peak date | Trough date | Recovery date | Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-27 | 2022-10-14 | 2023-12-13 | -45.8% |
| 2024-07-10 | 2025-04-08 | 2025-09-18 | -41.4% |
| 2020-02-19 | 2020-03-20 | 2020-06-05 | -34.3% |
Stress Test: Market Crashes
Return of each ETF during major historical market drawdown events| Event | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Q4 2018 Selloff | -23.3% | -22.7% |
| COVID-19 Crash | -31.2% | -31.9% |
| 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market | -44.4% | -44.7% |
Risk and recovery
Review drawdowns, downside risk, volatility regimes, and recovery speed.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Holdings 1 | Holdings 1 |
Effective holdings 1.00 | Effective holdings 1.00 |
Largest weight +100.0% | Largest weight +100.0% |
Weighted dividend yield 0.21% | Weighted dividend yield 0.26% |
Monthly observations 129 | Monthly observations 129 |
MDD · month-end -40.0% | MDD · month-end -40.7% |
Downside deviation +4.3% | Downside deviation +4.6% |
Worst Year -33.5% | Worst Year -35.1% |
Longest drawdown 563 days | Longest drawdown 716 days |
Average recovery 75 days | Average recovery 101 days |
Ulcer Index +10.5% | Ulcer Index +11.5% |
Pain Index +5.7% | Pain Index +6.5% |
Historical VaR 95% +11.1% | Historical VaR 95% +11.4% |
CVaR 95% +14.5% | CVaR 95% +15.4% |
Effective holdings measures weight concentration. It does not represent overlap among the ETFs' underlying holdings.
Risk-adjusted and benchmark
Compare excess return, sensitivity, and tracking behavior against the same benchmark.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Sortino 2.08 | Sortino 1.89 |
Calmar · 3Y month-end 3.34 | Calmar · 3Y month-end 2.16 |
Omega ratio 2.48 | Omega ratio 2.32 |
Martin ratio 3.13 | Martin ratio 2.64 |
Excess Return +18.2% | Excess Return +15.7% |
Alpha +13.3% | Alpha +11.6% |
Information ratio 0.99 | Information ratio 0.84 |
Beta 1.46 | Beta 1.50 |
Tracking error +19.3% | Tracking error +21.4% |
Benchmark correlation 0.77 | Benchmark correlation 0.75 |
Up Capture +184.1% | Up Capture +179.1% |
Down Capture +106.0% | Down Capture +109.7% |
Period consistency
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Total Return +2071.8% | Total Return +1673.2% |
Win Rate +67.4% | Win Rate +65.1% |
Best Year +73.4% | Best Year +67.1% |
Gain/Loss Ratio 1.20 | Gain/Loss Ratio 1.24 |
1-year rolling minimum -33.5% | 1-year rolling minimum -35.1% |
1-year positive windows +83.1% | 1-year positive windows +81.4% |
3-year rolling minimum +13.7% | 3-year rolling minimum +7.0% |
3-year positive windows +100.0% | 3-year positive windows +100.0% |
5-year rolling minimum +14.6% | 5-year rolling minimum +14.9% |
5-year positive windows +100.0% | 5-year positive windows +100.0% |
10-year rolling minimum +31.0% | 10-year rolling minimum +27.3% |
10-year positive windows +100.0% | 10-year positive windows +100.0% |
1-year rolling Sharpe minimum -0.81 | 1-year rolling Sharpe minimum -1.17 |
1-year rolling Sharpe average 1.35 | 1-year rolling Sharpe average 1.24 |
1-year rolling Sharpe maximum 3.93 | 1-year rolling Sharpe maximum 4.06 |
Period return comparison
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q4 | -13.4% | -15.9% |
| 2026 Q3 | -7.1% | -11.2% |
| 2026 Q2 | +71.1% | +95.1% |
| 2026 Q1 | +6.5% | +9.2% |
| 2025 Q4 | +10.7% | +11.2% |
| 2025 Q3 | +17.0% | +13.8% |
| 2025 Q2 | +31.9% | +27.1% |
| 2025 Q1 | -12.7% | -12.6% |
| 2024 Q4 | -0.9% | -6.4% |
| 2024 Q3 | -5.8% | -6.3% |
| 2024 Q2 | +15.9% | +9.3% |
| 2024 Q1 | +28.7% | +17.8% |
| 2023 Q4 | +21.3% | +21.9% |
| 2023 Q3 | -4.8% | -6.3% |
| 2023 Q2 | +15.7% | +14.2% |
| 2023 Q1 | +29.7% | +28.1% |
| 2022 Q4 | +10.9% | +9.5% |
| 2022 Q3 | -9.1% | -8.3% |
| 2022 Q2 | -24.5% | -26.0% |
| 2022 Q1 | -12.6% | -12.6% |
| 2021 Q4 | +21.1% | +21.9% |
| 2021 Q3 | -2.3% | -1.6% |
| 2021 Q2 | +7.7% | +7.3% |
| 2021 Q1 | +11.5% | +12.0% |
| 2020 Q4 | +26.3% | +24.7% |
| 2020 Q3 | +14.0% | +12.9% |
| 2020 Q2 | +30.4% | +32.3% |
| 2020 Q1 | -17.2% | -18.0% |
| 2019 Q4 | +20.5% | +19.2% |
| 2019 Q3 | +8.1% | +7.0% |
| 2019 Q2 | +3.6% | +5.1% |
| 2019 Q1 | +21.8% | +21.1% |
| 2018 Q4 | -16.4% | -15.0% |
| 2018 Q3 | +3.7% | +4.3% |
| 2018 Q2 | -1.6% | -0.7% |
| 2018 Q1 | +6.6% | +6.2% |
| 2017 Q4 | +6.3% | +7.3% |
| 2017 Q3 | +14.0% | +13.5% |
| 2017 Q2 | +2.7% | +2.7% |
| 2017 Q1 | +11.3% | +11.8% |
| 2016 Q4 | +3.9% | +8.9% |
| 2016 Q3 | +21.8% | +21.2% |
| 2016 Q2 | +3.5% | +2.5% |
| 2016 Q1 | +3.4% | +2.3% |
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | +34.9% | +30.1% |
| 2010s | +29.4% | +30.9% |
Return characteristics
Compare monthly distributions, momentum, asymmetry, and seasonality.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Skewness 0.10 | Skewness 0.37 |
Excess kurtosis 0.81 | Excess kurtosis 2.25 |
Longest winning streak 6 | Longest winning streak 6 |
Longest losing streak 3 | Longest losing streak 4 |
Average monthly return +2.9% | Average monthly return +2.8% |
Monthly return autocorrelation -0.09 | Monthly return autocorrelation -0.08 |
1M momentum +9.4% | 1M momentum +11.3% |
3M momentum -7.2% | 3M momentum -11.2% |
6M momentum +58.8% | 6M momentum +73.2% |
12M momentum +87.2% | 12M momentum +110.4% |
Worst 5% -11.8% | Worst 5% -11.8% |
Median +2.9% | Median +2.6% |
Best 5% +16.4% | Best 5% +16.1% |
- ETF2 Up / ETF1 Down
- 0
- Both Up
- 84
- Both Down
- 43
- ETF1 Up / ETF2 Down
- 3
- Total
- 130 months
Questions about these results
How did the same initial investment grow?
From 2016-01-04 to 2026-10-23, an initial $10,000 ended at $217,184 for SMH and $177,320 for SOXX. Annualized returns were 32.94% and 30.47%, respectively.
When were the deepest drawdowns and recoveries?
SMH: peak 2021-12-27, trough 2022-10-14, drawdown -45.3%, recovery 2023-07-13. SOXX: peak 2021-12-27, trough 2022-10-14, drawdown -45.8%, recovery 2023-12-13.
How did the results differ during market crises?
During COVID-19 Crash, returns were -31.2% for SMH and -31.9% for SOXX. During Q4 2018 Selloff, returns were -23.3% for SMH and -22.7% for SOXX.
What are the expense ratios and annual costs?
Weighted expense ratios are 0.35% for SMH and 0.33% for SOXX. Applied to the initial $10,000, estimated annual costs are $35 and $33.
What are the dividend yields and their basis?
The yields are 0.21% for SMH and 0.26% for SOXX. They use distributions from the last 365 days divided by the last closing price and do not predict future distributions.