NEW YORK, June 15 (Our New York News) — BlackRock’s iShares Semiconductor ETF has become one of this year’s high-profile market winners, with Fox Business reporting an 89% year-to-date gain as investors track chip exposure tied to artificial intelligence and data-center spending.
The fund, ticker SOXX, is sponsored by BlackRock’s iShares business. BlackRock identifies the ETF as a fund that tracks the NYSE Semiconductor Index, making it a focused vehicle for investors seeking exposure to semiconductor companies.
The reported gain underscores how the AI buildout has shifted investor attention toward companies that supply chips and related hardware for data centers. The trend affects fund investors, chipmakers and customers building large computing systems for AI work.
Fox Business, citing market data and industry forecasts, reported June 9 that SOXX was up 89% for the year. The same report described semiconductor and physical data-center infrastructure funds as leaders in the ETF market this year.
The performance figure was not available in the BlackRock product-page excerpt reviewed for this report. BlackRock’s page confirmed the fund’s identity and benchmark, but the underlying price-performance table for the 89% figure was not included in the supplied materials.
The rally has developed alongside forecasts for a sharp rise in global semiconductor revenue. Fox Business cited an April forecast from IDC that said the semiconductor market would exceed $1 trillion in revenue by the end of 2026. The IDC report itself was not included in the supplied materials, so the precise scope and method of the forecast could not be independently reviewed here.
Market coverage also reported that semiconductor revenue reached $298.5 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 25% from the fourth quarter of 2025. The underlying dataset for that figure was not identified in the supplied materials.
For investors, SOXX offers a way to buy a basket tied to chipmakers rather than pick a single stock. That structure can spread company-specific risk, but it does not remove sector risk. A fund concentrated in one industry can rise quickly when demand is strong and fall quickly when expectations change.
The AI trade has been centered on the hardware needed to train and run large models. That includes advanced processors, memory chips, networking equipment and other components used inside data centers. Market reports have linked the semiconductor ETF gains to spending by large cloud-computing companies and other data-center operators.
Other chip-focused ETFs have also drawn attention. Benzinga reported in April that the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF was up 20% over the prior month and 25% year to date at that time. The primary market data behind those figures was not identified in the supplied material.
The move has also placed more focus on the companies represented in semiconductor indexes. Supplied market coverage named Micron Technology Inc., Advanced Micro Devices Inc., Broadcom Inc., Nvidia Corp. and Intel Corp. among major semiconductor companies tied to the fund or the broader AI infrastructure theme. Official fund-holdings weights from BlackRock were not visible in the supplied product-page excerpt.
Bank of America also appeared in the market coverage. Intellectia reported that BofA raised its price target on Advanced Micro Devices to $560 from $500 and kept a Buy rating after analysis tied to the BofA Global Tech Conference. The underlying BofA research note was not included in the supplied materials.
The ETF’s surge matters for both institutional and retail investors because sector funds have become a common way to express a view on fast-growing areas of the economy. In this case, the investment thesis is tied to whether AI spending continues to support demand for chips and data-center equipment.
BlackRock’s role is as fund sponsor. The company’s iShares platform operates ETFs that trade on public markets and are used by investors seeking exposure to indexes, sectors and asset classes. The SOXX product is tied specifically to the NYSE Semiconductor Index.
No court filing, regulatory action, securities enforcement matter or completed corporate transaction was included in the supplied materials. The available record describes market performance, fund structure and industry forecasts rather than a merger, acquisition, financing or enforcement event.
