US-listed · NASDAQ · FIF-eligible (above NZ$50K)
iShares 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 0.35% per year, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of approximately 0.8%. Distributions are paid quarterly.
Next typical distribution: June.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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | 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 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 | 0.52% | 3.8% | Quarterly | PIE | SOXX vs FNZ |
| NZ20 | Kernel NZ 20 Kernel · NZX | 0.29% | 3.2% | Quarterly | PIE | SOXX vs NZ20 |
| TNZ | NZ Top 10 (TNZ) Smartshares · NZX | 0.60% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SOXX vs TNZ |
| MZY | NZ Mid Cap (MZY) Smartshares · NZX | 0.75% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SOXX vs MZY |
| KSC | Kernel NZ 20 (KSC) Kernel · NZX | 0.25% | — | Quarterly | PIE | SOXX vs KSC |
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 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: June. 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
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 0.35%, distributions paid quarterly. Yield ~0.8%.
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 0.35% 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.
Fees + platform details verified against each provider's published rate card. Always check the current schedule before transacting. Full platform comparison →
Sources for this SOXX 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
SMH — VanEck Semiconductor (sibling)
Same sector exposure, different index methodology.
VGT — Vanguard Information Technology (broader)
Broader tech-sector exposure at 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.
Best semiconductor ETFs for NZ
Curated comparison of all semiconductor options for NZ investors.