# ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed MSFT (Microsoft)

> Source: BetterThanSPY research, https://betterthanspy.com/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-msft
> Data as of October 22, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

MSFT (Microsoft Corporation) screened against the entire market of over 10,000 stocks and ETFs over 8 periods from 1 month to 10 years, with dividends reinvested. To make the list, an investment had to outperform MSFT in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods. "All-weather" means outperforming in every long-term period and all but one short-term period. Returns in the tables are total returns over each period; volatility and Sharpe ratio cover 5 years.

## Key findings

- How hard it was to top MSFT: Of over 10,000 stocks and ETFs screened, just 23 of 958 eligible ETFs (2.4%) and 161 of 1,501 eligible stocks (11%) met the consistency rule. None of the ETFs were all-weather, while 12 stocks were. The benchmark was difficult to top consistently.
- Who came out ahead across the three groups:
  - Popular alternatives: AAPL and INTC made the list, with AAPL outperforming in 3 of 5 short-term and 3 of 3 long-term timeframes, and INTC in 3 of 5 and 2 of 3. VGT, XLK, and QQQ fell short, each outperforming in 2 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes. No same-index funds were excluded.
  - Top ETFs: Commodities and technology led among the standout ETFs. Oil-focused BNO and USO, energy fund DBE, and technology funds RSPT and CIBR appeared among the leaders. In all, 23 ETFs made the cut, though the table shows only the top 15.
  - Top stocks: 161 stocks made the cut, including 12 all-weather names. The top stocks include energy companies MPC, CVI, and VLO, plus industrials FRO and DHT, which operate in marine shipping. The table shows only the top 10 stocks.
- The risk trade-off: Over 5 years, the top ETFs had lower median volatility than MSFT, and all had higher Sharpe ratios, a measure of return relative to risk. The top stocks had moderately higher median volatility, but all had higher Sharpe ratios. In other words, the stock winners took a bumpier ride, while the ETF group was less volatile overall.

## How popular alternatives compare

| Investment | Status | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MSFT: Microsoft Corporation (benchmark) |  |  | +4.6% | +33.7% | +20.9% | +10.9% | +0.9% | +61.9% | +75.6% | +862% | 28.2% | 0.54 |
| [AAPL](https://betterthanspy.com/research/aapl): Apple Inc. | Made the list | 3/5 short, 3/3 long | +2.5% | +6.9% | +27.7% | +28.8% | +35.2% | +104% | +140% | +1,194% | 28.0% | 0.77 |
| [INTC](https://betterthanspy.com/research/intc): Intel Corp. | Made the list | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −31.0% | −16.7% | +31.0% | +117% | +132% | +157% | +87.6% | +199% | 55.5% | 0.50 |
| [VGT](https://betterthanspy.com/research/vgt): Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 2/3 long | −6.1% | +2.7% | +15.4% | +25.9% | +26.7% | +135% | +130% | +753% | 26.1% | 0.77 |
| [XLK](https://betterthanspy.com/research/xlk): State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 2/3 long | −7.1% | +1.3% | +15.6% | +26.8% | +28.4% | +126% | +139% | +741% | 26.1% | 0.80 |
| [QQQ](https://betterthanspy.com/research/qqq): Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | Fell short | 2/5 short, 2/3 long | −5.8% | 0.0% | +7.8% | +15.3% | +16.9% | +101% | +94.0% | +531% | 23.0% | 0.69 |
| [CSCO](https://betterthanspy.com/research/csco): Cisco Systems, Inc. | Fell short | 2/5 short, 2/3 long | −1.1% | −6.2% | +17.7% | +39.7% | +51.2% | +117% | +118% | +361% | 26.1% | 0.73 |
| [VOO](https://betterthanspy.com/research/voo): Vanguard S&P 500 ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 2/3 long | −1.2% | +2.5% | +8.0% | +12.7% | +15.7% | +88.8% | +80.8% | +319% | 16.9% | 0.79 |
| [SPY](https://betterthanspy.com/research/spy): State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 2/3 long | −1.2% | +2.5% | +8.0% | +12.7% | +15.6% | +88.4% | +80.3% | +316% | 17.2% | 0.78 |
| [IBM](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ibm): International Business Machines Corporation | Fell short | 1/5 short, 2/3 long | +9.0% | +23.4% | +1.6% | −11.8% | −10.0% | +103% | +150% | +163% | 30.2% | 0.76 |
| [VTI](https://betterthanspy.com/research/vti): Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 1/3 long | −1.4% | +1.9% | +7.3% | +12.4% | +15.3% | +87.3% | +71.5% | +298% | 17.5% | 0.71 |
| [AMZN](https://betterthanspy.com/research/amzn): Amazon.com, Inc. | Fell short | 1/5 short, 1/3 long | −1.8% | +2.3% | −1.9% | +10.5% | +14.9% | +97.8% | +50.1% | +498% | 36.6% | 0.41 |
| [ORCL](https://betterthanspy.com/research/orcl): Oracle Corporation | Fell short | 0/5 short, 0/3 long | −15.6% | +0.1% | −32.6% | −35.0% | −53.4% | +25.4% | +36.7% | +281% | 44.3% | 0.36 |

## ETFs that consistently outperformed MSFT

| Investment | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe | Expense | Assets |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MSFT: Microsoft Corporation (benchmark) |  | +4.6% | +33.7% | +20.9% | +10.9% | +0.9% | +61.9% | +75.6% | +862% | 28.2% | 0.54 |  |  |
| BNO: United States Brent Oil Fund LP | 4/5 short, 2/3 long | +19.0% | +34.0% | +36.4% | +144% | +139% | +118% | +205% | +359% | 37.1% | 0.79 | 1.15% | $768M |
| DBE: Invesco DB Energy Fund | 4/5 short, 2/3 long | +11.4% | +26.4% | +33.5% | +130% | +123% | +98.0% | +149% | +268% | 30.6% | 0.75 | 0.79% | $132M |
| DBO: Invesco DB Oil Fund | 4/5 short, 2/3 long | +10.4% | +18.6% | +27.1% | +114% | +109% | +70.0% | +93.9% | +231% | 34.0% | 0.56 | 0.81% | $278M |
| USO: United States Oil Fund, LP | 4/5 short, 2/3 long | +12.8% | +23.4% | +25.6% | +136% | +130% | +106% | +180% | +77.7% | 37.7% | 0.74 | 0.86% | $1.9B |
| RSPT: Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −3.9% | +6.2% | +21.6% | +40.0% | +43.0% | +141% | +116% | +559% | 25.1% | 0.74 | 0.40% | $6.1B |
| CIBR: First Trust Nasdaq Cybersecurity ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +0.2% | +15.1% | +49.3% | +45.8% | +35.2% | +134% | +96.7% | +461% | 26.2% | 0.65 | 0.58% | $17B |
| UGA: United States Gasoline Fund, LP | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −0.6% | +16.0% | +32.8% | +132% | +125% | +117% | +227% | +401% | 35.1% | 0.85 | 1.08% | $167M |
| HACK: Amplify Cybersecurity ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +0.6% | +15.7% | +51.5% | +54.8% | +42.0% | +142% | +87.4% | +381% | 25.8% | 0.62 | 0.60% | $3.3B |
| CRAK: VanEck Oil Refiners ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +0.5% | +15.8% | +36.4% | +69.7% | +74.3% | +118% | +143% | +325% | 20.9% | 0.96 | 0.61% | $810M |
| VLUE: iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −4.4% | −0.4% | +22.8% | +40.8% | +54.9% | +139% | +112% | +286% | 18.4% | 0.91 | 0.15% | $9.0B |
| IAK: iShares U.S. Insurance ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +7.8% | +4.5% | +14.3% | +13.7% | +20.1% | +73.9% | +94.3% | +247% | 18.1% | 0.83 | 0.37% | $452M |
| KBWP: Invesco KBW Property & Casualty Insurance ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +10.9% | +6.5% | +14.7% | +12.7% | +19.5% | +72.4% | +89.6% | +242% | 18.8% | 0.78 | 0.35% | $283M |
| DJD: Invesco Dow Jones Industrial Average Dividend ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +5.5% | +6.8% | +13.2% | +20.5% | +24.9% | +83.5% | +79.9% | +233% | 13.3% | 0.95 | 0.07% | $506M |
| QVAL: Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +7.1% | +11.2% | +16.8% | +30.8% | +39.9% | +88.9% | +91.7% | +229% | 21.4% | 0.72 | 0.28% | $642M |
| FDL: First Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | +6.3% | +5.6% | +9.9% | +22.5% | +28.5% | +89.5% | +97.6% | +207% | 14.5% | 1.02 | 0.43% | $8.0B |

## Stocks that consistently outperformed MSFT

| Investment | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe | Market cap |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MSFT: Microsoft Corporation (benchmark) |  | +4.6% | +33.7% | +20.9% | +10.9% | +0.9% | +61.9% | +75.6% | +862% | 28.2% | 0.54 |  |
| [MPC](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mpc): Marathon Petroleum Corporation | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +17.9% | +45.8% | +108% | +181% | +148% | +226% | +660% | +1,314% | 33.4% | 1.39 | $129B |
| CVI: CVR Energy, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +12.5% | +68.6% | +88.5% | +134% | +62.6% | +105% | +289% | +1,306% | 52.4% | 0.79 | $5.9B |
| FRO: Frontline Plc | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +6.9% | +41.8% | +62.0% | +182% | +148% | +222% | +762% | +1,270% | 49.7% | 1.12 | $11B |
| HALO: Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +8.2% | +60.0% | +82.1% | +77.1% | +89.4% | +258% | +220% | +1,255% | 40.4% | 0.78 | $14B |
| ANF: Abercrombie & Fitch Co. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +18.6% | +68.2% | +74.7% | +30.6% | +136% | +169% | +323% | +1,132% | 62.9% | 0.77 | $6.9B |
| DHT: DHT Holdings, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +12.8% | +41.9% | +50.2% | +133% | +126% | +207% | +443% | +1,094% | 39.0% | 1.07 | $3.9B |
| [VLO](https://betterthanspy.com/research/vlo): Valero Energy Corporation | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +13.0% | +37.6% | +83.5% | +162% | +169% | +254% | +515% | +1,014% | 36.9% | 1.18 | $123B |
| [NTRA](https://betterthanspy.com/research/ntra): Natera, Inc. | 4/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +2.7% | +51.9% | +93.2% | +75.4% | +113% | +901% | +249% | +3,934% | 57.6% | 0.73 | $58B |
| [LLY](https://betterthanspy.com/research/lly): Eli Lilly and Company | 4/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +11.7% | +12.5% | +42.3% | +21.5% | +61.9% | +131% | +461% | +1,870% | 32.8% | 1.22 | $1.2T |
| [URI](https://betterthanspy.com/research/uri): United Rentals, Inc. | 4/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +6.5% | +7.5% | +38.9% | +32.3% | +13.0% | +179% | +213% | +1,407% | 39.1% | 0.78 | $69B |

## What stands out

The ETF leaders came from distinct areas, especially commodities and technology. Oil-linked funds such as BNO and USO and technology funds such as RSPT and CIBR met the rule across both short- and long-term periods, though none qualified as all-weather. Among popular alternatives, AAPL and INTC kept ahead often enough to qualify, while VGT, XLK, and QQQ fell short of the consistency bar.

The stock results were more concentrated in energy and shipping among the names shown. MPC, CVI, VLO, FRO, and DHT outperformed in every measured timeframe, while healthcare and consumer discretionary names also appeared among the leaders. Over 5 years, every top stock had a higher Sharpe ratio than MSFT despite higher median volatility. The ETF results were less volatile overall, and every ETF in the top group also had a higher Sharpe ratio.

## More research

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## Explore further

- Full page: https://betterthanspy.com/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-msft
- All research pages: https://betterthanspy.com/llms.txt