ETF Evaluator:
VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF (CNXT)
Follow This ETF
(as of Jul 31)
Best Performing in Greater China Region Over the Last Year
| 131.8% | KraneShares SSE STAR Market 50 ETF (KSTR) |
| 116.9% | VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF (CNXT) |
| 103.9% | Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF (FLTW) |
| 98.9% | iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (EWT) |
| 85.9% | Matthews China Innovators Active ETF (MCHS) |
Risk
Index
Risk
Index
ETF Details
VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF Overview
VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF (CNXT) is a passively managed International Equity Greater China Region exchange-traded fund (ETF). VanEck launched the ETF in 2014.
The investment seeks to replicate as closely as possible, before fees and expenses, the price and yield performance of the ChiNext Index.
The fund normally invests at least 80% of its total assets in securities that comprise the fund's benchmark index. The index is a free-float adjusted index intended to track the performance of the 100 largest and most liquid stocks listed and trading on the ChiNext Market of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The index is comprised of China A-shares (“A-shares”).
About VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF (CNXT)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 7.06 years: Peter Liao (2014) and Ralph Lasta (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI ACWI NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and SZSE ChiNext TR CNY index with a weighting of 100%. VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF has 99 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 57.2% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the International Equity ETF group. VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF has 99.8% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 99.8% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $140 million in total assets, which is below the $1 billion average for the Greater China Region category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
CNXT Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Greater China Region category. VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which is 2% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 48%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 57% for the Greater China Region category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF returned 8.5%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Greater China Region category had an average return of -1.6%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF has a trailing yield of 0.13%, which is below the 3.30% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 41.9%, 35.7 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 116.9% over the past year (grade of A), 30.3% over the past three years (grade of A) and 4.7% per year over the past five years (grade of A) and 7.4% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
For more ETF grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about VanEck ChiNext Innovators ETF, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
CNXT Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| CNXT Return (NAV) | 8.5% | 38.1% | 116.9% | 30.3% | 4.7% | 7.4% |
| CNXT Return (Price) | 7.4% | 37.3% | 118.3% | 30.3% | 4.7% | 7.4% |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 1.048% | 0.819% | -1.435% | -0.004% | -0.017% | -0.049% |
| Greater China Region Avg | -1.6% | 9.3% | 25.1% | 12.4% | -3.2% | 5.6% |
| CNXT Grade (NAV) | A | A | A | A | A | A |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 10.0% | 28.9% | 91.8% | 17.9% | 7.9% | 1.7% |
| CNXT Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
CNXT Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| CNXT Return (NAV) | 41.9% | 58.9% | 13.0% | -21.3% | -35.5% | 8.2% | 64.2% | 42.8% | -39.7% | 19.4% | -30.0% |
| CNXT Return (Price) | 42.6% | 59.3% | 12.4% | -21.5% | -35.6% | 9.0% | 63.3% | 42.7% | -39.5% | 20.2% | -30.1% |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.017% | 0.006% | -0.048% | 0.008% | 0.003% | 0.104% | -0.014% | -0.4% | -0.6% | 4.3% | 0.4% |
| Greater China Region Avg | 6.2% | 30.4% | 11.2% | -10.5% | -25.1% | -7.2% | 42.8% | 26.9% | -22.9% | 45.1% | -6.2% |
| CNXT Grade (NAV) | A | A | C | F | F | A | A | A | F | F | F |
| +/- Category | 35.7% | 28.5% | 1.9% | -10.8% | -10.4% | 15.3% | 21.5% | 15.9% | -16.8% | -25.7% | -23.8% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.85 |
| R-Squared: | 12% |
| Standard Deviation: | 34.6% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.35 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 2.85 |
| Total Risk Rating: | High |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.1% |
| Total Assets: | $ 141 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 141 Mil |
| Turnover: | 48.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.65% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI ACWI NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 12.0 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 7.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Liao Peter (2014), Lasta Ralph (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 99 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 57.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 99.8% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 99.8% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.2% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | VanEck |
| Phone Number: | 800-826-2333 |
| Website: | www.marketvectorsetfs.com |
| Inception Date: | July 23, 2014 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.65% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.67% |
