How hot are semiconductor stocks this year?
In a word, scorching
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) make it easy to quantify the sizzling temperatures associated with chip stocks in 2026. There are more than 5,200 exchange-traded products (ETPs), including ETFs, trading in the U.S., but just 120 are trading up at least 50% year to date. Of that group, 10 are “plain vanilla” semiconductor ETFs, meaning they’re not leveraged funds.
Ten doesn’t sound like a lot, but it is when noting that the universe of ordinary chip ETFs isn’t densely populated. One of the 2026 leaders in the chip ETF clubhouse is the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (NYSEMKT: XSD), though that status is arguably overlooked. That’s surprising, because this is a $3 billion tech ETF that turned 20 in January, meaning it’s neither small nor young.