# ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed NVDA (Nvidia)

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-nvda
> Data as of October 20, 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: 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

| Investment | Status | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NVDA: NVIDIA Corporation (benchmark) |  |  | −4.8% | +6.6% | +7.4% | +14.9% | +18.8% | +425% | +884% | +13,019% | 51.9% | 1.14 |
| [MU](https://easycompare.io/research/mu): Micron Technology, Inc. | Made the list | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −14.2% | +3.6% | +99.9% | +184% | +334% | +1,246% | +1,244% | +5,243% | 57.1% | 1.20 |
| IYW: iShares U.S. Technology ETF | Fell short | 4/5 short, 0/3 long | −4.2% | +5.6% | +20.4% | +26.8% | +27.0% | +143% | +138% | +805% | 26.6% | 0.79 |
| [VGT](https://easycompare.io/research/vgt): Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Fell short | 4/5 short, 0/3 long | −4.2% | +6.3% | +19.1% | +27.6% | +26.7% | +138% | +133% | +779% | 26.0% | 0.78 |
| [TXN](https://easycompare.io/research/txn): Texas Instruments Incorporated | Fell short | 4/5 short, 0/3 long | +2.6% | −1.7% | +20.1% | +59.1% | +58.7% | +105% | +60.5% | +424% | 33.7% | 0.45 |
| [AMD](https://easycompare.io/research/amd): Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −13.1% | +6.2% | +94.5% | +139% | +122% | +425% | +359% | +7,583% | 57.6% | 0.82 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −8.3% | −2.2% | +17.8% | +46.4% | +57.8% | +290% | +323% | +1,665% | 36.9% | 0.97 |
| [SOXX](https://easycompare.io/research/soxx): iShares Semiconductor ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −10.6% | −4.5% | +19.9% | +59.7% | +71.2% | +234% | +237% | +1,392% | 38.9% | 0.82 |
| [XLK](https://easycompare.io/research/xlk): State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −4.8% | +5.7% | +20.3% | +29.0% | +29.3% | +131% | +143% | +767% | 26.0% | 0.82 |
| [QQQ](https://easycompare.io/research/qqq): Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −3.2% | +3.2% | +11.2% | +17.4% | +17.9% | +106% | +97.2% | +553% | 23.0% | 0.71 |
| [INTC](https://easycompare.io/research/intc): Intel Corp. | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −24.7% | −5.5% | +39.6% | +133% | +141% | +167% | +79.8% | +219% | 55.6% | 0.49 |
| FTXR: First Trust Nasdaq Transportation ETF | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | −2.7% | −7.6% | −0.6% | +5.7% | +17.2% | +63.3% | +35.5% | +128% | 23.9% | 0.38 |
| [AVGO](https://easycompare.io/research/avgo): Broadcom Inc. | Fell short | 0/5 short, 0/3 long | −7.8% | −11.4% | −16.0% | −3.3% | −3.5% | +305% | +617% | +2,380% | 44.5% | 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

| Investment | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe | Market cap |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| NVDA: NVIDIA Corporation (benchmark) |  | −4.8% | +6.6% | +7.4% | +14.9% | +18.8% | +425% | +884% | +13,019% | 51.9% | 1.14 |  |
| [MU](https://easycompare.io/research/mu): Micron Technology, Inc. | 3/5 short, 2/3 long | −14.2% | +3.6% | +99.9% | +184% | +334% | +1,246% | +1,244% | +5,243% | 57.1% | 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.

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## Explore further

- Full page: https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-nvda
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