Benchmark research · Nvidia
ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed NVDA (Nvidia)
Any investment can look great over a single hand-picked timeframe. To find what truly kept ahead of NVDA (NVIDIA Corporation), we screened NVDA 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 NVDA live →Key findings
- How hard it was to top NVDA: Across over 10,000 stocks and ETFs screened, only 1 of 1,501 eligible stocks (less than 0.1%) outperformed NVDA in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes. None of the 958 eligible ETFs qualified, and no stock or ETF outperformed in every long-term timeframe and all but one short-term timeframe.
- Who came out ahead across the three groups:
- Popular alternatives: MU was the only comparison to make the list, with outperformance in 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term periods. IYW and VGT each outperformed in 4 of 5 short-term periods but 0 of 3 long-term periods, while SMH did so in 3 of 5 short-term periods and 0 of 3 long-term periods. No same-index clones were excluded.
- Top ETFs: No ETFs qualified. The alternatives with the strongest recent results included technology and semiconductor funds, but none kept ahead of NVDA across enough long-term periods.
- Top stocks: MU was the only stock to qualify. It is a semiconductor company in the Technology sector.
- The risk trade-off: MU had higher volatility than NVDA over 5 years, with median volatility of 57.1% versus 51.9%. Its Sharpe ratio, a measure of return per unit of risk, was higher at 1.20 versus 1.14, so the 1 qualifying stock delivered more return per unit of risk despite its bumpier ride. No ETFs qualified for this comparison.
How popular alternatives compare
Well-known funds and stocks investors often compare against NVDA, 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 | ||
| NVDA NVIDIA Corporation (benchmark) | — | −4.8% | +6.6% | +7.4% | +14.9% | +18.8% | +425% | +884% | +13,019% | 51.9% | 1.14 |
| MU Made the listMicron Technology, Inc. | 3/5 short2/3 long | −14.2% | +3.6% | +99.9% | +184% | +334% | +1,246% | +1,244% | +5,243% | 57.1%1.1× NVDA | 1.20 |
| IYW Fell shortiShares U.S. Technology ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −4.2% | +5.6% | +20.4% | +26.8% | +27.0% | +143% | +138% | +805% | 26.6%0.5× NVDA | 0.79 |
| VGT Fell shortVanguard Information Technology ETF | 4/5 short0/3 long | −4.2% | +6.3% | +19.1% | +27.6% | +26.7% | +138% | +133% | +779% | 26.0%0.5× NVDA | 0.78 |
| TXN Fell shortTexas Instruments Incorporated | 4/5 short0/3 long | +2.6% | −1.7% | +20.1% | +59.1% | +58.7% | +105% | +60.5% | +424% | 33.7%0.6× NVDA | 0.45 |
| AMD Fell shortAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc. | 3/5 short0/3 long | −13.1% | +6.2% | +94.5% | +139% | +122% | +425% | +359% | +7,583% | 57.6%1.1× NVDA | 0.82 |
| SMH Fell shortVanEck Semiconductor ETF | 3/5 short0/3 long | −8.3% | −2.2% | +17.8% | +46.4% | +57.8% | +290% | +323% | +1,665% | 36.9%0.7× NVDA | 0.97 |
| SOXX Fell shortiShares Semiconductor ETF | 3/5 short0/3 long | −10.6% | −4.5% | +19.9% | +59.7% | +71.2% | +234% | +237% | +1,392% | 38.9%0.7× NVDA | 0.82 |
| XLK Fell shortState Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | 3/5 short0/3 long | −4.8% | +5.7% | +20.3% | +29.0% | +29.3% | +131% | +143% | +767% | 26.0%0.5× NVDA | 0.82 |
| QQQ Fell shortInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | 3/5 short0/3 long | −3.2% | +3.2% | +11.2% | +17.4% | +17.9% | +106% | +97.2% | +553% | 23.0%0.4× NVDA | 0.71 |
| INTC Fell shortIntel Corp. | 3/5 short0/3 long | −24.7% | −5.5% | +39.6% | +133% | +141% | +167% | +79.8% | +219% | 55.6%1.1× NVDA | 0.49 |
| FTXR Fell shortFirst Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF | 1/5 short0/3 long | −2.7% | −7.6% | −0.6% | +5.7% | +17.2% | +63.3% | +35.5% | +128% | 23.9%0.5× NVDA | 0.38 |
| AVGO Fell shortBroadcom Inc. | 0/5 short0/3 long | −7.8% | −11.4% | −16.0% | −3.3% | −3.5% | +305% | +617% | +2,380% | 44.5%0.9× NVDA | 1.11 |
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
Top 1 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 | |||
| — | NVDA NVIDIA Corporation (benchmark) | — | −4.8% | +6.6% | +7.4% | +14.9% | +18.8% | +425% | +884% | +13,019% | 51.9% | 1.14 | |
| 1 | MU SemiconductorsMicron Technology, Inc. | 3/5 short2/3 long | −14.2% | +3.6% | +99.9% | +184% | +334% | +1,246% | +1,244% | +5,243% | 57.1%1.1× NVDA | 1.20 | $1.0T |
What stands out
The results show how difficult it was for other investments to keep ahead of NVDA across both recent and longer periods. MU, another semiconductor company, was the only stock to meet the consistency rule, while no ETFs qualified. Some familiar technology and semiconductor funds, including IYW, VGT, and SMH, outperformed in several short-term periods but did not do so in any of the long-term periods.
The qualifying group was highly concentrated: it consisted of MU alone. Its higher 5-year volatility points to larger price swings than NVDA, although its higher Sharpe ratio indicates that its returns were stronger relative to risk over that period. Those measures describe the past and do not remove the uncertainty that comes with investing in a concentrated industry.
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 NVDA's. Returns within 0.5 points or 3% of NVDA'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.