S&P Capital IQ has overweight ratings on SOXX and XLK and a marketweight rating on the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (NYSEArca: XSD). As it was last year, the equal-weight XSD has been a star among tech ETFs in 2015, surging 11.3%. [This Year’s top Tech ETF]
The $189 million XSD allocates 7.6% of its combined weight to Intel, Avago and Microchip Technology. The ETF has easily outpaced the rival SOXX over the past year, but XSD is more volatile. As is the case with the broader technology sector, the semiconductor industry is home to an array of cash-rich firms.
“Ten of the 52 companies comprising the S&P 1500 semiconductors & semiconductor equipment industry each hold more than $2.8 billion of cash and equivalents on their balance sheets led by Intel,” notes S&P Capital IQ.
SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF