# ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed NVDA (Nvidia)

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

NVDA (NVIDIA 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 NVDA 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 NVDA: It was difficult to keep ahead of Nvidia across both short- and long-term periods. Of 958 eligible ETFs, none met the consistency rule, while 1 of 1,501 eligible stocks did, a share of less than 0.1%. No ETF or stock was all-weather.
- Who came out ahead across the three groups:
  - Popular alternatives: MU qualified with outperformance in 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes. AMD fell short with 3 of 5 short-term and 1 of 3 long-term periods, while IYW and VGT each led in 5 of 5 short-term periods but 0 of 3 long-term periods. The semiconductor ETFs SMH and SOXX each outperformed in 3 of 5 short-term periods and 0 of 3 long-term periods.
  - Top ETFs: No ETFs met the consistency rule, so there are no qualifying ETF categories or standouts to name.
  - Top stocks: One stock made the cut: MU, a Technology company in the Semiconductors industry.
- The risk trade-off: The qualifying stock MU had similar volatility to NVDA over 5 years, at 57.1% versus 51.9%, and a higher Sharpe ratio, at 1.19 versus 1.12. That means MU delivered more return per unit of risk over this period, despite its somewhat higher volatility figure.

## How popular alternatives compare

| Investment | Status | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NVDA: NVIDIA Corporation (benchmark) |  |  | −7.3% | +0.2% | +5.0% | +12.6% | +18.0% | +395% | +839% | +12,166% | 51.9% | 1.12 |
| [MU](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mu): Micron Technology, Inc. | Made the list | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −21.9% | −10.7% | +75.8% | +172% | +332% | +1,193% | +1,199% | +5,050% | 57.1% | 1.19 |
| [AMD](https://betterthanspy.com/research/amd): Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | Fell short | 3/5 short, 1/3 long | −18.6% | −8.0% | +67.4% | +127% | +121% | +408% | +324% | +7,146% | 57.7% | 0.79 |
| IYW: iShares U.S. Technology ETF | Fell short | 5/5 short, 0/3 long | −6.4% | +2.4% | +16.3% | +24.7% | +26.1% | +138% | +135% | +773% | 26.7% | 0.78 |
| [VGT](https://betterthanspy.com/research/vgt): Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Fell short | 5/5 short, 0/3 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 | 4/5 short, 0/3 long | −7.1% | +1.3% | +15.6% | +26.8% | +28.4% | +126% | +139% | +741% | 26.1% | 0.80 |
| [TXN](https://betterthanspy.com/research/txn): Texas Instruments Incorporated | Fell short | 4/5 short, 0/3 long | +3.0% | −4.5% | +19.5% | +60.1% | +68.0% | +108% | +61.8% | +413% | 33.8% | 0.45 |
| [SMH](https://betterthanspy.com/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −13.8% | −10.8% | +9.8% | +40.2% | +55.0% | +272% | +304% | +1,570% | 37.0% | 0.94 |
| [SOXX](https://betterthanspy.com/research/soxx): iShares Semiconductor ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −17.0% | −14.3% | +10.3% | +51.9% | +68.0% | +219% | +221% | +1,297% | 39.0% | 0.80 |
| [QQQ](https://betterthanspy.com/research/qqq): Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −5.8% | 0.0% | +7.8% | +15.3% | +16.9% | +101% | +94.0% | +531% | 23.0% | 0.69 |
| [INTC](https://betterthanspy.com/research/intc): Intel Corp. | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −31.0% | −16.7% | +31.0% | +117% | +132% | +157% | +87.6% | +199% | 55.5% | 0.50 |
| FTXR: First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 0/3 long | −1.0% | −7.4% | +3.5% | +7.8% | +18.9% | +69.0% | +37.0% | +138% | 23.9% | 0.38 |
| [AVGO](https://betterthanspy.com/research/avgo): Broadcom Inc. | Fell short | 0/5 short, 0/3 long | −11.3% | −18.4% | −23.3% | −6.5% | −4.3% | +287% | +585% | +2,254% | 44.6% | 1.09 |

## ETFs that consistently outperformed NVDA

No eligible ETF outperformed NVDA in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

## Stocks that consistently outperformed NVDA

| Investment | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe | Market cap |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NVDA: NVIDIA Corporation (benchmark) |  | −7.3% | +0.2% | +5.0% | +12.6% | +18.0% | +395% | +839% | +12,166% | 51.9% | 1.12 |  |
| [MU](https://betterthanspy.com/research/mu): Micron Technology, Inc. | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −21.9% | −10.7% | +75.8% | +172% | +332% | +1,193% | +1,199% | +5,050% | 57.1% | 1.19 | $969B |

## What stands out

The results show how hard it was for diversified funds and individual stocks to keep ahead of NVDA across both short- and long-term periods. Technology funds such as IYW and VGT held a short-term lead, but neither outperformed in any long-term timeframe. MU was the only stock to meet the consistency rule, with results spanning both groups of periods.

The winner came from semiconductors, a sector that includes companies tied to chip design and production. The table’s risk figures show that MU’s volatility was similar to NVDA’s over 5 years, while its Sharpe ratio was higher. That points to stronger risk-adjusted returns over that span, though it does not mean the stock’s ride was smooth.

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## Explore further

- Full page: https://betterthanspy.com/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-nvda
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