The Innovation ETF Up 22% That Most Tech Investors Have Never Considered

Core Viewpoint - The iShares Exponential Technologies ETF (XT) has achieved a 22.63% return over the past year, outperforming major benchmarks like QQQ and SPY, by diversifying across over 500 holdings in sectors such as AI, genomics, and robotics [1] Group 1: ETF Overview - XT spreads capital across 500+ holdings, with no single position exceeding 3% of assets, aiming to provide balanced exposure to innovation [1] - The fund allocates 30.2% to information technology and 16% to healthcare, with significant investments in semiconductors, cybersecurity, biotech, and cloud infrastructure [1] - XT has $3.7 billion in assets and a 0.46% expense ratio, offering institutional-quality access at a reasonable cost [1] Group 2: Performance Analysis - Over the past year, XT's return of 22.63% significantly outpaced both QQQ and SPY, benefiting from broader sector exposure [1] - Year-to-date in 2026, XT is up 3.91%, while QQQ has entered negative territory, indicating continued momentum [1] - However, over five years, XT's cumulative gain of approximately 31% lags behind QQQ's 83%, highlighting the impact of concentrated mega-cap leadership during that period [1] Group 3: Trade-offs and Considerations - XT's 0.76% dividend yield is not suitable for income-focused investors, as recent distributions appear to be special capital gains rather than sustainable income [1] - The fund's diversification may limit its ability to capitalize on rallies driven by a few mega-cap companies, which can be a disadvantage in strong market cycles [1] - Active rebalancing introduces tracking error, as performance is influenced by the manager's sector timing decisions [1]