Benchmark research · Alphabet
ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed GOOG (Alphabet)
Any investment can look great over a single hand-picked timeframe. To find what truly kept ahead of GOOG (Alphabet Inc.), we screened GOOG against the entire market of over 10,000 stocks and ETFs across 8 different time windows from 1 month to 10 years, including reinvested dividends. A contender had to come out ahead in both the short term and the long term to make the list. Data as of October 20, 2026.
Compare the entire market against GOOG live →Key findings
- How hard it was to top GOOG: Across over 10,000 stocks and ETFs screened, only 8 of 958 eligible ETFs (0.8%) and 132 of 1501 eligible stocks (8.8%) outperformed GOOG in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term periods. Just 2 ETFs and 34 stocks also met the all-weather standard of outperformance in every long-term period and all but one short-term period.
- Who came out ahead across the three groups:
- Popular alternatives: AAPL and MSFT each outperformed in 4 of 5 short-term periods but only 1 of 3 long-term periods. VGT and XLK had the same short-term and long-term scores, while QQQ outperformed in 4 of 5 short-term periods but none of the 3 long-term periods. None made the list.
- Top ETFs: Semiconductor funds led the ETF group, which also included international funds. SMH and FTXL outperformed in 4 of 5 short-term periods and all 3 long-term periods; SOXX and PSI also outperformed in all 3 long-term periods.
- Top stocks: 132 stocks made the cut. The top stocks shown include healthcare companies NTRA and CORT, industrials company BWLP, and technology company FTNT. Each outperformed in all 5 short-term and all 3 long-term periods.
- The risk trade-off: Over 5 years, the top ETFs and stocks had moderately higher median volatility than GOOG. Still, 7 of 8 top ETFs and 9 of 10 top stocks had higher Sharpe ratios, a measure of return relative to risk, than the benchmark.
How popular alternatives compare
Well-known funds and stocks investors often compare against GOOG, sorted by long-term periods outperformed, then short-term.
| Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Long term | Risk · 5 years | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpe ratiohigher is better | ||
| GOOG Alphabet Inc. (benchmark) | — | −4.1% | −4.2% | +0.4% | +6.9% | +31.2% | +148% | +138% | +752% | 32.0% | 0.71 |
| AAPL Fell shortApple Inc. | 4/5 short1/3 long | +0.2% | +4.0% | +24.6% | +25.6% | +29.9% | +99.0% | +133% | +1,168% | 28.0%0.9× GOOG | 0.75 |
| MSFT Fell shortMicrosoft Corporation | 4/5 short1/3 long | +6.0% | +32.5% | +27.7% | +13.2% | +3.8% | +66.6% | +80.3% | +946% | 28.2%0.9× GOOG | 0.56 |
| VGT Fell shortVanguard Information Technology ETF | 3/5 short1/3 long | −4.2% | +6.3% | +19.1% | +27.6% | +26.7% | +138% | +133% | +779% | 26.0%0.8× GOOG | 0.78 |
| XLK Fell shortState Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | 3/5 short1/3 long | −4.8% | +5.7% | +20.3% | +29.0% | +29.3% | +131% | +143% | +767% | 26.0%0.8× GOOG | 0.82 |
| QQQ Fell shortInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | 4/5 short0/3 long | −3.2% | +3.2% | +11.2% | +17.4% | +17.9% | +106% | +97.2% | +553% | 23.0%0.7× GOOG | 0.71 |
| AMZN Fell shortAmazon.com, Inc. | 4/5 short0/3 long | +1.6% | +5.1% | +5.8% | +16.0% | +21.3% | +110% | +53.8% | +548% | 36.6%1.1× GOOG | 0.42 |
| VOO Fell shortVanguard S&P 500 ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −0.6% | +3.9% | +9.1% | +13.5% | +15.8% | +89.7% | +82.3% | +324% | 16.9%0.5× GOOG | 0.80 |
| SPY Fell shortState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −0.6% | +3.9% | +9.1% | +13.5% | +15.8% | +89.3% | +81.7% | +321% | 17.1%0.5× GOOG | 0.79 |
| VTI Fell shortVanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −0.8% | +3.2% | +8.3% | +13.1% | +15.2% | +87.9% | +72.6% | +302% | 17.5%0.5× GOOG | 0.71 |
| QQEW Fell shortFirst Trust Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −3.3% | +2.2% | +14.6% | +11.3% | +9.9% | +57.7% | +39.1% | +267% | 21.3%0.7× GOOG | 0.42 |
| FDN Fell shortFirst Trust Dow Jones Internet Index Fund | 4/5 short0/3 long | −3.1% | +6.4% | +9.1% | +8.4% | +1.8% | +85.3% | +16.1% | +256% | 27.6%0.9× GOOG | 0.25 |
| ACWI Fell shortiShares MSCI ACWI ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −1.9% | +2.8% | +6.2% | +12.1% | +15.1% | +84.5% | +65.1% | +227% | 16.2%0.5× GOOG | 0.70 |
| META Fell shortMeta Platforms, Inc. | 2/5 short0/3 long | −6.3% | +7.6% | +3.7% | +7.0% | −4.9% | +127% | +106% | +439% | 45.4%1.4× GOOG | 0.55 |
| IWM Fell shortiShares Russell 2000 ETF | 2/5 short0/3 long | −3.4% | −5.4% | −0.1% | +11.6% | +12.3% | +71.3% | +29.0% | +158% | 22.4%0.7× GOOG | 0.34 |
ETFs that consistently outperformed GOOG
Top 8 by long-term periods outperformed, then short-term, then by 10Y return. Green cells outperformed GOOG in that period. Excludes leveraged and inverse funds, ETFs under $100M in assets, stocks under $2.0B in market cap, and anything without 10 years of history.
| # | Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Long term | Risk · 5 years | Fund | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpe ratiohigher is better | Expense | Assets | |||
| — | GOOG Alphabet Inc. (benchmark) | — | −4.1% | −4.2% | +0.4% | +6.9% | +31.2% | +148% | +138% | +752% | 32.0% | 0.71 | ||
| 1 | SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF | 4/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | −8.3% | −2.2% | +17.8% | +46.4% | +57.8% | +290% | +323% | +1,665% | 36.9%1.2× GOOG | 0.97 | 0.35% | $66B |
| 2 | FTXL TechnologyFirst Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF | 4/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | −9.6% | −1.9% | +18.2% | +64.8% | +85.1% | +249% | +235% | +1,077% | 38.8%1.2× GOOG | 0.82 | 0.60% | $1.2B |
| 3 | SOXX Broad MarketiShares Semiconductor ETF | 3/5 short3/3 long | −10.6% | −4.5% | +19.9% | +59.7% | +71.2% | +234% | +237% | +1,392% | 38.9%1.2× GOOG | 0.82 | 0.33% | $39B |
| 4 | PSI TechnologyInvesco Semiconductors ETF | 3/5 short3/3 long | −12.9% | −12.1% | +3.7% | +52.3% | +68.1% | +217% | +196% | +1,134% | 41.6%1.3× GOOG | 0.73 | 0.55% | $2.8B |
| 5 | EPU InternationaliShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF | 5/5 short2/3 long | −1.8% | +5.9% | +7.2% | +25.1% | +42.7% | +246% | +264% | +275% | 24.9%0.8× GOOG | 1.17 | 0.59% | $551M |
| 6 | EWT TechnologyiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 4/5 short2/3 long | −7.2% | +11.9% | +28.4% | +65.7% | +69.7% | +195% | +153% | +468% | 24.2%0.8× GOOG | 0.89 | 0.59% | $12B |
| 7 | GREK InternationalGlobal X - MSCI Greece ETF | 4/5 short2/3 long | −5.6% | +8.8% | +14.9% | +21.4% | +32.7% | +175% | +234% | +380% | 24.6%0.8× GOOG | 1.11 | 0.56% | $327M |
| 8 | XSD TechnologyState Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF | 3/5 short2/3 long | −10.0% | −5.8% | +11.5% | +40.9% | +35.0% | +166% | +132% | +857% | 40.8%1.3× GOOG | 0.62 | 0.35% | $2.7B |
Stocks that consistently outperformed GOOG
Top 10 by long-term periods outperformed, then short-term, then by 10Y return. Individual stocks swing far more than funds; check the volatility column.
| # | Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Long term | Risk · 5 years | Company | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpe ratiohigher is better | Market cap | |||
| — | GOOG Alphabet Inc. (benchmark) | — | −4.1% | −4.2% | +0.4% | +6.9% | +31.2% | +148% | +138% | +752% | 32.0% | 0.71 | |
| 1 | NTRA Medical - Diagnostics & ResearchNatera, Inc. | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +9.5% | +54.6% | +95.4% | +77.4% | +115% | +896% | +261% | +3,841% | 57.6%1.8× GOOG | 0.74 | $59B |
| 2 | BWLP Marine ShippingBW LPG Limited | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | −1.7% | +22.6% | +44.0% | +117% | +136% | +230% | +958% | +2,672% | 50.9%1.6× GOOG | 1.19 | $3.8B |
| 3 | FTNT Software - InfrastructureFortinet, Inc. | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | −2.5% | +6.6% | +107% | +119% | +101% | +203% | +156% | +2,626% | 44.8%1.4× GOOG | 0.65 | $125B |
| 4 | CORT Medical - PharmaceuticalsCorcept Therapeutics Incorporated | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +2.4% | +27.2% | +151% | +205% | +48.2% | +317% | +498% | +1,593% | 75.9%2.4× GOOG | 0.81 | $13B |
| 5 | COKE Beverages - Non-AlcoholicCoca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +12.3% | +17.3% | +14.9% | +42.9% | +61.7% | +255% | +461% | +1,569% | 38.0%1.2× GOOG | 1.10 | $14B |
| 6 | MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +18.1% | +51.1% | +123% | +191% | +159% | +234% | +690% | +1,387% | 33.4%1.0× GOOG | 1.41 | $133B |
| 7 | CLMT Chemicals - SpecialtyCalumet Inc. | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | −3.6% | +29.0% | +74.8% | +187% | +198% | +235% | +427% | +1,319% | 56.5%1.8× GOOG | 0.87 | $4.9B |
| 8 | WSM Specialty RetailWilliams-Sonoma, Inc. | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +12.2% | +14.1% | +26.5% | +37.0% | +35.6% | +238% | +199% | +1,268% | 44.4%1.4× GOOG | 0.71 | $30B |
| 9 | HALO BiotechnologyHalozyme Therapeutics, Inc. | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +11.6% | +61.3% | +78.8% | +76.9% | +87.1% | +254% | +226% | +1,196% | 40.4%1.3× GOOG | 0.79 | $14B |
| 10 | FRO Marine ShippingFrontline Plc | 5/5 short3/3 longAll-weather | +1.0% | +43.2% | +49.3% | +177% | +144% | +215% | +726% | +1,194% | 49.7%1.6× GOOG | 1.10 | $11B |
What stands out
The ETF leaders were concentrated in semiconductor funds: 5 of the top ETFs were in Technology, and SMH and FTXL outperformed in all 3 long-term periods as well as 4 of 5 short-term periods. International funds also appeared among the leaders, including EPU and GREK. The results point to strength in specific industries and markets, rather than broad outperformance across the most familiar alternatives. AAPL and MSFT, for example, kept ahead in most short-term periods but only 1 of 3 long-term periods.
The stock leaders came from varied sectors, including healthcare, industrials, technology, consumer staples, energy, and materials. Several stocks shown outperformed across every measured period, but the wider pool is selective: 132 of 1501 eligible stocks qualified. The risk figures show that stronger returns often came with larger price swings. Over 5 years, none of the top stocks had lower volatility than GOOG, yet 9 of 10 had higher Sharpe ratios. Most of the leading ETFs also had higher Sharpe ratios, suggesting their added volatility was accompanied by stronger risk-adjusted returns.
Methodology
- Short-term periods: 1M, 3M, 6M, YTD, 1Y. Long-term periods: 3Y, 5Y, 10Y. An investment outperformed a period when its total return, with dividends reinvested, was higher than GOOG's. Returns within 0.5 points or 3% of GOOG's (whichever is larger) count as a tie and are shown in gray.
- Consistent means outperforming in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods, so a recent hot streak alone is not enough. All-weather means outperforming in every long-term period and all but one short-term period. Rankings use long-term periods outperformed, then short-term, then the 10Y return.
- Excludes leveraged and inverse funds, ETFs under $100M in assets, stocks under $2.0B in market cap, and anything without 10 years of history.
- Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily returns over 5 years. The Sharpe ratio is return above cash divided by volatility over the same period: higher means more return per unit of risk.
- Returns and risk figures are computed from daily adjusted prices and update with each market day. Past performance does not predict future results.