Is SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Launched on 01/31/2006, the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

A good option for investors who believe in market efficiency, market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns.

But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.

Based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such, these indexes attempt to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

The fund is sponsored by State Street (NYSE:STT) Global Advisors. It has amassed assets over $837.43 million, making it one of the average sized ETFs in the Technology ETFs. Before fees and expenses, XSD seeks to match the performance of the S&P Semiconductor Select Industry Index.

The S&P Semiconductor Select Industry Index represents the Semiconductor sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Markets Index. The S&P TMI tracks all the U.S. common stocks listed on the NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ National Market and NASDAQ Small Cap exchanges. The Semiconductor Index is a modified equal weight index.

Cost & Other Expenses

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.35% for this ETF, which makes it one of the least expensive products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.25%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

XSD's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 100% of the portfolio.

Looking at individual holdings, Synaptics Incorporated (NASDAQ:SYNA) accounts for about 4.46% of total assets, followed by Sunpower Corporation (SPWR) and Ambarella Inc. (NASDAQ:AMBA).

The top 10 holdings account for about 34.39% of total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, XSD has lost about -5.90%, and is up roughly 64.85% in the last one year (as of 05/14/2021). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $96.51 and $200.80.

XSD has a beta of 1.26 and standard deviation of 36.18% for the trailing three-year period, which makes the fund a high risk choice in the space. With about 40 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.

Alternatives

SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) tracks MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index and the iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) tracks PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index. VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF has $5.12 billion in assets, iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF has $6.01 billion. SMH has an expense ratio of 0.35% and SOXX charges 0.46%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Technology ETFs.

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.