US-listed · NASDAQ · FIF-eligible (above NZ$50K)
VanEck Semiconductor ETF
Tracks the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index — 25 largest US-listed semiconductor companies (Nvidia, TSMC, Broadcom, ASML, AMD, etc).
Updated Reviewed quarterly
About this fund
What is SMH?
SMH is the US-listed ticker for VanEck Semiconductor ETF, issued by VanEck. Tracks the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index — 25 largest US-listed semiconductor companies (Nvidia, TSMC, Broadcom, ASML, AMD, etc). TER is 0.35% per year, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of approximately 0.5%. Distributions are paid annual.
Next typical distribution: December.SMH typically pays in Dec. Issuer sets the exact date — verify on the distribution calendar before relying on a payment date.
Platform availability
Where to buy SMH from New Zealand
Based on each platform's advertised market coverage and fee schedule. Verify with the platform before transacting — instrument coverage can change.
| Platform | Per-trade fee | FX | Min | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 1.9% per trade | 0.5% | NZ$0 | Beginners, fractional shares, mixing NZ + US ETFs |
| | US$3 per trade (≤300 shares) | 0.5% | NZ$0 (US$1 to invest) | NZ investors who want US-only ETFs (SPY, VOO, QQQ, SCHD, JEPI) |
| | US$0 trades | 0.70% | NZ$0 | Frequent US-share traders who hate per-trade fees |
| | From US$0.35 / trade (Tiered) or US$1 flat (Fixed) | ~0.002% (US$2 min) | US$0 | Larger portfolios, frequent traders, multi-market investors |
| | US$1.99 per US trade | 0.50% | NZ$0 | NZ investors who want NZ + US + Asian markets in one account |
| | NZ$29.90 per NZX trade | ~0.40% | NZ$0 | Larger NZX trades and global market access through one NZ broker |
| | NZ$30 per NZX trade | Bank rates (~1%) | NZ$0 (ASB customer) | Existing ASB customers wanting one login for banking + brokerage |
Showing 7 platforms that list this ETF. Full platform comparison: all 11 NZ brokers → · Full coverage matrix: availability matrix →
NZ tax treatment
How is SMH taxed for NZ investors?
SMH is US-domiciled. NZ investors apply Foreign Investment Fund rules once total overseas-share cost basis crosses the de-minimis threshold. Below it, only dividends are taxable.
The FIF de-minimis threshold is NZ$50,000 (source) of overseas-share cost basis. Below it, FIF rules do not apply and only dividends are taxable.
Most NZ retail investors use Fair Dividend Rate (FDR): deemed income = 5% × opening market value × your marginal rate. Comparative Value (CV) can be lower in flat or down years.
US dividends carry 15% (source) withholding under the NZ–US tax treaty (file W-8BEN; default rate without it is 30% (source) ). The withheld amount can be claimed as a foreign tax credit on your IR3.
FDR vs CV method → · PIE vs FIF comparison →
🧮 Model your own after-tax outcome
Mechanical NZ-tax calculator comparing PIE @ PIR vs FIF @ FDR vs FIF @ CV on your principal, assumed return, time horizon, PIR, and marginal rate. → Open the after-tax calculator
General information only — not personalised tax advice. Confirm your treatment with a registered NZ tax adviser before transacting.
Add up to 4 more tickers to compare TER · yield · distribution · NZ tax structure.
Similar ETFs
ETFs with similar focus to SMH
Same asset class, issuer cousins, and exchange peers — ranked by closest match. Click any row to compare side-by-side in the multi-compare tool.
| Ticker | Name | TER | Yield | Distribution | NZ tax | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FNZ | NZ Top 50 (FNZ) Smartshares · NZX | 0.52% | 3.8% | Quarterly | PIE | SMH vs FNZ |
| NZ20 | Kernel NZ 20 Kernel · NZX | 0.29% | 3.2% | Quarterly | PIE | SMH vs NZ20 |
| TNZ | NZ Top 10 (TNZ) Smartshares · NZX | 0.60% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SMH vs TNZ |
| MZY | NZ Mid Cap (MZY) Smartshares · NZX | 0.75% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SMH vs MZY |
| KSC | Kernel NZ 20 (KSC) Kernel · NZX | 0.25% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SMH vs KSC |
Distribution history
Last 12 distributions — SMH
SMH typically distributes dec. Per-payment history (amount + ex-date + payment date for the last 12 distributions) is published authoritatively on the issuer's own fact sheet and corporate-actions page. We do not yet aggregate per-payment history into the canonical dataset on this site — that work is gated on the live-data-feed roadmap item (#42 in our roadmap).
Next typical distribution month: December. The exact ex-date and payment date are set by VanEck — verify on the issuer source below before relying on a specific date.
Authoritative sources for distribution history
- VanEck SMH product page — corporate actions + distribution announcements
See /calendar/distributions/ for the rolling 12-month forward calendar across all covered ETFs.
FAQ
Common questions about SMH
What is the SMH ETF? ⌄
SMH is the VanEck Semiconductor ETF — it tracks the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index, holding the 25 largest US-listed semiconductor companies. Top holdings include Nvidia, TSMC ADR, Broadcom, ASML, AMD, Qualcomm, Applied Materials. TER is 0.35%, distributions paid annually. Yield ~0.5% (low — semis reinvest rather than pay dividends).
SMH vs SOXX — which semiconductor ETF? ⌄
Both track US-listed semiconductor companies but with different indexes. SMH tracks the MVIS index (top 25 by market cap, weighted by float-adjusted cap). SOXX tracks the PHLX SOX index (~30 companies, modified-cap weighting). SMH is more concentrated in mega-caps; SOXX more equal-weighted. Same TER (0.35%). Performance typically within 0.3-0.5% of each other annually.
Can NZ residents buy SMH? ⌄
Yes. SMH is available via Hatch, Stake, Sharesies (US market), and Interactive Brokers. Above NZ$50,000 cost basis FIF rules apply (FDR method most common — 5% × MV × marginal rate). Note: semiconductor sector is high-volatility; the FDR floor + sector volatility interaction can produce poor after-tax outcomes in down years.
Should I hold SMH alongside QQQM or VGT? ⌄
Heavy overlap. Semi mega-caps (Nvidia, AVGO, AMD) are ~25-30% of QQQM (Nasdaq-100) and ~30-35% of VGT (Vanguard Information Technology). Holding SMH on top of QQQM or VGT compounds tech-sector overweight. Some investors do this for a deliberate semi tilt; others see it as concentrated tech exposure that increases portfolio risk without diversification.
Where to buy SMH from New Zealand
The platforms below all support SMH. Each link opens the platform's site directly — we don't take any payment for placement or for clicks.
Fees + platform details verified against each provider's published rate card. Always check the current schedule before transacting. Full platform comparison →
Sources for this SMH data
Every TER, yield, and holdings figure on this page traces to one of the documents below. We do not pull live prices; the data is reviewed monthly against issuer fact sheets and exchange listings (last reviewed 2026-05-04).
External links open in a new tab. We do not earn commission on issuer product pages. See our methodology + disclosure.
Related ETFs and resources
SOXX — iShares Semiconductor (sibling)
Same sector exposure, different index methodology. Same 0.35% TER.
VGT — Vanguard Information Technology (broader)
Broader tech-sector exposure (semis + software + services). 0.10% TER.
QQQM — Invesco Nasdaq-100
Tech-heavy Nasdaq-100; ~30% in semis.
SOXL — 3× leveraged semiconductor (high risk)
Tactical-trading-only; daily-reset decay applies.
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