Semiconductor ETF SOXX underperforms NASDAQ 100 ETF QQQ by 12% in Q3

Summary

The semiconductor ETF, $SOXX, is significantly underperforming the Nasdaq 100 ETF, $QQQ, by -12.3 percentage points in Q3 2026, marking its largest quarterly underperformance since Q3 2002. This decline comes as $SOXX has dropped -11.7% this quarter, contrasting with a slight increase of +0.6% for $QQQ. Despite this recent slump, $SOXX is still up +88% year-to-date, following a record outperformance of +67.4 percentage points in Q2 2026. The current market trend suggests this pullback may be related to sector rotation or profit-taking rather than a broad downturn affecting large-cap growth stocks.

Tokens

$SOXX$QQQ

Analysis

Nasdaq 100 ETF: The Invesco QQQ ETF, traded under the ticker QQQ, tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index of large non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq. It is relevant to the news because its broader portfolio has modestly advanced while semiconductor stocks have pulled back, creating a substantial relative-performance gap. Semiconductor ETF: The iShares Semiconductor ETF, traded under the ticker SOXX, provides targeted exposure to companies involved in semiconductor manufacturing and related equipment. It is relevant to the news because its concentrated semiconductor exposure has sharply lagged the broader technology-oriented Nasdaq-100 during the current quarter after a powerful prior-quarter rally. Fund_structure: SOXX is a sector-focused semiconductor fund, while QQQ offers broader exposure across the Nasdaq-100 rather than concentrating exclusively on chip-related companies. Market_interpretation: The divergence indicates sector rotation or profit-taking in semiconductor shares rather than necessarily a broad reversal in large-cap growth stocks. Recent_performance_context: Recent fund data show SOXX experiencing a marked near-term decline despite remaining strongly higher year to date, consistent with a sharp pullback after an exceptional advance.

Categories

techmacro

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