Should You Invest in the First Trust NASDAQ Semiconductor ETF (FTXL)?
Looking for broad exposure to the Technology - Semiconductors segment of the equity market? You should consider the First Trust NASDAQ Semiconductor ETF (FTXL), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 09/20/2016.
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
Sector ETFs are also funds of convenience, offering many ways to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Technology - Semiconductors is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 6, placing it in top 38%.
Index Details
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.22 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Technology - Semiconductors segment of the equity market. FTXL seeks to match the performance of the Nasdaq US Smart Semiconductor Index before fees and expenses.
The Nasdaq US Smart Semiconductor Index is a modified factor weighted index, designed to provide exposure to US companies within the semiconductor industry.
Costs
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive counterparts if all other fundamentals are the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.60%, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.63%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Information Technology sector--about 100% of the portfolio.
Looking at individual holdings, Intel Corporation (INTC) accounts for about 9.65% of total assets, followed by Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) and Micron Technology, Inc. (MU).
The top 10 holdings account for about 64.48% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the First Trust NASDAQ Semiconductor ETF has gained about 52.54% so far, and it's up approximately 47.80% over the last 12 months (as of 12/18/2023). FTXL has traded between $51.44 and $80.78 in this past 52-week period.
The ETF has a beta of 1.30 and standard deviation of 34.25% for the trailing three-year period. With about 32 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.
Alternatives
First Trust NASDAQ Semiconductor ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, FTXL is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
IShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) tracks PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index and the VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) tracks MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index. IShares Semiconductor ETF has $10.14 billion in assets, VanEck Semiconductor ETF has $11.40 billion. SOXX has an expense ratio of 0.35% and SMH charges 0.35%.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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First Trust NASDAQ Semiconductor ETF (FTXL): ETF Research Reports
Intel Corporation (INTC) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH): ETF Research Reports
iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX): ETF Research Reports
