What ETF is better than the S&P 500?
MarketWatch spotlights
But if you're looking to beat the S&P 500 over the long haul, one ETF stands apart: Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ). The Invesco QQQ ETF, usually just called QQQ, is a top performer this year.
The answer: RSP has outperformed the S&P 500 by 0.57% on an annualized basis since the ETF's inception two decades ago. Source: Morningstar Direct. Data begins at RSP inception date of April 24, 2003, through September 30, 2023.
With those trends likely reversing, small caps could outperform the S&P 500 by a nice margin over the next decade. To invest in US small caps, consider the Schwab US Small-Cap ETF (SCHA; 0.04%) if you're US-based, and the SPDR Russell 2000 US Small Cap UCITS ETF (R2US; 0.3%) if you're based in Europe.
| ETF | Assets Under Management | Expense Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) | $70 billion | 0.10% |
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) | $16.3 billion | 0.35% |
| Invesco S&P MidCap Momentum ETF (XMMO) | $1.6 billion | 0.34% |
| SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) | $1.8 billion | 0.35% |
| Symbol | Name | 5-Year Return |
|---|---|---|
| SPYG | SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF | 14.43% |
| VOOG | Vanguard S&P 500 Growth ETF | 14.38% |
| IWL | iShares Russell Top 200 ETF | 14.36% |
| LRGE | ClearBridge Large Cap Growth ESG ETF | 14.29% |
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, VOO is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Blend segment of the market.
Even the Oracle of Omaha, widely considered one of the most successful investors, has not been able to outperform the booming S&P 500 in recent years. The stock of Warren Buffett's holding company Berkshire Hathaway has nearly equaled the return of the S&P 500 for the past two decades, according to MarketWatch.
Since Buffett took control of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965, the stock has trounced the S&P 500. Its compound annual gain through 2023 was 19.8% versus 10.2% for the broader index. But Buffett says those days of market-trouncing returns are behind it.
| Symbol | ETF Name | 10y Chg 4-2-24 |
|---|---|---|
| XNTK | SPDR NYSE Technology ETF | 457% |
| QTEC | FT Nasdaq 100-Technology Sector ETF | 452% |
| QQQ | Invesco Nasdaq 100 Trust ETF | 452% |
| IGV | iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF | 425% |
Why you shouldn't just invest in the S&P 500?
That's because your investment gives you access to the broad stock market. Meanwhile, if you only invest in S&P 500 ETFs, you won't beat the broad market. Rather, you can expect your portfolio's performance to be in line with that of the broad market.
Potential drawbacks of investing in the S&P
The S&P 500 weighting system gives a small number of companies major influence, which could have an undue negative effect on the index if one or a few of them run into trouble.
However, if you know that you'd like a bit more exposure to smaller and medium-sized companies or just want to invest in more stocks overall, VTI is your best bet. VOO, meanwhile, is the better option for investors who want to focus heavily on large cap companies.
| Fund (ticker) | YTD performance | Expense ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) | 10.4 percent | 0.03 percent |
| SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) | 10.4 percent | 0.095 percent |
| iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) | 10.4 percent | 0.03 percent |
| Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) | 8.6 percent | 0.20 percent |
| Symbol | Name | Avg Daily Share Volume (3mo) |
|---|---|---|
| SPY | SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust | 73,766,125 |
| TQQQ | ProShares UltraPro QQQ | 72,500,852 |
| SOXL | Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3x Shares | 71,334,227 |
| XLF | Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund | 47,533,277 |
- Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.6%) ...
- Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF (VYM -0.17%) ...
- Vanguard Real Estate ETF (VNQ -0.73%) ...
- iShares Core S&P Total U.S. Stock Market ETF (ITOT -0.61%) ...
- Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP 0.37%)
| Symbol | Name | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|
| SURI | Simplify Propel Opportunities ETF | 12.19% |
| SDIV | Global X SuperDividend ETF | 12.12% |
| SPYI | NEOS S&P 500 High Income ETF | 12.07% |
| TYLG | Global X Information Technology Covered Call & Growth ETF | 12.02% |
Market risk
The single biggest risk in ETFs is market risk. Like a mutual fund or a closed-end fund, ETFs are only an investment vehicle—a wrapper for their underlying investment. So if you buy an S&P 500 ETF and the S&P 500 goes down 50%, nothing about how cheap, tax efficient, or transparent an ETF is will help you.
Experts agree that for most personal investors, a portfolio comprising 5 to 10 ETFs is perfect in terms of diversification.
The S&P 500 simply reflects the market composition. In the long run, the funds' broad diversification, low turnover, and low fees outweigh these risks.” While the two ETFs follow the same strategy, they earn different ratings. VOO earns a top rating of Gold, while SPY earns the next best rating of Silver.
Should I invest in VOO or QQQ?
The performance of an investment option is often one of the most critical aspects investors consider. The performance of these two ETFs will be highly dependent on the performance of the information technology sector. If information technology significantly outperforms other sectors, then QQQ will outperform VOO.
Almahasneh: The main reason comes down to—and I cover a lot of passive index funds—a lot of the differences in ratings, they come down to the difference in fees. VOO charges 3 basis points, while SPY charges 9 basis points. Both are very low cost compared to the average ETF in the US market.
Definition of 10 Year Price Total Return
Last Close Price [ 415.97 ] / Adj Prior Close Price [ 122.29 ] (-) 1 (=) Total Return [ 240.2% ] Prior price dividend adjustment factor is 1.00.
Bitcoin. Buffett is also not a fan of Bitcoin, as he has rather forcefully reiterated on several occasions. Buffett, talking at the Berkshire Hathaway 2022 shareholder meeting, said that, “if you … owned all of the bitcoin in the world and you offered it to me for $25, I wouldn't take it.
Yes, you may be able to beat the market, but with investment fees, taxes, and human emotion working against you, you're more likely to do so through luck than skill. If you can merely match the S&P 500, minus a small fee, you'll be doing better than most investors.
