Should You Invest in the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD)?

Core Insights - The State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) is a passively managed ETF launched on January 31, 2006, providing broad exposure to the Technology - Semiconductors segment of the equity market [1] - The Technology - Semiconductors sector is ranked 3 within the Zacks Industry classification, placing it in the top 19% of sectors [2] - XSD has amassed assets over $1.71 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Technology - Semiconductors segment [3] Index and Costs - XSD seeks to match the performance of the S&P Semiconductor Select Industry Index, which represents the Semiconductor sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Markets Index [4] - The ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.35%, making it one of the least expensive options in the sector, with a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.22% [5] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a 100% allocation in the Information Technology sector, with Rigetti Computing Inc (RGTI) accounting for approximately 7.24% of total assets, followed by Intel Corp (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) [6][7] - The top 10 holdings represent about 36.31% of total assets under management [7] Performance and Risk - The ETF has a return of approximately 31.35% and was up about 33.48% year-to-date as of November 12, 2025 [8] - XSD has traded between $160.63 and $353.65 over the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.64 and a standard deviation of 36.53% for the trailing three-year period, indicating high risk [8] Alternatives - XSD holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating strong potential for investors seeking exposure to the Technology ETFs segment [10] - Other alternatives include iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) with $16.63 billion in assets and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) with $36.62 billion, both with competitive expense ratios [11]