SOXX Chip ETF Draws $3.3 Billion in October Despite 33% Monthly Drop
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) fell 33% over the past month but still gathered $3.3 billion in assets in October 2026, according to Zacks' ETF research chief. Investors bought the dip as tech and AI stocks sold off, and energy funds outperformed tech this year.
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX), a semiconductor ETF holding 30 chip companies, has fallen 33% over the last month but still attracted $3.3 billion in new assets in October 2026, according to Neena Mishra, Zacks Director of ETF Research. She described the inflows as investors buying the dip. Her comments came in a Zacks Market Edge podcast episode published November 9, 2026.
Mishra spoke with host Tracey Ryniec, a Zacks stock strategist, about where money moved last month when technology and AI stocks sold off. The episode asked whether investors stayed the course in tech and kept buying large-cap index funds such as those tracking the S&P 500.
What SOXX holds
SOXX has existed since July 2001. Its 30 holdings include NVIDIA, Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom and Qualcomm. Zacks called it a who's who of the semiconductor industry.
The fund charges an expense ratio of 0.33%. That is the annual fee, taken as a share of assets.
Energy against tech
Energy has outperformed technology in 2026, according to the episode summary. Oil stayed elevated in October, and the podcast asked whether investors had finally discovered energy ETFs.
One fund drew attention for its return. The Breakwave Tanker Shipping ETF (BWET) is up 3,380% year-to-date, Zacks said. It tracks futures that reflect the cost of transporting oil, so it is not built for long-term buy-and-hold investing.
BWET is an Amplify ETF with an expense ratio of 3.5%. Mishra warned about its volatility. It is also small, and it saw outflows in October, which suggests investors were not chasing its performance.
The Anthropic angle
Money has been flowing into the Alger Concentrated Equity ETF (CNEQ). It looks like a typical large-cap growth fund, holding 30 or fewer stocks. NVIDIA is its largest position at 14.88% of the portfolio, followed by Microsoft at 8.6%.
Investors are interested because Alger holds a 2% position in privately held Anthropic, Zacks said. The podcast said Anthropic is expected to go public in the next few weeks. CNEQ has an expense ratio of 0.56% and is down 16.7% over the last month.
The episode, numbered 505, also covered SOXL, DRAM, XLE, IBIT, CRAK, USO and UCBG. Zacks framed the discussion around whether November's weakness in SOXX is a buying opportunity, and whether investors should watch BWET or buy CNEQ for Anthropic exposure. The podcast posed those as open questions and did not settle them.
