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 (NVDA), 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
The best-performing semiconductor ETF by one-year return is Invesco Semiconductors ETF (PSI), which is up 140.77%. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ticker | Company | Performance (Year) | ||
PSI | Invesco Semiconductors ETF | 140.77% | ||
FTXL | First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF | 132.96% | ||
SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | 117.06% | ||
SOXQ | Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF | 111.66% | ||
SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 95.58% | ||
XSD | State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF | 89.40% | ||
Source: Finviz. Data is current as of August 13, 2026, and is intended for informational purposes only. | ||||
» Curious about other semiconductor securities? Explore semiconductor stocks
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.
» Zoom out: The best ETFs tracking popular indexes
What about memory chip ETFs?
There's a distinction within the semiconductor industry we should mention here: Processors vs. memory chips. Many of the biggest semiconductor stocks, like Nvidia, make processors — the parts of computers that actually perform calculations.
Processors are important (especially for AI data centers, which use a lot of high-end processors), and the surging demand for processors has turned Nvidia and several of its peers into some of the most valuable companies in the world.
But in the last year or so, the real action within the semiconductor industry has been in memory chips, which store information rather than computing it. They've also experienced a demand surge from AI data centers, and that has propelled some memory chip stocks to dizzying heights. (We recently discussed why memory has become an AI bottleneck in more detail in the Nerdy Investor newsletter — check out that issue here.)
There are four ETFs that track indexes of memory chip stocks specifically, and they're listed below in order of year-to-date returns.
The best-performing memory chip ETF by year-to-date return is Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM), which is up 110.85%. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fund name and symbol | Net Expense Ratio | Performance (YTD) | ||
Roundhill Memory ETF (DRAM) | 0.65% | 110.85% | ||
Tuttle Capital Concentrated Memory Stack ETF (HBMX) | 0.95% | -1.86% | ||
Tema Memory ETF (DISK) | 0.75% | -21.83% | ||
Kurv Memory Select ETF (KMEM) | 0.65% | -31.78% | ||
Source: Finviz. Data is current as of August 13, 2026, and is intended for informational purposes only. | ||||
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.
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