From Nasdaq:

The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) was launched on 07/10/2001. It is designed to offer broad exposure to the Technology ETFs category of the market, a smart beta exchange traded fund created by Blackrock. The fund is managed by Blackrock, and has been able to amass over $9.93 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Technology ETFs. It seeks to match the performance of the PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index. The ICE Semiconductor Index measures the performance of U.S. traded securities of companies engaged in the semiconductor business.

Smart beta ETFs are products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment. Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, good for investors who believe in market efficiency. However, some investors choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta ETFs. 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. The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.

The ETF has a beta of 1.37 and standard deviation of 34.63% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. SOXX has lost about -2.88% so far this year, and was up about 55.09% in the last one year (as of 01/09/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $373.83 and $581.45. Alternatives to the iShares Semiconductor ETF include the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH). XSD has $1.42 billion in assets, while SMH has $11.67 billion.

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Read more: Is iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) a Strong ETF Right Now?