# ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed XLK (Technology Sector)

> Source: EasyCompare research, https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-xlk
> Data as of October 20, 2026. Total returns include reinvested dividends. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.

XLK (State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF) 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 XLK 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 XLK: Across over 10,000 stocks and ETFs screened, just 1 of 957 eligible ETFs, or 0.1%, and 94 of 1,502 eligible stocks, or 6.3%, outperformed in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term periods. None of the ETFs were all-weather, while 23 stocks were all-weather under the stricter rule.
- Who came out ahead across the three groups:
  - Popular alternatives: SMH, which holds semiconductor companies, kept ahead of XLK in 3 of 3 long-term periods but only 2 of 5 short-term periods, so it fell short of the consistency rule. MSFT reached 3 of 5 short-term periods but only 1 of 3 long-term periods. AAPL, VGT, and FTEC also fell short, each outperforming in 2 of 5 short-term and 1 of 3 long-term periods.
  - Top ETFs: The only ETF to make the cut was EWT, in the Technology category. It outperformed in 4 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term periods, with lower volatility and a higher Sharpe ratio than XLK.
  - Top stocks: 94 stocks made the cut. The top stocks shown include NTRA and CORT in Healthcare, BWLP in Industrials, and FTNT in Technology. Each outperformed in 5 of 5 short-term and 3 of 3 long-term periods.
- The risk trade-off: Over 5 years, the top ETF group had lower median volatility than XLK and a higher median Sharpe ratio, meaning its returns were stronger relative to risk. The top stocks shown had median volatility of 50.3% compared with XLK's 26.0%, while 4 of 10 had a higher Sharpe ratio than the benchmark. The stock winners generally took a bumpier ride, and only some delivered more return per unit of risk.

## How popular alternatives compare

| Investment | Status | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| XLK: State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (benchmark) |  |  | −4.8% | +5.7% | +20.3% | +29.0% | +29.3% | +131% | +143% | +767% | 26.0% | 0.82 |
| [SMH](https://easycompare.io/research/smh): VanEck Semiconductor ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 3/3 long | −8.3% | −2.2% | +17.8% | +46.4% | +57.8% | +290% | +323% | +1,665% | 36.9% | 0.97 |
| [MSFT](https://easycompare.io/research/msft): Microsoft Corporation | Fell short | 3/5 short, 1/3 long | +6.0% | +32.5% | +27.7% | +13.2% | +3.8% | +66.6% | +80.3% | +946% | 28.2% | 0.56 |
| [AAPL](https://easycompare.io/research/aapl): Apple Inc. | Fell short | 2/5 short, 1/3 long | +0.2% | +4.0% | +24.6% | +25.6% | +29.9% | +99.0% | +133% | +1,168% | 28.0% | 0.75 |
| [VGT](https://easycompare.io/research/vgt): Vanguard Information Technology ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 1/3 long | −4.2% | +6.3% | +19.1% | +27.6% | +26.7% | +138% | +133% | +779% | 26.0% | 0.78 |
| FTEC: Fidelity MSCI Information Technology Index ETF | Fell short | 2/5 short, 1/3 long | −4.2% | +6.3% | +19.1% | +27.6% | +27.0% | +139% | +135% | +763% | 26.1% | 0.79 |
| SKYY: First Trust Cloud Computing ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −2.9% | +19.5% | +37.0% | +27.8% | +21.5% | +122% | +43.4% | +396% | 31.4% | 0.39 |
| IGV: iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF | Fell short | 3/5 short, 0/3 long | −0.2% | +15.0% | +23.9% | +4.2% | −6.1% | +57.9% | +24.0% | +383% | 28.9% | 0.29 |
| [QQQ](https://easycompare.io/research/qqq): Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | −3.2% | +3.2% | +11.2% | +17.4% | +17.9% | +106% | +97.2% | +553% | 23.0% | 0.71 |
| [AMZN](https://easycompare.io/research/amzn): Amazon.com, Inc. | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | +1.6% | +5.1% | +5.8% | +16.0% | +21.3% | +110% | +53.8% | +548% | 36.6% | 0.42 |
| [SPY](https://easycompare.io/research/spy): State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | −0.6% | +3.9% | +9.1% | +13.5% | +15.8% | +89.3% | +81.7% | +321% | 17.1% | 0.79 |
| [VTI](https://easycompare.io/research/vti): Vanguard Morningstar Total Stock Market ETF | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | −0.8% | +3.2% | +8.3% | +13.1% | +15.2% | +87.9% | +72.6% | +302% | 17.5% | 0.71 |
| QQEW: First Trust Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight ETF | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | −3.3% | +2.2% | +14.6% | +11.3% | +9.9% | +57.7% | +39.1% | +267% | 21.3% | 0.42 |
| [IWM](https://easycompare.io/research/iwm): iShares Russell 2000 ETF | Fell short | 1/5 short, 0/3 long | −3.4% | −5.4% | −0.1% | +11.6% | +12.3% | +71.3% | +29.0% | +158% | 22.4% | 0.34 |

## ETFs that consistently outperformed XLK

| Investment | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe | Expense | Assets |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| XLK: State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (benchmark) |  | −4.8% | +5.7% | +20.3% | +29.0% | +29.3% | +131% | +143% | +767% | 26.0% | 0.82 |  |  |
| EWT: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 4/5 short, 2/3 long | −7.2% | +11.9% | +28.4% | +65.7% | +69.7% | +195% | +153% | +468% | 24.2% | 0.89 | 0.59% | $12B |

## Stocks that consistently outperformed XLK

| Investment | Periods outperformed | 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | Volatility | Sharpe | Market cap |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| XLK: State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (benchmark) |  | −4.8% | +5.7% | +20.3% | +29.0% | +29.3% | +131% | +143% | +767% | 26.0% | 0.82 |  |
| [NTRA](https://easycompare.io/research/ntra): Natera, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +9.5% | +54.6% | +95.4% | +77.4% | +115% | +896% | +261% | +3,841% | 57.6% | 0.74 | $59B |
| BWLP: BW LPG Limited | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | −1.7% | +22.6% | +44.0% | +117% | +136% | +230% | +958% | +2,672% | 50.9% | 1.19 | $3.8B |
| [FTNT](https://easycompare.io/research/ftnt): Fortinet, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | −2.5% | +6.6% | +107% | +119% | +101% | +203% | +156% | +2,626% | 44.8% | 0.65 | $125B |
| CORT: Corcept Therapeutics Incorporated | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +2.4% | +27.2% | +151% | +205% | +48.2% | +317% | +498% | +1,593% | 75.9% | 0.81 | $13B |
| [MPC](https://easycompare.io/research/mpc): Marathon Petroleum Corporation | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +18.1% | +51.1% | +123% | +191% | +159% | +234% | +690% | +1,387% | 33.4% | 1.41 | $133B |
| CLMT: Calumet Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | −3.6% | +29.0% | +74.8% | +187% | +198% | +235% | +427% | +1,319% | 56.5% | 0.87 | $4.9B |
| WSM: Williams-Sonoma, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +12.2% | +14.1% | +26.5% | +37.0% | +35.6% | +238% | +199% | +1,268% | 44.4% | 0.71 | $30B |
| HALO: Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +11.6% | +61.3% | +78.8% | +76.9% | +87.1% | +254% | +226% | +1,196% | 40.4% | 0.79 | $14B |
| FRO: Frontline Plc | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +1.0% | +43.2% | +49.3% | +177% | +144% | +215% | +726% | +1,194% | 49.7% | 1.10 | $11B |
| ANF: Abercrombie & Fitch Co. | 5/5 short, 3/3 long, all-weather | +18.3% | +71.3% | +66.3% | +30.7% | +143% | +166% | +328% | +1,117% | 62.9% | 0.77 | $6.9B |

## What stands out

The screen found a narrow set of consistent winners: just 1 ETF and 94 stocks met the rule. The ETF result points to Taiwan-focused technology exposure, while the stocks shown span Healthcare, Industrials, Technology, Energy, Materials, and Consumer Discretionary. Several of those stocks kept ahead in every measured short-term and long-term period, but the broader group of 94 qualified stocks need not share the same pattern.

The risk figures show a clear difference between the ETF and stock groups. The ETF's median volatility was below XLK's over 5 years, and its median Sharpe ratio was higher. By contrast, the top stocks shown had roughly double or more the benchmark's median volatility, and fewer than half had a higher Sharpe ratio. Their returns came with larger price swings, and the Sharpe results suggest that extra risk did not pay off equally across the group.

## More research

- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed SMH (Semiconductors)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-smh)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed XLF (Financial Sector)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-xlf)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed SPY (S&P 500)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-spy)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed VOO (S&P 500)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-voo)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed VTI (Total US Stock Market)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-vti)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed QQQ (Nasdaq-100)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-qqq)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed DIA (Dow Jones Industrial Average)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-dia)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed IWM (Russell 2000 Small Caps)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-iwm)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed VXUS (International Stocks)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-vxus)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed NVDA (Nvidia)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-nvda)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed AAPL (Apple)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-aapl)
- [ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed MSFT (Microsoft)](https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-msft)

## Explore further

- Full page: https://easycompare.io/research/etfs-and-stocks-that-outperform-xlk
- All research pages: https://easycompare.io/llms.txt