SOXX Tops FTEC Over 12 Months as Chip Rally Tests Diversification Tradeoff

Fresh data highlight a tradeoff between higher-return, higher-volatility chip exposure versus lower-cost, diversified tech coverage.

Overview

Across the past year to Jan. 27, 2026, SOXX returned 52.84% versus 20.80% for FTEC.
FTEC’s expense ratio is 0.08% compared with 0.34% for SOXX, making the broad tech fund the lower-cost choice.
SOXX holds 30 semiconductor names led by Nvidia, Micron Technology, and AMD, while FTEC owns 289 stocks spanning the technology sector.
Five-year risk metrics show SOXX with higher volatility and deeper drawdowns, including a 1.72 beta and a -45.75% max drawdown versus FTEC’s 1.28 beta and -34.95%.
Assets under management are similar at roughly $18 billion for SOXX and $17 billion for FTEC, with SOXX offering a slightly higher dividend yield of 0.57% versus 0.43%.