Investment · Sector ETF
SMH — VanEck Semiconductor ETF
Personal recommendation by Marshall Delpé. Not made by Marshalldelpe.com.
SMH — VanEck Semiconductor ETF
Investment · Sector ETF·
Own a slice of the companies that make the chips that make everything else.
What it does: An exchange-traded fund that holds about 25 of the largest U.S.-listed semiconductor companies — the chip designers, manufacturers and equipment makers behind computers, phones, data centers and AI (names like NVIDIA, Taiwan Semiconductor and Broadcom). One ticker buys you a slice of the whole industry, and it trades like a stock.
Who it's for: Long-term investors who believe computing and AI demand will keep growing and want concentrated exposure to the companies that make it possible — without trying to pick the single winning chip stock.
Why I use it: Chips are the picks and shovels of the modern economy: every phone, car, server and AI model runs on them. Instead of betting on one company, SMH lets me own the leaders of the whole industry in one simple position. It is a focused growth asset that sits on top of a broad, diversified core.
Tradeoffs: It is concentrated in one sector and a handful of companies, so it can swing far more than the overall market — big drawdowns are part of the ride. Its expense ratio is higher than a broad index fund, and semiconductors are cyclical. Not financial advice: do your own research and size it so a bad year will not hurt you.
Alternatives: SOXX (iShares Semiconductor ETF), a broad technology fund such as VGT or QQQ, or simply a total-market fund like VT if you would rather not concentrate.
This is a personal recommendation, not a paid promotion.
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Two minutes a day now beats a root canal later.
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