US-listed · NASDAQ · FIF-eligible (above NZ$50K)
iSharesSOXXiShares Semiconductor ETF
Tracks the PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index — ~30 US-listed semiconductor companies. iShares alternative to SMH; slightly different index methodology.
Updated Reviewed quarterly
About this fund
What is SOXX?
SOXX is the US-listed ticker for iShares Semiconductor ETF, issued by iShares. Tracks the PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index — ~30 US-listed semiconductor companies. iShares alternative to SMH; slightly different index methodology. TER is 0.33% per year, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of approximately 0.3%. Distributions are paid quarterly.
Next typical distribution: December.SOXX typically pays in Mar · Jun · Sep · Dec. Issuer sets the exact date — verify on the distribution calendar before relying on a payment date.
Platform availability
Where to buy SOXX 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 SharesiesSharesies | 1.9% per trade | 0.5% | NZ$0 | Beginners, fractional shares, mixing NZ + US ETFs |
 HatchHatch | 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) |
 StakeStake | US$0 trades | 0.70% | NZ$0 | Frequent US-share traders who hate per-trade fees |
 Interactive BrokersInteractive Brokers | 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 |
 Tiger BrokersTiger Brokers | US$2 flat per US trade (to 200 shares) | 0.50% | NZ$0 | NZ investors who want NZ + US + Asian markets in one account |
 Invest DirectInvest Direct | From NZ$29.90 per trade | Undisclosed margin on conversion | NZ$0 | US trading must be switched on by request, and covers a curated list of US securities — check this ticker is on it. |
 ASB SecuritiesASB Securities | 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 SOXX taxed for NZ investors?
SOXX 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 SOXX
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 | 0.50% | 3.2% | Semi-annual | PIE | SOXX vs FNZ |
| NZ20 | Kernel NZ 20 Kernel · Unlisted | 0.25% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SOXX vs NZ20 |
| TNZ | NZ Top 10 (TNZ) Smartshares · NZX | 0.60% | 1.9% | Semi-annual | PIE | SOXX vs TNZ |
| VTI | VTI Vanguard · NYSE Arca | 0.03% | 1.0% | Quarterly | FIF | SOXX vs VTI |
| QQQ | QQQ Invesco · NASDAQ | 0.18% | — | Quarterly | FIF | SOXX vs QQQ |
Distribution history
Last 12 distributions — SOXX
SOXX typically distributes mar · jun · sep · 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 have not yet verified a per-payment history for this fund against the issuer's records, so we point at the authoritative sources below rather than estimating.
Next typical distribution month: December. The exact ex-date and payment date are set by iShares — verify on the issuer source below before relying on a specific date.
Authoritative sources for distribution history
- iShares SOXX product page — corporate actions + distribution announcements
- iShares SOXX fact sheet PDF — historical distribution table
See /calendar/distributions/ for the rolling 12-month forward calendar across all covered ETFs.
FAQ
Common questions about SOXX
What is the SOXX ETF?⌄
SOXX is the iShares Semiconductor ETF — it tracks the PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index, holding ~30 US-listed semiconductor companies. Top holdings include Nvidia, Broadcom, AMD, Qualcomm, Applied Materials, Texas Instruments. TER is 0.33%, distributions paid quarterly. Yield ~0.3%.
SOXX vs SMH — what's the difference?⌄
Both track US-listed semiconductors. SOXX tracks the PHLX SOX index (more equal-weighted, ~30 companies); SMH tracks the MVIS index (more cap-weighted, top 25). SOXX has slightly lower mega-cap concentration; SMH leans more on Nvidia, TSMC, Broadcom. Same 0.33% TER. Performance typically within 0.3-0.5% of each other annually. Choice is operational + index preference.
Can NZ residents buy SOXX?⌄
Yes. SOXX is available via Hatch, Stake, Sharesies (US market), and Interactive Brokers. Above NZ$50,000 cost basis FIF rules apply. Quarterly distributions (vs SMH's annual) carry 15% US withholding under the NZ-US treaty (with W-8BEN).
Why semiconductor exposure separately vs broader tech?⌄
Semis have higher volatility + cyclicality than broader tech, but historically higher long-term return. They also have a different demand cycle (chip shortages, AI capex booms) than software / services. Holding SOXX or SMH alongside VGT or QQQM is a deliberate cyclical-overweight; pure-tech-sector exposure (VGT) is broader and less cyclical.
Where to buy SOXX from New Zealand
The platforms below all support SOXX. Each link opens the platform's site directly — we don't take any payment for placement or for clicks.
Hatch
Sharesies
Interactive Brokers
Stake
Tiger BrokersFees + platform details verified against each provider's published rate card. Always check the current schedule before transacting.Full platform comparison →
Explore with AI
Ask an AI assistant about this page
Open a fresh session with your prompt pre-filled and this page's link attached — the assistant reads the page and answers with it as a source.
Prefer Google?Add etfs.co.nz as a preferred source →
Sources for this SOXX data
The figures on this page come from the documents below. We do not pull live prices; the data is reviewed against issuer fact sheets and exchange listings (last reviewed 2026-09-05). Which figures have been checked against the issuer by machine, rather than by eye, is stated below — an unchecked figure is labelled as such rather than left ambiguous.
- ✓Total expense ratioChecked against BlackRock's own product-screener data on 2026-09-05.
- ✓Distribution yieldChecked against BlackRock's own product-screener data on 2026-09-05 (issuer figure as at 2026-07-31).Measured as trailing 12-month distributions.
Issuer product page
ishares.com/us/products/239705/ishares-phlx-semiconductor-etf
Fact sheet (PDF)
ishares.com/us/literature/fact-sheet/soxx-ishares-semiconductor-etf-fund-fact-sheet-en-us.pdf
External links open in a new tab. We do not earn commission on issuer product pages. See our methodology + disclosure.
Compare
SOXX against the alternatives
3 side-by-side comparisons covering fee, yield and NZ tax wrapper. Characteristics, not recommendations.
| Comparison | The other fund | Its TER |
|---|---|---|
| SOXX vs VGT | VGT | 0.09% |
| SOXX vs QQQ | QQQ | 0.18% |
| SOXX vs SMH | SMH | 0.35% |
Related ETFs and resources
SMH — VanEck Semiconductor (sibling)
Same sector exposure, different index methodology.
VGT — Vanguard Information Technology (broader)
Broader tech-sector exposure at 0.09% 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.
Best semiconductor ETFs for NZ
Curated comparison of all semiconductor options for NZ investors.
