SMH vs VEA: how much do they really overlap?
SMH (VanEck Semiconductor ETF, tracking the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25) and VEA (Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF, tracking the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US) overlap by roughly 6% by weight. 1 of SMH's top 10 holdings also appear in VEA. A 50/50 blend of the two behaves like about 52 equally-weighted bets (diversification grade B). In short, the two funds hold almost none of the same securities — they are complementary, not redundant.
The same companies, in both funds
These 1 holdings appear in both SMH and VEA. The weight columns show how much of each fund each name represents.
| Holding | in SMH | in VEA |
|---|---|---|
| ASML ASML Holding N.V. | 4.89% | 1.96% |
Only in SMH
VanEck Semiconductor ETF — semiconductors. Its biggest holdings that VEA doesn’t have:
| NVDA NVIDIA Corporation | 18.16% |
| TSM Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited | 9.04% |
| MU Micron Technology, Inc. | 5.99% |
| AVGO Broadcom Inc. | 5.49% |
| AMD Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | 5.44% |
| AMAT Applied Materials, Inc. | 5.35% |
| INTC Intel Corporation | 5.09% |
| LRCX Lam Research Corporation | 5.00% |
Only in VEA
Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF — developed ex-US. Its biggest holdings that SMH doesn’t have:
| 005930 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. | 2.47% |
| 000660 SK hynix Inc. | 1.94% |
| HSBA HSBC Holdings plc | 1.12% |
| ROP Roche Holding AG | 0.95% |
| RY Royal Bank of Canada | 0.90% |
| NOVN Novartis AG | 0.90% |
| NESN Nestle SA | 0.79% |
| SHEL Shell plc | 0.79% |
So — essentially different. Should you hold both?
SMH and VEA hold almost none of the same securities — they are complementary, not redundant. Held together they genuinely broaden your exposure — a 50/50 blend reaches ~52 effective positions (grade B), because they hold largely different securities.
Holdings as of — SMH: Jun 27, 2026 (VanEck); VEA: Jul 31, 2026 (Vanguard). Refreshed monthly. Overlap is measured across each fund’s largest holdings (top 50); the diffuse long tail barely moves the math.
See this for YOUR whole portfolio, free →SMH vs VEA — FAQ
- How much do SMH and VEA overlap?
- SMH and VEA overlap by approximately 6% measured by portfolio weight — that is the share of the smaller fund's holdings (by weight) that also sit inside the other. 1 of SMH's 10 largest holdings are also held by VEA. They share 1 of their listed top holdings in total.
- Is it redundant to hold both SMH and VEA?
- Because they hold almost none of the same securities — they are complementary, not redundant, holding both is not redundant — each fund covers largely different holdings, so together they broaden your exposure. A 50/50 blend has an effective 52 positions and a B diversification grade.
- What does VEA hold that SMH doesn't?
- VEA's largest holdings that SMH doesn't hold include 005930, 000660, HSBA, ROP, RY. Its category is developed ex-US, versus SMH's semiconductors.
- Which is more concentrated, SMH or VEA?
- SMH's top 10 holdings are 69% of its listed weight; VEA's are 40%. The more concentrated fund leans harder on its largest names.