Short interest for SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF gives investors a sense of the degree to which investors are betting on the decline of SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF's stock. Short interest data is updated every two weeks.

SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (ARCA:XSD), Short Interest Report

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Analyst upgrades Silicon Labs, citing favorable position in semiconductor cyclical recovery and improving end market demand. $150 price target.

Silicon Laboratories Poised for Growth, Eyeing Strong IoT Expansion: Analyst

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Silicon Labs &#39;Still In Early Stages Of Recovery,&#39; CEO Says Citing Sharp Revenue Drop

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WOLF

Wolfspeed, a leading SiC substrate wafer and device company, faces competition and margin challenges in growing SiC market, says Mizuho analyst.

Wolfspeed At A Crossroads: Analyst Points To Competitive Pressures, EV Slowdown Impact

Needham analyst N. Quinn Bolton upgraded Silicon Laboratories, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLAB#NASDAQ">SLAB</a>) to a Buy rating from a Hold rating with a price target of $150.
According to the analyst, the company is well-positioned for the semiconductor cyclical recovery. 
Following the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/04/38409522/silicon-labs-still-in-early-stages-of-recovery-ceo-says-citing-sharp-revenue-drop" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-quarter earnings</a> report, Bolton expects consensus estimates will reflect a more moderate recovery. 
The analyst flagged how the management called out three drivers that underpin a second-half recovery, including inventory de-stocking, the ramp of new design wins and improvements in end market demand.
Bolton is encouraged by improving inventory levels at end customers and distributors, increasing order trends, robust operating leverage and new design wins that ramp up production this year. 
With Street estimates moving closer to his more conservative outlook post-earnings, he noted Street estimates are more attainable.
Bolton said Silicon Laboratories is the best-positioned company in the fast-growing IoT space and is set to achieve double-digit top-line growth into calendar year 2026. 
With high revenue growth and operating leverage, he noted investors will be willing to pay a premium multiple for SLAB in the cyclical recovery.
Channel mix and revenue levels are key gross margin drivers, and he expected both to improve in the second half.
Bolton expects the mix to trend higher post-second-quarter as end customers continue to burn inventory this quarter.
Bolton projects 2024 revenue and EPS of $601.4 million (prior $600.0 million) and $(1.85) (prior $(1.40)).
Silicon Laboratories stock lost 24% in the past 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via SPDR S&amp;P Kensho Intelligent Structures ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SIMS#NYSE">SIMS</a>) and SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XSD#NYSE">XSD</a>).
SLAB Price Action: Silicon Laboratories shares traded higher by 2.68% at $117.33 at the last check Thursday.

Silicon Laboratories&nbsp;Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SLAB#NASDAQ">SLAB</a>)&nbsp;reported fiscal first-quarter 2024 sales of $106.4 million, down 56.9%&nbsp;Y/Y, beating the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/04/n38399872/silicon-labs-reports-first-quarter-2024-results" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $105.1 million</a>.&nbsp;
The fabless global technology&nbsp;company's&nbsp;adjusted EPS loss of $(0.92) beat the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/earnings" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus loss of $(0.98)</a>.
Margins:&nbsp;Adjusted&nbsp;gross margin of 52.2% and adjusted operating margin loss of (36.5)% fell from 62.5% and 19.2% a&nbsp;year ago, respectively.&nbsp;
Industrial&nbsp;&amp; Commercial&nbsp;revenue for the quarter was $65 million, down from $151 million a year ago. Home&nbsp;&amp; Life&nbsp;revenue for the quarter was $41 million, down from $96 million a year earlier.
CFO Transition:&nbsp;Dean Butler&nbsp;will join the company as CFO on&nbsp;May 15, 2024. Butler will succeed&nbsp;Mark Mauldin, who is currently serving as interim CFO.
Silicon Labs CEO Matt Johnson said, &#8220;While we are still in the early stages of the recovery, we expect revenue growth to accelerate in the second quarter as excess inventory is further reduced, bookings improve, and design wins continue to ramp.&#8221;
Outlook: Silicon Lab expects&nbsp;a&nbsp;second-quarter revenue of $135 million&nbsp;&#8211; $145&nbsp;million versus the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/calendars/guidance" rel="noreferrer noopener">consensus of $141.41 million</a>.
The company projects an adjusted EPS loss of $(0.58) – $(0.70), against the consensus loss of $(0.45).
Silicon Laboratories stock&nbsp;lost 24% in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P&nbsp;Kensho Intelligent Structures&nbsp;ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SIMS#NYSE">SIMS</a>) and&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P&nbsp;Semiconductor ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XSD#NYSE">XSD</a>).
Price Action:&nbsp;SLAB shares traded lower by 1.21% at $123.89 premarket at&nbsp;the last check Wednesday.

Silicon Labs 'Still In Early Stages Of Recovery,' CEO Says Citing Sharp Revenue Drop

Mizuho&nbsp;analyst Vijay Rakesh initiated coverage on&nbsp;Wolfspeed Inc&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WOLF#NYSE">WOLF</a>) with a Neutral rating and a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/WOLF/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">price target of $30</a>.
Wolfspeed, a global leader in the Silicon Carbide (SiC) substrate wafer and device market, plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of automotive and renewable energy industries with its cutting-edge technology, Rakesh noted. As a pure-play SiC supplier, Wolfspeed is at the forefront of high power management, which is crucial for automotive electrification and renewable energy solutions, per the analyst.&nbsp;
Despite leading the market, Wolfspeed faces potential challenges from increasing domestic and international competition, particularly with the SiC Total Addressable Market (TAM) expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of approximately 30%. He noted that this competition, coupled with a decelerating Electric Vehicle (EV) market, could impact supply, pricing, and margins.
SiC technology, known for its high voltage endurance and efficiency, is essential for distributing power in EVs and renewable energy systems. Wolfspeed&#8217;s significant share of approximately 53% in the global SiC substrate wafers market and its partnerships with almost all major chip OEMs position it as a critical player, as per Kumar. However, profitability challenges loom as all SiC suppliers expand capacity, and SiC chip supply will likely outpace EV growth significantly. 
Moreover, he added that the push for domestic SiC production in China and the qualification of cheaper Chinese SiC suppliers by major chip OEMs may further pressure prices and lead to oversupply issues.
While near-to-mid-term gross margins at Wolfspeed could improve, the long-term outlook suggests pricing pressures and margin challenges due to increased competition and capacity expansions, especially in the face of slowing EV demand, as per Kumar.
Kumar projected third-quarter revenue and EPS of $200.1 million and $(0.63).
Wolfspeed stock lost over 54% in value in the last 12 months. Investors can gain exposure to the stock via&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XSD#NYSE">XSD</a>) and&nbsp;Amplify ETF Trust Amplify AI Powered Equity ETF&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AIEQ#NYSE">AIEQ</a>).
Price Action: WOLF shares traded lower by 1.63% at $26.63 at last check Friday.
Now Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38112857/tesla-reportedly-scraps-low-cost-car-plans-elon-musk-denies-story">Tesla Reportedly Scraps Low-Cost Car Plans, Elon Musk Denies Story</a>
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Image generated using artificial intelligence with Midjourney.

BofA Securities&nbsp;analyst Vivek Arya reiterated a Buy rating on&nbsp;Nvidia Corp&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) with a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/NVDA/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">price target of $925</a>. The analyst maintained a Buy rating on&nbsp;&nbsp;Advanced Micro Devices, Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) with a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/AMD/analyst-ratings" rel="noreferrer noopener">price target of $195</a>. Both stocks are trading lower on Wednesday.
The analyst said that Nvidia holds a dominant position in the $85 billion+ accelerator market, with its leadership in the data center sector driving the majority of its sales.&nbsp;
Data center sales will likely exceed 85% of Nvidia&#8217;s total sales, a significant increase from about 25% five years ago and around 50% for AMD, up from 10%-15%.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/02/37317239/arm-is-strategically-shifting-towards-ai-increased-royalties-analyst-forecasts" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Is Strategically Shifting Towards AI, Increased Royalties &#8211; Analyst Forecasts</a>
Despite limited visibility into data center GPU ordering trends, key takeaways include Nvidia&#8217;s nearly 95% market share in GPU silicon units, which surpassed 900k units in the fourth quarter, showing over 100% year-on-year growth.&nbsp;
The Hopper (H100/HGX) platform constitutes the vast majority of Nvidia&#8217;s data center revenue, with AMD&#8217;s data center GPU revenue jumping to approximately $400 million in the fourth quarter, primarily due to shipments for the new El Capitan Supercomputer, the analyst said.
Arya cited significant growth in the $85-$90 billion accelerator market, with an estimated total addressable market (TAM) of about $180 billion, still below the bull case estimates of vendors like AMD ($400 billion).
In the gaming segment, he stated that the discrete GPU (dGPU) market for PC gaming, low-end PCs, and consoles will likely contribute about 10%-15% of Nvidia and AMD sales over the next few years.&nbsp;
In 2023, the dGPU market amounted to $10.4 billion, up 11% year-on-year, with fourth-quarter sales reaching $2.9 billion, up 3% quarter-on-quarter, and a robust 60% year-on-year, benefiting from strong unit growth and price strength, Arya highlighted.
Upcoming catalysts include Nvidia&#8217;s GTC event on March 18, focusing on Generative Artificial Intelligence and updates on Nvidia&#8217;s accelerator and networking roadmaps, as per Arya.&nbsp;Broadcom Inc&#8217;s&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) analyst day will also provide insights into custom ASIC offerings and advancements in Ethernet for AI networking.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="750" height="650" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/28122508/newplot-103.png" alt="" class="wp-image-232784" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/28122508/newplot-103.png 750w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/28122508/newplot-103-300x260.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></figure>
IShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SOXX#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>) and VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMH#NASDAQ">SMH</a>) have significant exposure to the stocks. The ETFs have gained 15%-23% year-to-date.
Price Actions:&nbsp;NVDA shares traded lower by 0.29% at $784.72 on the last check Wednesday. AMD shares traded lower by 0.96% at $176.30.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/02/37344993/us-chipmakers-want-more-subsidies-as-ai-shapes-the-semiconductor-industry" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">US Chipmakers Want More Subsidies As AI Shapes The Semiconductor Industry</a>
Photo via Shutterstock

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iShares PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index Fund

SOXX

Nvidia's Data Center Dominance and AMD's Rising Share Foretell Bullish Future: BofA Analyst

The growing fascination for generative AI tools saw searches for ChatGPT on Google (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) rise to a global record high in November and this week the company&#8217;s paid service ChatGPT Plus was closed to new sign ups due to high demand.
Google Trends, which measures global interest in certain topics entered as keywords, measured the highest rating of 100 on for the search term ChatGPT on Nov. 5, according to Finbold data. That was up from around 60 four months earlier and throughout 2023 its popularity has risen by 400%.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/23/11/35801810/teens-spend-more-than-half-of-their-daily-video-consumption-on-these-two-apps" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Teens Spend More Than Half Of Their Daily Video Consumption On These Two Apps</a>
And on Wednesday OpenAI, which runs the platform, said it was temporarily shutting down its new registrations due to overcapacity following the success of its DevDay conference earlier this month.
&#8220;The surge in usage post DevDay has exceeded our capacity, and we want to make sure everyone has a great experience,&#8221; said CEO Sam Altman in a Tweet.
The rising popularity of ChatGPT is likely to push rivals to raise their game and, according to Bank of America analysts, &#8220;lead to demand for better and faster chips in smartphones and increased replacement demand.&#8221;
This could help boost ETFs that cover the ship industry, such as the SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XSD#NYSE">XSD</a>) and, according to BofA, chip stocks such as Qualcomm (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>).
Indeed, Nvidia (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) CEO Jensen Huang <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/11/35822826/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-says-ai-will-be-bigger-than-the-internet-by-far">said on Thursday</a> that AI would be bigger than the internet.
Earlier this year analysts at Swiss bank UBS estimated that ChatGPT already had 100 million active users a month, just three months after its launch in November 2022. This was confirmed by OpenAI at the conference.
To put this in context, it took Tik Tok nine months to achieve 100 million monthly active users, and Instagram more than two years.
Now Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/11/35826022/want-david-attenborough-to-narrate-your-life-you-just-need-these-two-tools-to-star-in-your-own-plane">Want David Attenborough To Narrate Your Life? You Just Need These Two Tools To Star In Your Own Planet Earth</a>

Fintech news covering the emerging Financial Technology services sector

Fintech

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ChatGPT Google Search Soars To Record High, Paid Service Suspended To New Signups

The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductors">semiconductor industry</a> has gotten absolutely crushed in the last year, with the SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>)&nbsp;trading down more than 40% from its highs at one point this year.
Demand for semiconductors has dropped from its peak due to weakness in the crypto and gaming sectors.
Now some big banks are thinking it&rsquo;s time to start looking at some of the chip names again.
There is upside to be found in the semiconductor industry, but it will be selective, Credit Suisse analysts said this week.&nbsp;
Credit Suisse&#39;s Semiconductor Picks:&nbsp;The companies that Credit Suisse highlighted as long-term growth names are Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Marvell Technology (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mrvl#NASDAQ">MRVL</a>), Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amd#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) and Monolithic Power Systems (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mpwr#NASDAQ">MPWR</a>).&nbsp;
Credit Suisse outlined the different areas of growth potential for semiconductors: cloud computing, AI and automotive.
The analysts said headwinds&nbsp;like a cyclical drop in demand&nbsp;have been largely priced into the current stock prices, and the upside potential outweighs downside risk.&nbsp;
BofA Lifts&nbsp;Nvidia Price Target: Bank of America (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bac#NYSE">BAC</a>) reiterated its price target of $205 for Nvidia after the company reported earnings Wednesday. If Nvidia does reach the $205 price target, that would be good for about a 33% gain from its current price of around $153.&nbsp;
The Bottom Line: The chip industry faces many headwinds: higher production costs, a potentially large decrease in demand&nbsp;and other issues. Since most of the chip stocks have drawn down by a large amount, analysts are starting to say we&rsquo;ve seen the worst and that it&rsquo;s time to get bullish on semiconductor names.&nbsp;
Photo via Shutterstock.

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A Swiss Banker Says You Should Buy These Semiconductor Stocks

<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1551936027236999168" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1551936027236999168</a>

'Semiconductor chips are the building blocks of the modern economy – they power our smartphones and cars; For the sake of American jobs and our economy, we must make these at home - The CHIPS for America Act will get that done.' - Tweet By President Biden

One of the hardest things to do as a day trader is gathering all the necessary information to execute profitable trades.
Below are the top 15 charts that can help you stay on top of the markets.
Related Link: <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/what-are-etfs-why-to-trade-them/">What are ETFs &amp; How to Trade Them</a>
<ul>
<li>Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund &nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLRE">XLRE</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Select Sector Fund - Health Care&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLV">XLV</a>)</li>
<li>The Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLC">XLC</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P 500&nbsp;(ARCA:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SPY"> SPY</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/DIA">DIA</a>)</li>
<li>Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/qqq#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Select Sector Fund - Energy Select Sector&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLE">XLE</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P Oil &amp; Gas Explor &amp; Product&nbsp;(ARCA:<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XOP"> XOP</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Gold Trust&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GLD">GLD</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Series Trust SPDR S&amp;P Biotech ETF&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XBI">XBI</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Select Sector Fund - Consumer Staples&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLP">XLP</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P Metals &amp; Mining ETF&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XME">XME</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR Select Sector Fund - Utilities&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLU">XLU</a>)</li>
<li>SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XSD">XSD</a>)</li>
<li>Materials Select Sector SPDR&nbsp;(ARCA: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/XLB">XLB</a>)</li>
</ul>
Photo:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pexels.com/@anna-nekrashevich?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels">Anna Nekrashevich</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-a-smartphone-6801874/?utm_content=attributionCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=pexels">Pexels</a>
Original publication: September 30, 2021

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15 Charts All Traders Should Look At Every Morning

With just two trading days left in 2019, the SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/spy#NYSE">SPY</a>), the world&#39;s largest exchange traded fund, is higher by 29.19% this year, meaning the S&amp;P 500 is on pace for its best annual performance since 1997.
Specific to the ETF industry, there are more 2019 superlatives, including the ascent to over $4 trillion in combined assets under management in the U.S. and more than $6 trillion on a global basis.
Roughly 240 exchange traded products, including ETFs and exchange traded notes (ETNs), debuted in the U.S. this year, boosting the domestic ETP population to over 2,400. That&#39;s despite a massive number of closures, and an indicator&nbsp;the industry <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/12/15026739/the-famous-spy-etf-is-getting-a-low-cost-stablemate">is continuing&nbsp;its maturation process</a>.
With stocks being strong this year, plenty of ETFs offered boffo performances.&nbsp;As our list below indicates, not all of the top performers were equity-based funds.
To build this list, we screened for ETFs up at least 50% in 2019 and <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/node/14992921">stripped out the leveraged products</a>.
The list turned up 75 ETPs that are up at least 50% this year, but when excluding leveraged funds, it dwindles to 17. Without further ado, here are the top five non-leveraged ETFs of 2019.
SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (XSD)
As you may have heard, semiconductors were the best-performing industry of the past decade, with the widely followed PHLX Semiconductor Index more than doubling the returns of the S&amp;P 500 over that period. This year, chip stocks have been on fire, with four of the five domestic semiconductor ETFs posting gains in excess of 60%.
The battle for top honors about chip ETFs is coming down to the wire, as the SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) is up 65.8%, a modest advantage over the 65.4% returned by the VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>).
Give XSD some credit. Often overlooked in the chip ETF discussion, the $513-million fund equally weights its components, so its&#39; dominated by this year&#39;s stars such as Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amd#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) and NVIDIA Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nvda#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>).
Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF (PALL)
Up 51.05% year-to-date, the Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/pall#NYSE">PALL</a>) isn&#39;t among the top five ETFs overall simply because it&#39;s not a semiconductor or clean energy fund &mdash; but it is this year&#39;s best-performing, non-leveraged commodities fund.
The white metal recently topped $2,000 per ounce, making it more valuable than gold, but some volatility has crept into PALL and it declined last week.&nbsp;No ETF, commodities or otherwise, moves up in a straight line.
&ldquo;Palladium has surged to unprecedented levels in 2019 as tighter emissions rules spurred demand, while supply hasn&rsquo;t yet been able to respond. Citigroup Inc. forecasts the move upward now has the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/terminal/Q2ABPXDWRGGA">potentia</a>l to see prices gain to $2,500 in the first half of next year. Power outages in major producer South Africa hurt mine operations this month, fueling gains,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com//news/articles/2019-12-17/palladium-smashes-through-2-000-to-record-as-rally-gathers-pace?srnd=markets-vp">according to Bloomberg</a>.
Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (BBC)
In what has, until recently, been a rough year for the health care sector, the Virtus LifeSci Biotech Clinical Trials ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bbc#NYSE">BBC</a>) has <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/biotech/19/12/14951009/theres-a-really-good-chance-you-missed-one-of-the-years-best-etfs">been a consistent standout</a>. Up more than 66% this year, BBC is easily the star among non-leveraged health care ETFs in 2019.
BBC&#39;s holdings are primarily companies with drugs in early stage trials, so the fund&#39;s success is usually levered to Food and Drug Administration&nbsp;approvals. With many of the fund&#39;s components being small-cap names, the possibility exists for larger pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies to acquire a BBC holding.
Those catalysts could be at play again in 2020, as could a return to leadership by small caps that would benefit BBC.
Invesco Solar ETF (TAN)
Over the past three years, the Invesco Solar ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tan#NYSE">TAN</a>) is higher by 89.4%, defying the logic that solar stocks need a Democrat in the White House to thrive.
That run includes a gain of almost 67% this year, which is easily enough to earn the oldest and largest solar ETF a place on this list.
TAN tracks the MAC Global Solar Energy Index. The&nbsp;benchmark &ldquo;is comprised of companies in the solar energy industry. The index is computed using the net return, which withholds applicable taxes for non-resident investors,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.invesco.com/portal/site/us/financial-professional/etfs/product-detail?productId=TAN">according to Invesco</a>.
The combination of easing trade tensions between the U.S. and China, TAN&#39;s two largest geographic weights; declining renewable costs and increased corporate adoption position TAN for more upside in 2020, though it may not replicate 2019&#39;s showing.
U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (GOAU)
Not only does the U.S. Global GO GOLD and Precious Metal Miners ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/goau#NYSE">GOAU</a>) lay claim to being one of this year&#39;s best non-leveraged ETFs, it&#39;s making a strong case to earn more attention in the gold miner&nbsp;ETF conversation.
GOAU&#39;s 2019 gain of 50.66% has been boosted by a recently torrid pace, as the fund tacked on more than 9% this month as gold&nbsp;rallied alongside stocks.
This&nbsp;fund&#39;s success can be attributed to active management that focuses&nbsp;on gold mining and production or companies with royalty models.
Royalty companies have lower expenses, less volatility and more predictable revenue streams. Past performance isn&#39;t a guarantee of future returns, but over its two-and-a-half years on the market, GOAU has outperformed the two largest gold miner&nbsp;ETFs.
Related Links:
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/19/12/15015329/some-good-news-for-this-leveraged-etf">A Leveraged ETF Primed For Upside</a>
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/19/12/15034808/go-for-the-gold-with-this-international-equity-etf">This Is One Highly Rated International ETF</a>

Long Ideas

Commodities

Media

GOAU

PALL

5 Best ETFs Of 2019

The semiconductor corner of the broad technology market continued its winning streak with the start of the New Year. This is especially true as the S&amp;P Semiconductor Select Industry Index climbed 6.8% in the first few days of 2018 trading compared with gains of 4.6% for the S&amp;P 500 Information Technology S&amp;P 500 index and 2.8% for the S&amp;P 500 Index (read: <a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/287833/sampp-500-tops-2700-etfs-amp-stocks-outperforming-to-start-2018">S&amp;P 500 Tops 2,700: ETFs &amp; Stocks Outperforming to Start 2018</a>).
	As semiconductors have been the most important driver of the overall technology growth, it is now used in day-to-day life from cars, electronic gadgets to planes and weapons. Robust demand for memory chips and other semiconductor products owing to the rapid adoption of cloud, Internet of Things, autonomous cars, gaming, wearables, VR headsets, drones, virtual reality devices, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, and other advanced information technologies are fueling huge growth in the space.
	In fact, global semiconductor sales picked up 21.5% year over year to reach its highest-ever monthly sales of $37.7 billion in November, and are on track to surpass $400 billion for the first time, representing growth of 20.6% year over year for 2017, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS). The agency expects sales growth to slow down modestly to 7% in 2018, as the so-called &quot;super-cycle&quot; in chip demand will fade slightly (read: <a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/286283/bitcoin-etfs-what-lies-ahead-in-2018">Bitcoin ETFs: What Lies Ahead in 2018?</a>).
	While this is true, a combination of other factors like a stabilizing PC market and waves of consolidation would boost semiconductor stocks higher. While Qualcomm QCOM rejected Broadcom&#39;s AVGO initial buyout offer worth $130 billion in late 2017, the latter is still in the fight to acquire the communications&#39; chipmaker. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is still trying to close its $47 billion acquisition of NXP Semiconductors NXPI, which was announced in October 2016.
	In another major deal, Marvell Technology Group MRVL is also in the process of acquiring smaller rival Cavium Inc. CAVM for about $6 billion. The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-2018. Other potential takeover candidates include Cypress Semiconductor CY, Teradyne TER, Silicon Labs SLAB), Lattice Semiconductor LSCC, MaxLinear MXL, Nanometrics NANO and Micron Technology MU.
	The upside in the sector is further confirmed by the Zacks Industry Rank as more than three-fourths of semiconductor industries actually have a solid Rank at the time of writing. Wafer Components, Memory, Wafer Fabrication and General have a Zacks Rank in the top 6% while other segments like Electronics, Radiofrequency, Analog, Circuit Foundry, Discretes, Power and Programmable Logic have ranks in the top 42%. This suggests strong future growth and smooth trading in this corner of the technology world.
	ETFs to Play
	Given an optimistic outlook, investors seeking to ride out the surging space in a diversified way could consider the following five ETFs. Any of these funds could make for a compelling choice given their top Zacks ETF Rank #1 (Strong Buy), suggesting their continued outperformance in the months ahead. All these gained at least 6% in the initial days of 2018 (see: <a href="https://www.zacks.com/funds/etfs/etf-categories/Technology-ETFs-16">all the Technology ETFs here</a>).
	iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF SOXX
	This ETF follows the PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index and offers exposure to 30 firms with heavy concentration on the top five firms accounting for at least 7% share each. It has amassed $1.6 billion in its asset base and trades in a solid average volume of around 515,000 shares a day. The charges 48 bps in fees a year from investors.
	VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF SMH
	This fund provides exposure to 26 securities by tracking the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index. It is concentrated on the top two firms with double-digit exposure each. The product has managed assets worth $1.3 billion and charges 36 bps in annual fees and expenses. It is heavily traded with a volume of more than 3.6 million shares per day.
	PowerShares Dynamic Semiconductors Fund PSI
	This fund tracks the Dynamic Semiconductor Intellidex Index, holding 30 securities in its basket, with each accounting less than 5.7% of assets. The product has AUM of $400.5 million and sees a moderate average daily volume of 86,000 shares. Expense ratio comes in at 0.63% (read: <a href="https://www.zacks.com/stock/news/286981/topranked-etfs-amp-stocks-that-crushed-the-market-in-2017">Top-Ranked ETFs &amp; Stocks That Crushed the Market in 2017</a>).
	SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF XSD
	This fund tracks the S&amp;P Semiconductor Select Industry Index, holding 36 stocks in its portfolio. It is widely spread across a number of securities, with none holding more than 3.35% share. The fund has AUM of $366 million and an average daily volume of about 83,000 shares. It charges 35 bps in fees per year.
	First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF FTXL
	This fund offers exposure to the most-liquid U.S. semiconductor securities based on volatility, value and growth by tracking the Nasdaq US Smart Semiconductor Index. Holding 30 stocks in its basket, it has a diverse exposure across components with each holding less than 8.7% of assets. FTXL has accumulated $30.3 million in AUM while average trading volume is light at around 8,000 shares. It charges 0.60% in expense ratio.
	Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?
	Zacks&#39; free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week. <a href="https://www.zacks.com/registration/newsletter/?type=FND&amp;ADID=Zcom_commentary_fundnewsletter_moneysense_ECD_ETF">Get it free &gt;&gt;</a>

FTXL

PowerShares Exchange-Traded Fund Trust Dynamic Semiconductor Portfolio

5 ETF Ways To Tap Hot Semiconductor Stocks

Merger Monday was back this week, as a handful of mergers and acquisitions were announced. However, one deal that has not come to fruition yet involves the largest name in the semiconductor sector, Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>). The company has reportedly been in talks to buy a fellow chipmaker, Altera Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/altr#NASDAQ">ALTR</a>) in a deal that would total $10 billion and make it the single biggest purchase Intel has ever made.

	Altera manufactures programmable chips, which are different than many of its competitor&#39;s chips. Programmable chips may be customized after they are purchased to suit a wide range of functions such as web search or updating social networks.
<h3>
	The Deal</h3>

	The acquisition of Altera would provide Intel with the diversity that CEO Brian Krzanich has been looking for, as the California-based chipmaker has been slow to adapt to the fast paced growth in smartphones over the last few years. Earlier this month, Intel slashed $1 billion of its first-quarter revenue forecast, cutting it down to $12.8 billion on slower-than-expected personal computer sales.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/15/03/5361188/citi-sees-buying-opportunities-in-semiconductors-despite">Citi Sees Buying Opportunities In Semiconductors, Despite FX Headwinds</a></bzrelatedlink>

	The company has been under pressure to make a large acquisition following the NXP Semiconductors NV (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nxpi#NASDAQ">NXPI</a>) purchase of Freescale Semiconductor Ltd (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fsl#NYSE">FSL</a>) earlier this month for $12 billion.

	Shares of Altera jumped up 29 percent, while Intel shares jumped about 8 percent on Friday after news of the potential takeover hit the wires.

	Highlighted below are three ETFs that hold both Altera and Intel in the top holdings.
<h3>
	Market Vectors Semiconductor EFT</h3>

	The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>) tracks 26 of the largest U.S. listed semiconductor companies across four countries. The U.S. at 70 percent and Taiwan at 15 percent make up the majority of the portfolio.

	The top individual holdings include:
<ul>
<li>
		Intel, with a 17.4 percent holding</li>
<li>
		Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tsm#NYSE">TSM</a>), making up 15.5 percent</li>
<li>
		Texas Instruments Incorporated (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/txn#NASDAQ">TXN</a>) coming in at 5.2 percent</li>
</ul>

	SMH is up 23 percent over the last 12 months and up 9 percent over the last six months. Since stopping just above its 200-day moving average last week, the ETF is up 4 percent. The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35 percent.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/15/03/5364610/analyst-intel-altera-deal-would-make-a-lot-of-sense">Analyst: Intel-Altera Deal Would &quot;Make A Lot Of Sense&quot;</a></bzrelatedlink>
<h3>
	SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF</h3>

	The SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) is made up of 48 companies in the semiconductor industry.

	The top individual holdings include:
<ul>
<li>
		Altera, with a 3.1 percent holding</li>
<li>
		Qorvo Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qrvo#NASDAQ">QRVO</a>), making up 2.7 percent</li>
<li>
		Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/swks#NASDAQ">SWKS</a>), coming in at 2.6 percent</li>
</ul>

	XSD is up 29 percent over the last 12 months and 21 percent over the last six months. The more diverse ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35 percent.
<h3>
	iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF</h3>

	The iShares S&amp;P NA Tec. Semi. Idx. Fd.(ETF) (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soxx#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>) consists of 30 U.S. companies that design, manufacture and distribute semiconductors.

	The top individual holdings include:
<ul>
<li>
		Texas Instruments Incorporated, with an 8 percent holding</li>
<li>
		QUALCOMM, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/qcom#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>), making up 7.8 percent</li>
<li>
		Intel, totaling 7.7 percent</li>
</ul>

	SOXX is up 19 percent over the last 12 months and up 9 percent over the last six months. The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.47 percent.

ALTR

INTC

NXPI

QRVO

SWKS

Potential Intel Deal Boosts Chip ETFs

The <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductors">semiconductor industry</a> was one of the best performing industries in 2014, fueled by increased mobile phone and PC demands. It will be hard to match that performance in 2015, however the outlook for the sector remains strong and industry consolidation may be a theme going forward.

	After hitting all-time highs in December, the semiconductor industry has started to pull back to a point of support. Selecting individual semiconductor companies can be difficult for the average investor; one way to minimize risk is through the use of a semiconductor ETF.

	Highlighted below are three semiconductor ETFs that have hit highs in the last month and pulled back to a point of support.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/general/topics/14/10/4915615/semiconductor-funds-hit-the-skids-in-sector-selloff">Semiconductor Funds Hit The Skids In Sector Selloff</a></bzrelatedlink>
<h3>
	Market Vectors Semiconductor</h3>

	The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>) tracks 26 of the largest U.S-listed semiconductor companies across four countries, with the U.S. at 71 percent and Taiwan at 16 percent being the highest weighted countries.

	The top individual holdings include:
<ul>
<li>
		Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) with a 19.8 percent holding</li>
<li>
		Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tsm#NYSE">TSM</a>) making up 14.7 percent</li>
<li>
		ASML Holding NV (ADR) (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/asml#NASDAQ">ASML</a>) coming in at 5.3 percent</li>
</ul>

	The ETF has gained 30 percent over the last 12 months and 7 percent over the last six months. The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35 percent.
<h3>
	SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor</h3>

	The SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) is made up of 48 companies in the semiconductor industry. The top individual holdings include:
<ul>
<li>
		Cirrus Logic, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/crus#NASDAQ">CRUS</a>) with a 2.9 percent holding</li>
<li>
		Intersil Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/isil#NASDAQ">ISIL</a>) making up 2.6 percent of the ETF</li>
<li>
		SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/spwr#NASDAQ">SPWR</a>) coming in at 2.6 percent</li>
</ul>

	XSD is up 29 percent over the last 12 months and 2 percent over the last six months. The ETF has an expense ratio of 0.35 percent.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs/sector-etfs/14/12/5088266/a-closer-look-at-2-new-biotech-etfs">A Closer Look At 2 New Biotech ETFs</a></bzrelatedlink>
<h3>
	PowerShares Dynamic Semiconductors</h3>

	The PowerShares Dynamic Semiconductors (ETF) (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/psi#NYSE">PSI</a>) consists of 29 semiconductor companies. The top holdings are:
<ul>
<li>
		Skyworks Solutions Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/swks#NASDAQ">SWKS</a>) with a 5.3 percent holding</li>
<li>
		Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/amat#NASDAQ">AMAT</a>) making up 5.1 percent of the ETF</li>
<li>
		KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/klac#NASDAQ">KLAC</a>) at 5 percent</li>
</ul>

	The semiconductor ETF is up 34 percent over the last 12 months, and 8 percent over the last six months. PSI has an expense ratio of 0.63 percent.

Will Semiconductor ETFs Continue Their Rally?

The graphs below were produced by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.capitalmarketlabs.com/aapl.html">Capital Market Labs</a>.

	Let&#39;s take a closer look at the Semiconductor Industry, one of the outperformers in the equity market with the SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor (ETF) (NYSEARCA: XSD) up 33 percent in the last year.

	The first visual worth analyzing has one-year net income growth on the y-axis and one-year revenue growth on the x-axis. It sports a population that includes all US semiconductor firms with market caps above $500 million.

	<img alt="semi1.jpg" height="542" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/2014/December/19/semi1.jpg" width="764" />

	Another way to peek deeper into this industry is to examine order backlogs.

	The next visual displays earnings from continuing operations margin percentage on the x-axis and order backlog value (in millions) on the y-axis.

	<img alt="semi2.jpg" height="549" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/2014/December/19/semi2.jpg" style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px;" width="778" />

	For a final visual, let&#39;s combine the work above into one final chart.

	Above, the x-axis plots one-year revenue growth and the y-axis displays order backlog value. Only firms with growing revenue and net income (over the last year) are included.

	<img alt="semi3.jpg" height="592" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/2014/December/19/semi3.jpg" width="833" />

	There are a few hidden gems, or outliers:
<ul>
<li>
		Freescale Semiconductor Ltd (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fsl#NYSE">FSL</a>) is up 120 percent in the last two years and 55 percent in the last year.</li>
<li>
		Microchip Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mchp#NASDAQ">MCHP</a>) is up 39 percent in the last two years and 6 percent in the last year.</li>
</ul>

		The SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF is up 72 percent in the last two years and 33 percent in the last year.

	Ophir Gottlieb can be found on Twitter&nbsp;@ophirgottlieb.

	Image credit: <a href="http://www.public-domain-image.com/full-image/objects-public-domain-images-pictures/electronics-devices-public-domain-images-pictures/computer-components-pictures/computer-inside.jpg-free-image.html">Public Domain</a>

Technicals

MCHP

2 'Hidden Gem' Semiconductor Plays In 3 Charts

The technology sector continues to dominate headlines with announcements from Apple Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) of a new iPhone and Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/msft#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) purchasing the popular Minecraft franchise.&nbsp;

	However, one technology sub-industry in particular has been quietly and resolutely moving higher since the beginning of the year.

	The iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soxx#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>) tracks 31 companies engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of semiconductor chips in the United States.&nbsp; &nbsp;

	This ETF has exposure to some of the biggest and best stars of the technology realm that include Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mu#NASDAQ">MU</a>).&nbsp;

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs/sector-etfs/14/09/4854073/casino-etf-keeps-landing-on-red">Casino ETF Keeps Landing On Red</a></bzrelatedlink>

	SOXX is the largest of the dedicated semiconductor ETFs with a total asset base of $540 million and an expense ratio of 0.47 percent.&nbsp;

	So far this year, SOXX has gained nearly 22 percent versus 13.5 percent for the broader Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlk#NYSE">XLK</a>).&nbsp;

	This outperformance has largely been driven by strong global demand for desktop and mobile chips.
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</div>

	Investors are taking notice of this performance as well.&nbsp;

	According to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-09-10/semiconductor-etfs-taking-in-record-cash-as-shares-soar.html" style="font-size: 13px;">Bloomberg data</a>, semiconductor ETFs have taken in more than $350 million in new assets this year and may continue to shine in the second half of 2014 as back-to-school and holiday demand drives electronics sales.

	That strength has also been beneficial to the Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>), which has nearly identical performance of SOXX this year.&nbsp;

	The biggest difference in this ETF is that the asset allocation of the underlying stocks is skewed to the largest companies. Intel makes up nearly 22 percent of the total portfolio.

	<bzrelatedlink>Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs/new-etfs/14/09/4841575/state-street-corporation-launches-new-risk-aware-etf">State Street Launches New Risk-Aware ETF</a></bzrelatedlink>

	If you are yearning for a semiconductor ETF with a more balanced weighting, the SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) may be just what you need. XSD invests in 49 holdings with each stock having a similar pull on the total return of the fund.&nbsp;

	This creates a more balanced asset allocation that benefits the smaller companies in the index. So far this year, XSD has profited from that unique construction methodology with returns of 25 percent. This leads the top unleveraged ETFs in this group.&nbsp;

AAPL

MSFT

3 Semiconductor ETFs That Continue To Shine

The technology sector has been on a roll during the first half of 2014, and semiconductor stocks in particular have been on fire.&nbsp;

	The high demand for advanced computing power has led to strong earnings and rocketing share prices for a variety of well-known companies including Intel Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) and Micron Technology (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mu#NASDAQ">MU</a>).

	The iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/soxx#NASDAQ">SOXX</a>) is the largest ETF in this industry group, and has $460 million invested in 31 U.S.-listed semiconductor companies.&nbsp; This ETF tracks the PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index, which takes a market cap weighted approach to its portfolio construction.

	So far this year, SOXX has gained 19.50 percent -- versus 7.53 percent for the broader Technology Select Sector SPDR (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xlk#NYSE">XLK</a>).

	Related: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/etfs/emerging-market-etfs/14/06/4636385/3-etfs-with-heavy-selling-on-iraq-fears" title="3 ETFs With Heavy Selling On Iraq Fears">3 ETFs With Heavy Selling On Iraq Fears</a>

	This outperformance can be attributed to investors shying away from social media and internet stocks in favor of more steadfast technology businesses. The rotation from high beta growth companies to more value-centric areas may also be fueled by the dependable revenue models of semiconductor companies.&nbsp;

	In addition stocks such as Intel and Texas Instruments (NASDQ: TXN) pay a healthy dividend yield, that is an attractive component to investors in the late stages of a bull market.&nbsp;

	The SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) is another innovative ETF that is constructed of 50 stocks in this group, with an equal weighted asset allocation.&nbsp; This allows smaller companies to have a much bigger impact on the total performance of the ETF, instead of market cap giants getting most of the attention.

	&nbsp;
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		<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/imce?app=nomatter%7Cimceload%40imceInline.load#" title=""><img alt="xsd.png" height="284" src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/u79448/xsd.png" width="460" /></a></div>
</div>

	 
	So far this year, XSD has gained nearly 26 percent as a result of this balanced approach and just recently hit a new all-time high this week.&nbsp; Clearly the appetite for this industry is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.

	It&rsquo;s also worth noting the MarketVectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>) as another ETF option that closely resembles the makeup of SOXX.&nbsp; One primary differentiator between these two ETFs is SMH has a lower expense ratio of just 0.35 percent, versus 0.47 percent for SOXX.&nbsp;

	These semiconductor ETFs have been the brightest industry group of the technology sector so far this year, and may prove to have more upside in store if the equity rally continues.&nbsp;

Semiconductor ETFs Are This Year's Technology Titans

The Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>) was up another 0.7 percent Monday, extending the winning streak to three weeks. The last time the ETF finished the day in the red was on May 20.
 The rally has taken the <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/etfs">ETF</a> to the best level in over 14 years, and it is up 13 percent for 2014.

	The winning streak has been fueled by a breakout in its top holding, Intel (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>). Since May 20 Intel is up 8.5 percent and is trading at the best level in two years. Intel makes up 19 percent of the ETF's allocation.
Related Link: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/markets/eurozone/14/06/4612463/4-etfs-moving-on-the-ecb-decision">4 ETFs Moving On The ECB Decision</a>

	The second largest holding at a 13 percent allocation is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tsm#NYSE">TSM</a>). The stock is up 22 percent this year and trading at the best level since 2000. When two stocks make up nearly one-third of an ETF, the ETF will tend to be heavily influenced by their performance. Both <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/intel">Intel</a> and TSM have been market leaders and therefore SMH has been on a tear.

	The smaller SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) is also breaking out to new highs, though it does not boast a similar winning streak. The portfolio is very different than that of SMH as Intel is not in the top ten holding list. The largest holding is OmniVision Technologies (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/ovti#NASDAQ">OVTI</a>) at 2.8 percent.

	Both ETFs are now sitting at extremely overbought levels based on a variety of technical indicators, which should not be a surprise considering the rally that both have enjoyed. The long-term outlook for the industry looks bullish, however buying today may not be the best strategy. Nothing goes straight up and a healthy pullback is overdue.

	A pullback on light to average volume that remains under 5 percent could offer patient investors an opportunity to buy at a lower price in the weeks ahead. One trait that nearly every successful long-term investor has is patience when it comes to buying and selling in the market.

OVTI

Semiconductor ETF Up 3 Straight Weeks (SMH, INTC, XSD, OVTI)

SIA Reports Worldwide Sales of Semiconductors Rose 11.5% in April

Semiconductor stocks have been one of the top performing sectors in the market in 2014. Year-to-date, the SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) has climbed almost 15 percent compared to a gain of just four percent for the S&amp;P 500.

	Not only have <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/semiconductor">semiconductor</a> stocks vastly outperformed the S&amp;P, they have also trounced the technology sector as a whole, which has climbed just 0.60 percent in 2014. Below, Benzinga takes a look at five of the top performing broad line semiconductor stocks in 2014.

	Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/avgo#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>)

	This $18 billion company is a designer, developer and global supplier of analog semiconductor devices. In 2014, the stock has surged better than 35 percent and is sitting at a new all-time high.

	Related: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/news/14/05/4576075/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-awesome-new-iex-exchange">What You Need To Know About The Awesome New IEX Exchange</a>

	Based in Singapore, <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/avago-technologies">Avago</a> has enviable profit margins. The company&#39;s net margin was just under 22 percent in 2013 and had risen to just under 23 percent in the second-quarter of 2014.

	Excellent profit margins are important to Avago, because revenue growth has been tepid in recent years. Nevertheless, the future looks very bright as sales are expected to be up 66 percent in 2014 and 37 percent in fiscal 2015.

	Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fsl#NYSE">FSL</a>)

	Shares of this Austin, Texas-based semiconductor company have been on a tear in 2014, rising better than 40 percent. The performance is a welcome relief for investors after a difficult 2012 and only moderate gains in 2013 for the stock.

	Freescale shares currently trade at a forward P/E of 11.5 and a PEG ratio of 1.03. Analysts expect sales at the company to rise a little less than 12 percent in fiscal 2014 to $4.67 billion. For fiscal 2015, Wall Street is modeling sales growth of five percent to $4.91 billion.

	If the rally in Freescale can continue throughout 2014, don&#39;t be surprised if this is one of the very best performing semiconductor stocks of the year.

	Related: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/14/05/4585943/5-mid-cap-mlps-with-dividend-yields-over-5-percent">5 Mid-Cap MLPS With Dividend Yields Over 5 Percent</a>

	Maxim Integrated Products (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mxim#NASDAQ">MXIM</a>)

	Maxim was hit very hard during the financial crisis, but the company&#39;s share price has been headed higher ever since. <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/topic/maxim-integrated-products">Maxim</a>, headquartered in San Jose, designs, develops, manufactures and markets a range of linear and mixed-signal analog circuits.

	In October 2013, the company completed its $575 million acquisition of Volterra Semiconductor. The combined company has a market-cap of just under $10 billion.

	Year-to-date, Maxim shares have climbed nearly 23 percent, making the stock one of the top performing mid-cap semiconductor names in the market. Shares are currently trading at a forward P/E of 16.5 and a PEG ratio of two.

	The stock is also offering an attractive three percent dividend yield.

	NXP Semiconductors NV (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/nxpi#NASDAQ">NXPI</a>)

	Netherlands-based NXP provides semiconductor solutions that are used in automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial, mobile, consumer and computing applications.

	So far in 2014, the stock has jumped almost 37 percent, giving the company a market cap north of $15 billion. NXP has been a long-term high performer, with the shares climbing around 348 percent in less than four years.

	Related: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/14/05/4586143/aeropostale-bouncing-back-after-huge-earnings-sell-off">Aeropostale Bouncing Back After Huge Earnings Sell-Off</a>

	Analysts are modeling sales growth of 12 percent in fiscal 2014 followed by eight percent growth in fiscal 2015. Going forward in 2014, this will be a stock to watch as revenue and operating income both hit a five-year high in fiscal 2013 and it appears the company is hitting on all cylinders.

	STMicroelectronics NV (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/stm#NYSE">STM</a>)

	This Switzerland-based semiconductor company trades directly on the New York Stock Exchange. Its major customers include tech giants such as Apple (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/aapl#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>), Blackberry (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/bbry#NASDAQ">BBRY</a>), Cisco (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/csco#NASDAQ">CSCO</a>) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/hpq#NYSE">HPQ</a>), among many others.

	In 2014, the stock has climbed better than 21 percent, giving the company a market cap of roughly $8.6 billion. Currently, the stock is trading at a forward P/E of 17.62 and the shares are yielding four percent.

Movers

CSCO

MXIM

5 Top Performing Semiconductor Stocks 

Shares of semiconductor behemoth Intel Corp (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/intc#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) have been lagging the overall sector the last few months as it struggled to breakout above resistance.

	In the last two days the stock has rallied on above average volume above price resistance at $25 and the 50-day moving average in the same area.

	Even though the struggling INTC is the largest holding in the Market Vectors Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/smh#NYSE">SMH</a>), the ETF has been able to trade near decade highs before the breakout. On Friday, the breakout in INTC has pushed the ETF to a new high with a gain over one percent.

	With INTC making up 19 percent of the ETF it is amazing that SMH has been able to rally without the stock. But now that the stock is breaking out and generating a buy signal it could be the move that investors have been looking for in the sector. The other top holdings in SMH include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tsm#NYSE">TSM</a>), Texas Instruments (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/txn#NYSE">TXN</a>), and Micron Technology (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/mu#NYSE">MU</a>). Of the three, TSM has been struggling while the other two are sitting near highs.

	See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/media/cnbc/14/03/4405428/starbucks-introduces-tech-to-its-coffee">Starbucks Introduces Tech Into Its Coffee</a>

	The SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>) may sounds as if it is similar to SMH, but in reality the ETFs are very different. While SMH is composed of 26 stocks and has 32 percent of its allocation in INTC and TSM, XSD is much more diversified. The ETF is made up of 50 stocks and its top two holdings only account for six percent of the portfolio.

	XSD is more of a true diversified ETF that will encompass not only the big names in the sector, but also the smaller companies that are often overlooked. INTC only makes up twp percent of the allocation is the 40th largest holding in the ETF. The two largest holdings are TriQuint Semiconductor (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/tqnt#NASDAQ">TQNT</a>) and Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fsl#NYSE">FSL</a>), both of which are at new yearly highs.

	As far as performance, over the last 12 months XSD has returned 41 percent as SMH is up 29 percent. The 1200 basis point outperformance is significant in a short period of time and is due to both INTC and TSM lagging their peers. However, going forward SMH could be able to make up some ground if INTC can continue the breakout it began this week. That being said, over the long-term the best bet is to concentrate of diversification and XSD is the truly diversified choice between the two ETFs.

	Matt McCall is the editor of ETF newsletter <a href="http://marketfy.com/store/item/marketforce/">MarkETForce </a>available at marketfy.com

TQNT

Intel Breakout Boosting Chip ETFs (SMH, XSD, INTC, TXN)

ETF Outlook for Thursday, February 13, 2014

	SPDR S&amp;P Semiconductor ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/xsd#NYSE">XSD</a>)

	The technology ETF rallied 1.8 percent yesterday leading the sector ETFs on a mixed day for the stock market. The ETF is outpacing its peers as it hit a new multi-year high on the back of the big rally. The reason for the outperformance is the diversity among the ETFs holdings.

	Unlike other semiconductor ETFs, XSD does not have more than 3 percent in one stock and the top holdings are not the big names investors are familiar with. The top holdings include LSI Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/lsi#NYSE">LSI</a>), Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/fsl#NYSE">FSL</a>), and Avago Technologies (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/avgo#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>).

	Market Vector Vietnam ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/vnm#NYSE">VNM</a>)

	Another frontier market ETF is outperforming again with VNM rallying 1.7 percent yesterday to a new 11 month high. The volume for the small Asian country has increased dramatically over the last month as the ETF has rallied over 20 percent from the December 2013 low.

	See also: <a href="http://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/short-ideas/14/02/4302459/big-moves-in-social-media-short-interest-ebay-fb-goog">Big Moves In Social Media Short Interest</a>

	As long as VNM can hold above the $21.50 area in the next week it will confirm the breakout and the next target will be the $24 resistance level.

	PowerShares Lux Nanotech ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/pxn#NYSE">PXN</a>)

	One of the best performing ETFs this year, PXN is up over 10 percent and yesterday the ETF gained 1.5 percent to close at the best level August 2011. The niche sector ETF focuses on companies that in the business of supporting the nanotech industry as well as funding nanotech companies. The top 10 holdings are name most investors have never heard of and that is often a great way to find new stock ideas. 

	And unfortunately for interested investors, the ETF will be closing next week due to a lack of assets – sitting at $25 million. Before the ETF closes investors interested in sector should analyze the top holdings such as Arrowhead Research (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/arwr#NASDAQ">ARWR</a>) for some new and exciting stock ideas.

	Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="/stock/copx#NYSE">COPX</a>)

	The price of copper has been creeping up and taking the copper miners up have been benefiting. COPX closed yesterday with a gain of 1.2 percent and at the best level since November. The top two holdings, which make up 12 percent of the portfolio are based in Canada and are in the midst of strong uptrends.

	The future performance of copper and COPX will be tied directly to the health of the Chinese economy. Yesterday’s trade numbers were a step in the right direction for the country’s economy and could be a turnaround story for copper.

Emerging Market ETFs

ARWR

COPX

PowerShares ETF Trust Lux Nanotech Portfolio