PHLX SOX · Annual Return — The semi sector's year-by-year ledger
Annual returns — The SOX's calendar-year returns.
Year-end print for every year since 1995. Average return runs well above the S&P, but every few years a near-halving year prints — 'high mean ≠ steady growth' is most extreme here.
What this page answers
Since 1995, the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) has logged 31 calendar years: 20 positive and 11 negative (a 65% hit rate), with an arithmetic-average annual return of +19.2%. The best year was 1999 (+101.0%); the worst was 2008 (-48.0%). The most recent year, 2026 (year-to-date), stands at +75.9%.
Year-end print for every year since 1995. Average return runs well above the S&P, but every few years a near-halving year prints — 'high mean ≠ steady growth' is most extreme here. The data is refreshed by the History of Market pipeline and published as a stable JSON endpoint for research, citation, and AI-agent use.
The plate
Latest Snapshot
- Updated
- 2026-08-14
- Average
- +1,920.0%
- Positive years
- 20
- Negative years
- 11
- Best year
- 1999 +10,098.0%
- Worst year
- 2008 -4,800.0%
- Observations
- 32
- Sample
- 1995-12-31 – 2026-08-13
Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) — annual returns, 1995–2026
| Year | Return |
|---|---|
| 2026 | +75.9% |
| 2025 | +42.2% |
| 2024 | +19.3% |
| 2023 | +64.9% |
| 2022 | -35.8% |
| 2021 | +41.2% |
| 2020 | +51.1% |
| 2019 | +60.1% |
| 2018 | -7.8% |
| 2017 | +38.2% |
| 2016 | +36.6% |
| 2015 | -3.4% |
| 2014 | +28.4% |
| 2013 | +39.3% |
| 2012 | +5.4% |
| 2011 | -11.5% |
| 2010 | +14.4% |
| 2009 | +69.6% |
| 2008 | -48.0% |
| 2007 | -12.6% |
| 2006 | -2.6% |
| 2005 | +10.7% |
| 2004 | -14.7% |
| 2003 | +75.7% |
| 2002 | -44.6% |
| 2001 | -9.4% |
| 2000 | -18.2% |
| 1999 | +101.0% |
| 1998 | +33.0% |
| 1997 | +9.7% |
| 1996 | +19.8% |
| 1995 | +43.2% |
Showing the full record (32 rows). Raw series: https://historyofmarket.com/api/semi/annual-returns.json
Data & Source
GET /api/semi/annual-returns.json — Canonical dataset endpoint.
Exchange closing prices · Company filings · Robert Shiller · FRED · NBER.
FAQ
What was the best year on record?
1999, when the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) returned +101.0%.
What was the worst year on record?
2008, when the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) fell -48.0%.
Where does this data come from?
History of Market combines public market and macro datasets — exchange closing prices, company filings, Robert Shiller, FRED, NBER, and the UBS Global Investment Returns Yearbook (Dimson–Marsh–Staunton). The exact endpoint for this panel is linked below.
How often is it updated?
Daily-tier datasets refresh after the U.S. market close, with a broader weekly refresh on Sunday. The timestamp shown on this page comes from the JSON payload.
Can I use the data?
Yes, for research and education with attribution to History of Market. Upstream data sources retain their own terms.