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Relative Intelligence · Internet Services

How Meta Platforms (META) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives

Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on META alone. It places META (Meta Platforms, Inc.) against 20+ popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where META stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.

Period covered: META's full trading record, from May 2012 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.

Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.

Rank the market against META →Chart META vs. 20 alternatives →
On this page12 sections

Key findings

How much would $10,000 in META have grown?

This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in META over the past 14 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of META over the same span and META's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. A second view covers the past 5 years, the period the better options further down the page are judged on. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.

Note: META began trading on May 18, 2012, so the chart cannot reach back to the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs. It covers the most recent 14 years of META's record, starting at the end of September 2012.

Choose a period

From the end of September 2012 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 37 of the 2,213 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of META; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$10,000$100,000$1M20122014201620182020202220242026$10,000$100,000$1M2012201620202024
  • NVDA$8M+75,080% total · +60.5% a year
  • NFLX$894,675+8,847% total · +37.8% a year
  • SMH$453,446+4,434% total · +31.3% a year
  • PANW$387,235+3,772% total · +29.8% a year
  • FTNT$370,856+3,609% total · +29.4% a year
  • META$338,073+3,281% total · +28.6% a year
  • MSFT$217,246+2,072% total · +24.6% a year
  • GOOG$183,095+1,731% total · +23.1% a year
  • AAPL$166,180+1,562% total · +22.2% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$67,346+573% total · +14.6% a year
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From the end of September 2021 to the end of September 2026. The scale is logarithmic, so equal steps up the chart are equal percentage gains. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 679 of the 3,628 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of META; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.

$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000202120222023202420252026$5,000$10,000$20,000$50,000$100,000202120222023202420252026
  • NVDA$110,811+1,008% total · +61.8% a year
  • ANET$94,783+848% total · +56.8% a year
  • GOOG$25,811+158% total · +20.9% a year
  • AAPL$24,129+141% total · +19.3% a year
  • FFIV$22,395+124% total · +17.5% a year
  • SPOT$21,629+116% total · +16.7% a year
  • META$21,571+116% total · +16.6% a year
  • SPY (S&P 500)$19,000+90.0% total · +13.7% a year
  • MSFT$18,958+89.6% total · +13.6% a year
  • AMZN$15,169+51.7% total · +8.7% a year
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META at a glance

This section summarizes the key facts about the stock, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.

Note: META began trading on May 18, 2012, so every figure here, including its worst decline, covers only the time since then. None of them reflect the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

The company

Market value
$1.8T
Industry
Internet Content & Information
Price history from
May 2012

Returns

Past 1 year
−4.9%total return
Past 3 years
+127%+31.4% a year
Past 5 years
+106%+15.5% a year
Past 10 years
+439%+18.4% a year
Best calendar year
+194%2023
Worst calendar year
−64.2%2022
Losing years
2 of 13full calendar years

Risk

Volatility
45.4%typical yearly swing, 5 years
Sharpe ratio
0.55return per unit of risk, 5 years
Worst decline ever
−76.7%Sep 2021 to Nov 2022
From its all-time high
−11.8%below the peak

META against the whole market

Where META ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.

How does META rank among all stocks?

This section ranks META on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every stock worth at least $300 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how META stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.

Ranked against U.S.-listed stocks worth at least $300M that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller stocks are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.

MeasureMETARankStanding
1-year return−4.9%2,178 of 3,287bottom 35%
3-year return+127%725 of 3,017top 24%
5-year return+106%651 of 2,893top 23%
10-year return+439%365 of 2,202top 17%
Volatility, 5 years45.4%1,714 of 2,893bottom 42%
Sharpe ratio, 5 years0.55820 of 2,893top 28%
Worst decline, past 10 years−76.7%1,517 of 2,187bottom 32%

What has beaten META on both return and risk?

Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). META sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than META with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to META; faint dots are 89 more of the 379 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.

15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%45.0%50.0%55.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than METAXLK: +19.4% a year, volatility 26.0%TSM: +31.5% a year, volatility 38.5%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%ABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%MUFG: +33.2% a year, volatility 29.4%PM: +21.0% a year, volatility 23.4%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%INSW: +56.5% a year, volatility 40.5%WELL: +26.0% a year, volatility 23.8%BBVA: +38.7% a year, volatility 33.3%MFG: +33.6% a year, volatility 30.6%SCCO: +32.0% a year, volatility 40.7%PSX: +33.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SMFG: +33.7% a year, volatility 29.4%ADI: +19.5% a year, volatility 34.1%ASX: +48.8% a year, volatility 43.0%BTI: +18.7% a year, volatility 22.0%VRTX: +22.6% a year, volatility 29.1%BNY: +22.7% a year, volatility 24.4%CM: +19.2% a year, volatility 21.6%ITUB: +26.3% a year, volatility 33.8%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%MAR: +22.0% a year, volatility 28.6%AEM: +29.5% a year, volatility 38.4%MFC: +22.6% a year, volatility 24.0%GWW: +26.3% a year, volatility 24.9%HLT: +21.0% a year, volatility 26.8%HPE: +32.9% a year, volatility 42.2%JCI: +17.4% a year, volatility 29.1%WAB: +25.6% a year, volatility 26.2%WPM: +27.5% a year, volatility 36.9%LNG: +23.4% a year, volatility 30.2%URI: +24.3% a year, volatility 39.1%B: +18.9% a year, volatility 37.3%NUE: +21.7% a year, volatility 37.4%BAP: +30.8% a year, volatility 30.3%KB: +25.3% a year, volatility 34.4%STLD: +32.2% a year, volatility 38.0%NWG: +27.7% a year, volatility 34.1%CBOE: +21.5% a year, volatility 25.1%HEI: +17.3% a year, volatility 27.8%NTAP: +20.9% a year, volatility 35.3%SBS: +39.1% a year, volatility 37.1%CIB: +32.9% a year, volatility 32.9%IHG: +21.4% a year, volatility 26.6%RS: +24.8% a year, volatility 28.1%GDX: +22.9% a year, volatility 38.2%COKE: +41.2% a year, volatility 38.0%NMR: +17.1% a year, volatility 29.9%WF: +26.3% a year, volatility 31.6%MOG-A: +36.6% a year, volatility 32.0%CLH: +23.1% a year, volatility 28.6%SNX: +20.3% a year, volatility 30.4%AIT: +28.5% a year, volatility 30.3%EXEL: +24.4% a year, volatility 35.8%HALO: +26.6% a year, volatility 40.4%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%EWT: +20.4% a year, volatility 24.2%MUSA: +26.1% a year, volatility 31.2%PAG: +18.3% a year, volatility 31.9%CACI: +16.6% a year, volatility 29.9%LAUR: +37.5% a year, volatility 32.8%BPOP: +17.7% a year, volatility 29.7%VCTR: +28.1% a year, volatility 35.0%TFPM: +29.3% a year, volatility 37.7%MATX: +24.9% a year, volatility 39.4%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%FLTW: +21.8% a year, volatility 24.3%QTUM: +22.8% a year, volatility 28.1%RSPT: +16.9% a year, volatility 25.1%GFF: +36.4% a year, volatility 41.7%IFS: +20.8% a year, volatility 31.1%DHT: +38.7% a year, volatility 39.0%PSMT: +18.6% a year, volatility 28.2%CNO: +18.8% a year, volatility 28.1%VIRT: +20.8% a year, volatility 33.8%GARP: +17.5% a year, volatility 22.5%FBP: +19.1% a year, volatility 31.5%OPLN: +19.9% a year, volatility 39.6%FRDM: +17.3% a year, volatility 22.8%SOXQ: +28.3% a year, volatility 38.9%NIC: +19.0% a year, volatility 30.1%DCO: +27.5% a year, volatility 34.5%DGII: +28.0% a year, volatility 42.4%BHE: +24.9% a year, volatility 37.3%RING: +24.7% a year, volatility 38.2%OFG: +19.5% a year, volatility 28.7%AKO-A: +28.4% a year, volatility 42.8%META: +15.5% a year, volatility 45.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%AAPL: +18.5% a year, volatility 28.0%GOOG: +19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%ANET: +49.0% a year, volatility 49.0%NVDA: +58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%FFIV: +17.1% a year, volatility 30.8%MSGS: +18.4% a year, volatility 25.6%IGM: +18.1% a year, volatility 26.5%PANW: +31.9% a year, volatility 43.4%FTNT: +20.7% a year, volatility 44.8%TKO: +26.3% a year, volatility 32.7%PGR: +21.3% a year, volatility 25.6%RY: +17.3% a year, volatility 18.2%PBR-A: +51.8% a year, volatility 37.5%BFC: +19.0% a year, volatility 27.3%SMH: +33.4% a year, volatility 36.9%SPMO: +18.7% a year, volatility 20.8%STX: +57.4% a year, volatility 48.7%CTAS: +16.5% a year, volatility 23.1%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%ATI: +61.8% a year, volatility 42.9%METASPY (S&P 500)AAPLGOOGANETNVDAMSGSPANWFTNTTKOPGRRYPBR-ASMHSPMOSTXCTASCAHATI10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsMore return, less volatility than METAXLK: +19.4% a year, volatility 26.0%TSM: +31.5% a year, volatility 38.5%LLY: +40.7% a year, volatility 32.8%JPM: +17.3% a year, volatility 24.3%ABBV: +26.1% a year, volatility 23.4%MUFG: +33.2% a year, volatility 29.4%PM: +21.0% a year, volatility 23.4%MCK: +38.7% a year, volatility 25.0%INSW: +56.5% a year, volatility 40.5%WELL: +26.0% a year, volatility 23.8%BBVA: +38.7% a year, volatility 33.3%MFG: +33.6% a year, volatility 30.6%SCCO: +32.0% a year, volatility 40.7%PSX: +33.2% a year, volatility 32.9%SMFG: +33.7% a year, volatility 29.4%ADI: +19.5% a year, volatility 34.1%ASX: +48.8% a year, volatility 43.0%BTI: +18.7% a year, volatility 22.0%VRTX: +22.6% a year, volatility 29.1%BNY: +22.7% a year, volatility 24.4%CM: +19.2% a year, volatility 21.6%ITUB: +26.3% a year, volatility 33.8%TRV: +22.4% a year, volatility 22.3%MAR: +22.0% a year, volatility 28.6%AEM: +29.5% a year, volatility 38.4%MFC: +22.6% a year, volatility 24.0%GWW: +26.3% a year, volatility 24.9%HLT: +21.0% a year, volatility 26.8%HPE: +32.9% a year, volatility 42.2%JCI: +17.4% a year, volatility 29.1%WAB: +25.6% a year, volatility 26.2%WPM: +27.5% a year, volatility 36.9%LNG: +23.4% a year, volatility 30.2%URI: +24.3% a year, volatility 39.1%B: +18.9% a year, volatility 37.3%NUE: +21.7% a year, volatility 37.4%BAP: +30.8% a year, volatility 30.3%KB: +25.3% a year, volatility 34.4%STLD: +32.2% a year, volatility 38.0%NWG: +27.7% a year, volatility 34.1%CBOE: +21.5% a year, volatility 25.1%HEI: +17.3% a year, volatility 27.8%NTAP: +20.9% a year, volatility 35.3%SBS: +39.1% a year, volatility 37.1%CIB: +32.9% a year, volatility 32.9%IHG: +21.4% a year, volatility 26.6%RS: +24.8% a year, volatility 28.1%GDX: +22.9% a year, volatility 38.2%COKE: +41.2% a year, volatility 38.0%NMR: +17.1% a year, volatility 29.9%WF: +26.3% a year, volatility 31.6%MOG-A: +36.6% a year, volatility 32.0%CLH: +23.1% a year, volatility 28.6%SNX: +20.3% a year, volatility 30.4%AIT: +28.5% a year, volatility 30.3%EXEL: +24.4% a year, volatility 35.8%HALO: +26.6% a year, volatility 40.4%MPC: +51.2% a year, volatility 33.4%EWT: +20.4% a year, volatility 24.2%MUSA: +26.1% a year, volatility 31.2%PAG: +18.3% a year, volatility 31.9%CACI: +16.6% a year, volatility 29.9%LAUR: +37.5% a year, volatility 32.8%BPOP: +17.7% a year, volatility 29.7%VCTR: +28.1% a year, volatility 35.0%TFPM: +29.3% a year, volatility 37.7%MATX: +24.9% a year, volatility 39.4%NHC: +32.0% a year, volatility 28.5%FLTW: +21.8% a year, volatility 24.3%QTUM: +22.8% a year, volatility 28.1%RSPT: +16.9% a year, volatility 25.1%GFF: +36.4% a year, volatility 41.7%IFS: +20.8% a year, volatility 31.1%DHT: +38.7% a year, volatility 39.0%PSMT: +18.6% a year, volatility 28.2%CNO: +18.8% a year, volatility 28.1%VIRT: +20.8% a year, volatility 33.8%GARP: +17.5% a year, volatility 22.5%FBP: +19.1% a year, volatility 31.5%OPLN: +19.9% a year, volatility 39.6%FRDM: +17.3% a year, volatility 22.8%SOXQ: +28.3% a year, volatility 38.9%NIC: +19.0% a year, volatility 30.1%DCO: +27.5% a year, volatility 34.5%DGII: +28.0% a year, volatility 42.4%BHE: +24.9% a year, volatility 37.3%RING: +24.7% a year, volatility 38.2%OFG: +19.5% a year, volatility 28.7%AKO-A: +28.4% a year, volatility 42.8%META: +15.5% a year, volatility 45.4%SPY (S&P 500): +12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%AAPL: +18.5% a year, volatility 28.0%GOOG: +19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%ANET: +49.0% a year, volatility 49.0%NVDA: +58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%FFIV: +17.1% a year, volatility 30.8%MSGS: +18.4% a year, volatility 25.6%IGM: +18.1% a year, volatility 26.5%PANW: +31.9% a year, volatility 43.4%FTNT: +20.7% a year, volatility 44.8%TKO: +26.3% a year, volatility 32.7%PGR: +21.3% a year, volatility 25.6%RY: +17.3% a year, volatility 18.2%PBR-A: +51.8% a year, volatility 37.5%BFC: +19.0% a year, volatility 27.3%SMH: +33.4% a year, volatility 36.9%SPMO: +18.7% a year, volatility 20.8%STX: +57.4% a year, volatility 48.7%CTAS: +16.5% a year, volatility 23.1%CAH: +42.1% a year, volatility 24.7%ATI: +61.8% a year, volatility 42.9%METASPY (S&P 500)AAPLANETNVDAMSGSPANWFTNTTKOPGRRYPBR-ASMHSTXCAHATI
  • Popular alternatives
  • Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
  • The whole market
  • Others in the green region

Is there a better investment than META?

Investments that beat META over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.

How this works

The table below lists investments that beat META over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes. It checks META's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than META follows the table.

Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than META's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× META's volatility counts as better.

These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than META's.

Screen the whole market against META for any period in BetterThanSPYOpen these 19 in EasyCompare
InvestmentWhy it is betterPast 5 yearsDownsideLong runFit
Annual return?higher is betterVolatility?lower is calmerSharpe?return per unit of riskWorst decline?past 10 years10Y returntotalCorr. with META?lower diversifies moreExpenseper year
METAMeta Platforms, Inc. · this page
+15.5%45.4%0.55−76.7%+439%1.00—
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF · S&P 500
+12.7%17.1%0.79−33.7%+321%0.430.09%
Popular alternativesbest 4 shownThe investments people most often weigh against META. 4 of 19 passed at least one test.
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.5%28.0%0.75−38.5%+1,168%0.21—
GOOGAlphabet Inc. · Internet Services
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineSmaller losses in recent crashes+19.0%32.0%0.71−44.6%+752%0.31—
ANETArista Networks, Inc. · Communications Equipment
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+49.0%49.0%1.06−52.2%+3,439%0.32—
NVDANVIDIA Corporation · Semiconductors
Higher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+58.0%51.9%1.14−66.3%+13,019%0.50—
Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 6 shownEverything else in Internet Services and the categories next to it (Entertainment, E-Commerce, Software, Application Software), plus META's specific themes. 11 of 107 passed at least one test.
FFIVF5, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.1%30.8%0.67−54.6%+287%0.40—
MSGSMadison Square Garden Sports Corp. · Entertainment
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.4%25.6%0.79−41.6%+432%0.09—
IGMiShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF · Technology Equity · Digital Advertising theme
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.1%26.5%0.76−40.7%+720%0.530.37%
PANWPalo Alto Networks, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+31.9%43.4%0.86−48.0%+1,274%0.10—
FTNTFortinet, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+20.7%44.8%0.65−38.3%+2,626%0.09—
TKOTKO Group Holdings, Inc. · Entertainment
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline+26.3%32.7%0.88−69.1%+941%0.02—
The whole marketbest 8 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 652 of 3,507 passed at least one test.
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+21.3%25.6%0.89−30.3%+816%0.02—
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+17.3%18.2%0.97−40.0%+352%0.19—
PBR-APetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras · Integrated Oil & Gas
On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+51.8%37.5%1.31−71.7%+768%0.14—
BFCBank First Corporation · Banks - Regional
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periodsSmaller losses in recent crashes+19.0%27.3%0.78−39.8%+496%0.00—
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETF · Semiconductors
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+33.4%36.9%0.97−45.3%+1,665%0.500.35%
SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF · US Momentum Equity
Higher return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+18.7%20.8%0.93−30.9%+499%0.310.13%
STXSeagate Technology Holdings plc · Computer Hardware
Higher return, similar volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+57.4%48.7%1.18−57.0%+2,698%0.35—
CTASCintas Corporation · Business Services
Similar return, lower volatilityHigher Sharpe, smaller worst declineHigher return in most periods+16.5%23.1%0.78−48.4%+808%0.22—
What these numbers mean for META
Annual return
META returned 15.5% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $20,600. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
Volatility
META's volatility over the past 5 years was 45.4%, 2.6 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, META's return lands within 45.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
Sharpe ratio
META's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.55, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so META earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
Worst decline
META's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 76.7%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 76.7% fall takes a 330% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
Correlation
Over the past 5 years, META's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.43 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against META instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a META holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 379 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than META with less volatility

Out of 3,633 tested over 5 years. The strongest 100 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.

#InvestmentFound inAnnual returnVolatilitySharpeWorst decline10Y returnCorr. with METAExpense
1
PGRThe Progressive Corporation · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+21.3%25.6%0.89−30.3%+816%0.02—
2
XLKState Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+19.4%26.0%0.82−33.6%+767%0.450.08%
3
RYRoyal Bank of Canada · Banks
Whole market+17.3%18.2%0.97−40.0%+352%0.19—
4
PBR-APetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras · Integrated Oil & Gas
Whole market+51.8%37.5%1.31−71.7%+768%0.14—
5
CAHCardinal Health, Inc. · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+42.1%24.7%1.55−46.1%+349%-0.04—
6
TSMTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited · Semiconductors
Whole market+31.5%38.5%0.91−56.6%+1,505%0.59—
7
LLYEli Lilly and Company · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+40.7%32.8%1.21−34.5%+1,807%-0.01—
8
JPMJPMorgan Chase & Co. · Banks
Whole market+17.3%24.3%0.78−43.6%+537%0.20—
9
ABBVAbbVie Inc. · Pharmaceuticals
Whole market+26.1%23.4%1.11−45.1%+603%-0.03—
10
MUFGMitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Whole market+33.2%29.4%1.13−54.9%+483%0.25—
11
PMPhilip Morris International Inc. · Tobacco
Whole market+21.0%23.4%0.94−42.9%+242%0.07—
12
MCKMcKesson Corporation · Health Care Distribution
Whole market+38.7%25.0%1.44−38.1%+586%-0.21—
13
INSWInternational Seaways, Inc. · Oil & Gas
Whole market+56.5%40.5%1.31−57.4%—-0.13—
14
WELLWelltower Inc. · Healthcare REITs
Whole market+26.0%23.8%1.09−63.3%+379%0.34—
15
BBVABanco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A. · Banks
Whole market+38.7%33.3%1.16−69.6%+542%0.20—
16
BFCBank First Corporation · Banks - Regional
Whole market+19.0%27.3%0.78−39.8%+496%0.00—
17
MFGMizuho Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Whole market+33.6%30.6%1.10−45.7%+345%0.32—
18
SCCOSouthern Copper Corporation · Metals & Mining
Whole market+32.0%40.7%0.89−55.3%+1,017%0.22—
19
PSXPhillips 66 · Oil & Gas
Whole market+33.2%32.9%1.04−64.2%+430%-0.04—
20
SMFGSumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. · Banks
Whole market+33.7%29.4%1.14−47.6%+474%0.26—
21
ADIAnalog Devices, Inc. · Semiconductors
Whole market+19.5%34.1%0.69−33.6%+652%0.38—
22
ASXASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. · Semiconductors
Whole market+48.8%43.0%1.15−52.5%+967%0.29—
23
BTIBritish American Tobacco p.l.c. · Tobacco
Whole market+18.7%22.0%0.90−56.1%+98.2%-0.05—
24
VRTXVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated · Biotechnology
Whole market+22.6%29.1%0.85−41.6%+521%0.01—
25
BNYBank of New York Mellon Corp · Banks
Whole market+22.7%24.4%0.97−50.5%+341%0.22—
26
CMCanadian Imperial Bank of Commerce · Banks
Whole market+19.2%21.6%0.93−47.3%+395%0.20—
27
ITUBItaú Unibanco Holding S.A. · Banks
Whole market+26.3%33.8%0.86−62.1%+190%0.10—
28
TRVThe Travelers Companies, Inc. · Property & Casualty Insurance
Whole market+22.4%22.3%1.02−46.3%+347%-0.12—
29
MARMarriott International, Inc. · Hotels & Resorts
Whole market+22.0%28.6%0.84−61.3%+544%0.27—
30
AEMAgnico Eagle Mines Limited · Gold Mining
Whole market+29.5%38.4%0.87−54.2%+352%0.05—
31
MFCManulife Financial Corporation · Life Insurance
Whole market+22.6%24.0%0.97−57.5%+373%0.32—
32
GWWW.W. Grainger, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+26.3%24.9%1.07−41.6%+654%0.12—
33
HLTHilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. · Hotels & Resorts
Whole market+21.0%26.8%0.85−50.8%+694%0.32—
34
SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETF · Semiconductors
Whole market+33.4%36.9%0.97−45.3%+1,665%0.500.35%
35
HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Company · Computer Hardware
Whole market+32.9%42.2%0.89−56.9%+483%0.21—
36
JCIJohnson Controls International plc · Building Products
Whole market+17.4%29.1%0.70−46.4%+426%0.25—
37
WABWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation · Industrial Machinery
Whole market+25.6%26.2%1.00−64.1%+264%0.14—
38
WPMWheaton Precious Metals Corp. · Metals & Mining
Whole market+27.5%36.9%0.85−46.7%+510%0.07—
39
LNGCheniere Energy, Inc. · Oil & Gas
Whole market+23.4%30.2%0.85−57.5%+616%-0.29—
40
URIUnited Rentals, Inc. · Equipment Rental
Whole market+24.3%39.1%0.75−63.3%+1,270%0.21—
41
BBarrick Mining Corporation · Gold Mining
Whole market+18.9%37.3%0.65−53.9%+194%0.01—
42
NUENucor Corporation · Metals & Mining
Whole market+21.7%37.4%0.72−57.2%+569%0.07—
43
BAPCredicorp Ltd. · Banks
Whole market+30.8%30.3%1.04−59.2%+298%0.11—
44
KBKB Financial Group Inc. · Banks
Whole market+25.3%34.4%0.83−64.1%+390%0.24—
45
STLDSteel Dynamics, Inc. · Metals & Mining
Whole market+32.2%38.0%0.93−68.5%+1,018%-0.03—
46
NWGNatWest Group plc · Banks
Whole market+27.7%34.1%0.89−67.4%+495%0.17—
47
CBOECboe Global Markets, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+21.5%25.1%0.91−43.2%+463%0.05—
48
HEIHEICO Corporation · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+17.3%27.8%0.71−57.7%+809%0.10—
49
NTAPNetApp, Inc. · Computer Hardware
Whole market+20.9%35.3%0.71−58.1%+691%0.26—
50
SBSCompanhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado de São Paulo - SABESP · Water Utilities
Whole market+39.1%37.1%1.08−62.0%+293%-0.06—
51
CIBGrupo Cibest S.A. · Banks
Whole market+32.9%32.9%1.03−70.4%+345%0.15—
52
IHGInterContinental Hotels Group PLC · Hotels & Resorts
Whole market+21.4%26.6%0.86−59.3%+383%0.29—
53
SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF · US Momentum Equity
Whole market+18.7%20.8%0.93−30.9%+499%0.310.13%
54
RSReliance Steel & Aluminum Co. · Metals & Mining
Whole market+24.8%28.1%0.93−40.8%+626%0.11—
55
GDXVanEck Gold Miners ETF · Gold Mining
Whole market+22.9%38.2%0.73−49.8%+283%0.060.51%
56
COKECoca-Cola Consolidated, Inc. · Food & Beverages
Whole market+41.2%38.0%1.10−51.7%+1,569%-0.01—
57
NMRNomura Holdings, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+17.1%29.9%0.68−54.0%+179%0.27—
58
WFWoori Financial Group Inc. · Banks
Whole market+26.3%31.6%0.90−67.2%+282%0.30—
59
MOG-AMoog Inc. · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+36.6%32.0%1.14−63.7%+595%0.00—
60
AAPLApple Inc. · Computer Hardware
Popular alternative+18.5%28.0%0.75−38.5%+1,168%0.21—
61
CLHClean Harbors, Inc. · Environmental Services
Whole market+23.1%28.6%0.88−64.5%+588%0.18—
62
SNXTD Synnex Corp · Technology Distribution
Whole market+20.3%30.4%0.76−55.8%+430%0.28—
63
AITApplied Industrial Technologies, Inc. · Industrial Distribution
Whole market+28.5%30.3%0.98−59.3%+742%0.05—
64
EXELExelixis, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+24.4%35.8%0.79−57.2%+448%0.00—
65
HALOHalozyme Therapeutics, Inc. · Biotechnology
Whole market+26.6%40.4%0.79−49.1%+1,196%0.02—
66
MPCMarathon Petroleum Corporation · Oil & Gas
Whole market+51.2%33.4%1.41−79.7%+1,387%-0.01—
67
EWTiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF · International Equity
Whole market+20.4%24.2%0.89−38.9%+468%0.470.59%
68
MUSAMurphy USA Inc. · Convenience Stores
Whole market+26.1%31.2%0.90−35.5%+706%-0.09—
69
PAGPenske Automotive Group, Inc. · Specialty Retail
Whole market+18.3%31.9%0.69−60.0%+528%0.16—
70
CACICACI International Inc · Business Services
Whole market+16.6%29.9%0.66−42.9%+499%-0.07—
71
LAURLaureate Education, Inc. · Education Services
Whole market+37.5%32.8%1.14−64.5%—0.01—
72
BPOPPopular, Inc. · Regional Banks
Whole market+17.7%29.7%0.70−59.0%+448%0.12—
73
VCTRVictory Capital Holdings, Inc. · Asset Management
Whole market+28.1%35.0%0.89−45.2%—0.08—
74
TFPMTriple Flag Precious Metals Corp. · Metals & Mining
Whole market+29.3%37.7%0.87−36.2%—0.00—
75
MATXMatson, Inc. · Freight & Logistics
Whole market+24.9%39.4%0.76−53.6%+594%0.08—
76
NHCNational HealthCare Corporation · Medical - Care Facilities
Whole market+32.0%28.5%1.12−35.3%+394%0.07—
77
FLTWFranklin FTSE Taiwan ETF · Technology
Whole market+21.8%24.3%0.94−38.0%—0.470.19%
78
QTUMDefiance Quantum ETF · Technology
Whole market+22.8%28.1%0.87−38.5%—0.420.40%
79
RSPTInvesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Technology ETF · Technology Equity
Whole market+16.9%25.1%0.75−33.7%+572%0.400.40%
80
GFFGriffon Corporation · Building Products
Whole market+36.4%41.7%0.95−61.3%+761%0.12—
81
IFSIntercorp Financial Services Inc. · Regional Banks
Whole market+20.8%31.1%0.77−56.9%—0.00—
82
DHTDHT Holdings, Inc. · Marine Shipping
Whole market+38.7%39.0%1.04−39.7%+1,050%-0.07—
83
PSMTPriceSmart, Inc. · Discount Retail
Whole market+18.6%28.2%0.75−53.2%+124%0.18—
84
CNOCNO Financial Group, Inc. · Life Insurance
Whole market+18.8%28.1%0.76−63.8%+342%-0.01—
85
VIRTVirtu Financial, Inc. · Capital Markets
Whole market+20.8%33.8%0.73−56.2%+545%-0.05—
86
FFIVF5, Inc. · Cybersecurity
Same or nearby category+17.1%30.8%0.67−54.6%+287%0.40—
87
GARPiShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF · Broad Market
Whole market+17.5%22.5%0.83−31.4%—0.470.15%
88
FBPFirst BanCorp. · Regional Banks
Whole market+19.1%31.5%0.71−67.8%+561%0.03—
89
OPLNOPENLANE, Inc. · Auto Auctions
Whole market+19.9%39.6%0.65−64.5%+153%-0.05—
90
FRDMFreedom 100 Emerging Markets ETF · International
Whole market+17.3%22.8%0.82−40.5%—0.370.49%
91
SOXQInvesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF · Technology
Whole market+28.3%38.9%0.84−46.0%—0.440.19%
92
MSGSMadison Square Garden Sports Corp. · Entertainment
Same or nearby category+18.4%25.6%0.79−41.6%+432%0.09—
93
NICNicolet Bankshares, Inc. · Banks - Regional
Whole market+19.0%30.1%0.73−44.3%+344%0.05—
94
DCODucommun Incorporated · Aerospace & Defense
Whole market+27.5%34.5%0.88−70.8%+706%0.04—
95
DGIIDigi International Inc. · Communication Equipment
Whole market+28.0%42.4%0.79−65.7%+587%0.07—
96
BHEBenchmark Electronics, Inc. · Hardware, Equipment & Parts
Whole market+24.9%37.3%0.78−60.3%+243%0.10—
97
ATIATI Inc. · Metals & Mining
Whole market+61.8%42.9%1.34−82.4%+929%-0.02—
98
RINGiShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF · International
Whole market+24.7%38.2%0.77−52.0%+315%0.080.39%
99
OFGOFG Bancorp · Banks - Regional
Whole market+19.5%28.7%0.77−61.2%+580%0.05—
100
AKO-AEmbotelladora Andina S.A. · Beverages - Non-Alcoholic
Whole market+28.4%42.8%0.80−63.5%+119%0.27—

See everything that outperformed META →

META against its popular alternatives

The investments people most often weigh against META, compared period by period and year by year.

How do META's risk and return compare with its alternatives?

This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at META, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.

Green points earned more than META with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.

10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%−40.0%−20.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityMETA: 15.5% a year, volatility 45.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%AAPL: 18.4% a year, volatility 28.0%GOOG: 19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%SNAP: −39.0% a year, volatility 76.2%U: −22.4% a year, volatility 77.5%PINS: −18.2% a year, volatility 55.6%WB: −29.1% a year, volatility 50.2%RBLX: −7.8% a year, volatility 71.1%TME: 1.0% a year, volatility 58.7%TTD: −30.8% a year, volatility 67.7%BIDU: −15.0% a year, volatility 51.9%BILI: −29.9% a year, volatility 77.4%NVDA: 58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%ANET: 49.0% a year, volatility 49.0%SPOT: 15.9% a year, volatility 47.8%MSFT: 12.5% a year, volatility 28.2%AMZN: 9.0% a year, volatility 36.6%NFLX: 1.9% a year, volatility 43.8%MTCH: −21.1% a year, volatility 44.0%YELP: −12.4% a year, volatility 37.6%METASPY (S&P 500)AAPLGOOGSNAPUPINSWBRBLXTMETTDBIDUBILINVDAANETMSFTAMZNNFLXMTCHYELP0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%−40.0%−20.0%0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%Volatility over 5 years (annualized)Annual return over 5 yearsHigher return, lower volatilityLower return, higher volatilityMETA: 15.5% a year, volatility 45.4%SPY (S&P 500): 12.7% a year, volatility 17.1%AAPL: 18.4% a year, volatility 28.0%GOOG: 19.0% a year, volatility 32.0%SNAP: −39.0% a year, volatility 76.2%U: −22.4% a year, volatility 77.5%PINS: −18.2% a year, volatility 55.6%WB: −29.1% a year, volatility 50.2%RBLX: −7.8% a year, volatility 71.1%TME: 1.0% a year, volatility 58.7%TTD: −30.8% a year, volatility 67.7%BIDU: −15.0% a year, volatility 51.9%BILI: −29.9% a year, volatility 77.4%NVDA: 58.0% a year, volatility 51.9%ANET: 49.0% a year, volatility 49.0%SPOT: 15.9% a year, volatility 47.8%MSFT: 12.5% a year, volatility 28.2%AMZN: 9.0% a year, volatility 36.6%NFLX: 1.9% a year, volatility 43.8%MTCH: −21.1% a year, volatility 44.0%YELP: −12.4% a year, volatility 37.6%METASPY (S&P 500)AAPLSNAPUPINSWBRBLXTMETTDBIDUNVDAANETNFLXMTCHYELP
All figures
InvestmentAnnual returnVolatility
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation+58.0%51.9%
ANET Arista Networks, Inc.+49.0%49.0%
GOOG Alphabet Inc.+19.0%32.0%
AAPL Apple Inc.+18.4%28.0%
SPOT Spotify Technology S.A.+15.9%47.8%
META This pageMeta Platforms, Inc.+15.5%45.4%
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF+12.7%17.1%
MSFT Microsoft Corporation+12.5%28.2%
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.+9.0%36.6%
NFLX Netflix, Inc.+1.9%43.8%
TME Tencent Music Entertainment Group+1.0%58.7%
RBLX Roblox Corporation−7.8%71.1%
YELP Yelp Inc.−12.4%37.6%
BIDU Baidu, Inc.−15.0%51.9%
PINS Pinterest, Inc.−18.2%55.6%
MTCH Match Group, Inc.−21.1%44.0%
U Unity Software Inc.−22.4%77.5%
WB Weibo Corporation−29.1%50.2%
BILI Bilibili Inc.−29.9%77.4%
TTD The Trade Desk, Inc.−30.8%67.7%
SNAP Snap Inc.−39.0%76.2%
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Has META consistently beaten its popular alternatives?

This section compares META with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over eight periods from one month to ten years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than META helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.

A green cell means the alternative earned more than META over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 3 long-term periods.

InvestmentPeriods outperformed Short termLong termRisk · 5 yearsFund
1M3M6MYTD1Y3Y5Y10YVolatilitylower is calmerSharpehigher is betterWorst declinepast 10 yearsExpenseAssetsOverlapsame sectors
META Meta Platforms, Inc. (this page)—−6.3%+7.6%+3.7%+7.0%−4.9%+127%+106%+439%45.4%0.55−76.7%—$1.8T—
NVDA QualifiedNVIDIA Corporation4/5 short3/3 longAll-weather−4.8%+6.6%+7.4%+14.9%+18.8%+425%+884%+13,019%51.9%1.14−66.3%—$5.2T—
ANET QualifiedArista Networks, Inc.3/5 short3/3 long−11.8%+7.0%+8.6%+35.6%+23.7%+289%+634%+3,439%49.0%1.06−52.2%—$229B—
AAPL QualifiedApple Inc.4/5 short2/3 long+0.2%+4.0%+24.6%+25.6%+29.9%+99.0%+133%+1,168%28.0%0.75−38.5%—$5.0T—
GOOG Internet Content & InformationAlphabet Inc.2/5 short3/3 long−4.1%−4.2%+0.4%+6.9%+31.2%+148%+138%+752%32.0%0.71−44.6%—$4.1T—
SPOT Internet Content & InformationSpotify Technology S.A.1/5 short2/3 long+1.8%+6.9%−2.0%−8.5%−22.1%+251%+109%—47.8%0.55−80.5%—$108B—
MSFT Software - InfrastructureMicrosoft Corporation5/5 short1/3 long+6.0%+32.5%+27.7%+13.2%+3.8%+66.6%+80.3%+946%28.2%0.56−37.1%—$3.9T—
AMZN Specialty RetailAmazon.com, Inc.4/5 short1/3 long+1.6%+5.1%+5.8%+16.0%+21.3%+110%+53.8%+548%36.6%0.42−56.1%—$2.8T—
NFLX EntertainmentNetflix, Inc.0/5 short1/3 long−6.4%+1.6%−27.6%−24.5%−44.5%+71.3%+9.9%+457%43.8%0.27−75.9%—$286B—
MTCH Internet Content & InformationMatch Group, Inc.5/5 short0/3 long+8.3%+19.8%+30.2%+49.9%+44.3%+37.1%−69.4%+166%44.0%-0.32−84.4%—$11B—
SNAP Internet Content & InformationSnap Inc.3/5 short0/3 long+11.9%+39.9%+6.3%−21.5%−17.5%−32.4%−91.6%—76.2%-0.26−95.3%—$11B—
U Software - ApplicationUnity Software Inc.3/5 short0/3 long−7.1%+34.7%+51.4%−9.2%+13.9%+47.8%−71.8%—77.5%0.06−93.1%—$18B—
PINS Internet Content & InformationPinterest, Inc.2/5 short0/3 long+18.7%+0.7%+11.3%−13.5%−30.2%−11.5%−63.3%—55.6%-0.08−82.7%—$13B—
YELP Internet Content & InformationYelp Inc.1/5 short0/3 long+4.5%−23.0%−28.0%−32.8%−38.3%−51.9%−48.5%−41.0%37.6%-0.17−72.2%—$1.1B—
WB Internet Content & InformationWeibo Corporation1/5 short0/3 long−3.0%−18.3%−25.5%−33.7%−38.4%−25.4%−82.0%−82.5%50.2%-0.44−94.0%—$1.6B—
RBLX Electronic Gaming & MultimediaRoblox Corporation1/5 short0/3 long+2.1%−1.7%−15.3%−35.3%−61.2%+64.8%−33.4%—71.1%0.24−82.8%—$37B—
RDDT Internet Content & InformationReddit, Inc.1/5 short0/3 long−1.9%−14.3%−6.3%−35.6%−23.1%—————−61.4%—$30B—
TME Internet Content & InformationTencent Music Entertainment Group1/5 short0/3 long+4.9%−6.5%−15.2%−50.8%−61.3%+35.2%+4.9%—58.7%0.30−90.2%—$13B—
TTD Advertising AgenciesThe Trade Desk, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long−8.9%−32.1%−47.4%−66.4%−75.9%−82.9%−84.1%+377%67.7%-0.20−91.5%—$6.0B—
BIDU Internet Content & InformationBaidu, Inc.0/5 short0/3 long−12.7%−26.7%−37.0%−46.4%−34.1%−24.4%−55.5%−54.0%51.9%-0.06−77.5%—$27B—
BILI Internet Content & InformationBilibili Inc.0/5 short0/3 long−8.3%−24.4%−44.3%−47.2%−49.5%+11.3%−83.1%—77.4%-0.09−94.3%—$5.9B—
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How did META do year by year?

This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2013, along with where META ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with META and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.

Note: META began trading on May 18, 2012, so the table starts with 2013, its first full calendar year, and cannot show how it fared during the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of META; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places META among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.

InvestmentYears ahead of META2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013
META This pageMeta Platforms, Inc.—+13.1%+66.0%+194%−64.2%+23.1%+33.1%+56.6%−25.7%+53.4%+9.9%+34.2%+42.8%+105%
Rank among alternativesTop quarter in 4 of 1313 of 215 of 202 of 2015 of 206 of 1915 of 187 of 1710 of 148 of 139 of 126 of 121 of 103 of 10
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF5 of 13+17.7%+24.9%+26.2%−18.2%+28.7%+18.3%+31.2%−4.6%+21.7%+12.0%+1.2%+13.5%+32.3%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation10 of 13+38.9%+171%+239%−50.2%+125%+122%+76.4%−30.8%+82.5%+228%+67.1%+27.4%+33.5%
ANET Arista Networks, Inc.8 of 11+18.6%+87.7%+94.1%−15.6%+97.9%+42.9%−3.5%−10.5%+143%+24.2%+28.2%——
AAPL Apple Inc.6 of 13+9.0%+30.7%+49.0%−26.4%+34.6%+82.3%+89.0%−5.4%+48.5%+12.5%−3.0%+40.6%+8.0%
GOOG Alphabet Inc.5 of 13+65.4%+35.6%+58.8%−38.7%+65.2%+31.0%+29.1%−1.0%+35.6%+1.7%+44.5%−6.0%+58.5%
SPOT Spotify Technology S.A.3 of 7+29.8%+138%+138%−66.3%−25.6%+110%+31.8%——————
MSFT Microsoft Corporation6 of 13+15.6%+12.9%+58.2%−28.0%+52.5%+42.5%+57.6%+20.8%+40.8%+15.1%+22.7%+27.5%+44.3%
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.6 of 13+5.2%+44.4%+80.9%−49.6%+2.4%+76.3%+23.0%+28.4%+56.0%+10.9%+118%−22.2%+59.0%
NFLX Netflix, Inc.7 of 13+5.2%+83.0%+65.1%−51.0%+11.4%+67.1%+20.9%+39.4%+55.1%+8.2%+134%−7.2%+298%
MTCH Match Group, Inc.5 of 13+1.0%−10.4%−12.0%−68.6%−12.5%+84.1%+92.0%+43.5%+83.1%+26.2%−22.0%−11.4%+45.2%
SNAP Snap Inc.2 of 8−25.1%−36.4%+89.2%−81.0%−6.1%+207%+196%−62.3%—————
U Unity Software Inc.1 of 5+96.6%−45.1%+43.0%−80.0%−6.8%————————
PINS Pinterest, Inc.2 of 6−10.7%−21.7%+52.5%−33.2%−44.8%+254%———————
YELP Yelp Inc.4 of 13−21.5%−18.3%+73.2%−24.6%+10.9%−6.2%−0.5%−16.6%+10.0%+32.4%−47.4%−20.6%+266%
WB Weibo Corporation5 of 11+19.5%−4.0%−39.1%−38.3%−24.4%−11.6%−20.7%−43.5%+155%+108%+36.9%——
RBLX Roblox Corporation1 of 4+40.0%+26.6%+60.6%−72.4%—————————
RDDT Reddit, Inc.1 of 1+40.6%————————————
TME Tencent Music Entertainment Group3 of 7+56.4%+27.2%+8.7%+21.0%−64.4%+63.8%−11.2%——————
TTD The Trade Desk, Inc.5 of 9−67.7%+63.3%+60.5%−51.1%+14.4%+208%+124%+154%+65.0%————
BIDU Baidu, Inc.3 of 13+55.0%−29.2%+4.1%−23.1%−31.2%+71.1%−20.3%−32.3%+42.4%−13.0%−17.1%+28.2%+77.4%
BILI Bilibili Inc.3 of 7+35.8%+48.8%−48.6%−48.9%−45.9%+360%+27.6%——————
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Risk and diversification

How META has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.

What were META's worst declines?

A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents META's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 2012, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.

Note: META began trading on May 18, 2012, so this list cannot include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs. The crash tests on this page show how older funds and the S&P 500 fared through those years.

Green means META fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.

DuringMETA fellS&P 500, same datesPeakLowTime to the lowBack at the peakTime to recover
2022 bear market−76.7%−16.3%Sep 2021Nov 202214 monthsJan 202414 months
No named crash−53.6%+9.3%May 2012Sep 20124 monthsAug 201311 months
Late-2018 sell-off−43.0%−16.6%Jul 2018Dec 20185 monthsJan 202013 months
Covid crash−34.6%−26.6%Jan 2020Mar 20202 monthsMay 20202 months
No named crash−34.2%−15.5%Feb 2025Apr 20252 monthsJun 20252 months

How did META do in stock market crashes?

This section measures how far META, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.

Note: META began trading on May 18, 2012, so its row reads "Not yet trading" for the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs. The older alternatives and the S&P 500 show how those crashes played out.

Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than META.

InvestmentHeld up better2023 regional bank crisisMar 20232022 bear marketJan 2022Covid crashFeb 2020Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018February 2018 volatility shockFeb 20182015 China and oil sell-offAug 20152011 euro debt crisisJul 20112010 flash crashMay 20102008 financial crisisOct 2007Dot-com bustMar 2000
META This pageMeta Platforms, Inc.—−2.9%−62.1%−32.9%−26.5%−9.8%−13.9%Not yet tradingNot yet tradingNot yet tradingNot yet trading
SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF4 of 6−3.4%−24.5%−33.7%−19.3%−6.5%−12.8%−17.9%−1.5%−55.2%−47.5%
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation2 of 6−5.0%−60.7%−37.5%−55.9%−8.5%−25.3%−23.8%−1.7%−85.1%−89.7%
ANET Arista Networks, Inc.4 of 6−1.5%−36.6%−31.2%−31.2%−6.1%−36.6%————
AAPL Apple Inc.3 of 6−2.9%−27.4%−30.7%−36.5%−4.8%−23.4%−12.5%−4.3%−60.9%−81.2%
GOOG Alphabet Inc.4 of 6−3.9%−35.0%−30.8%−18.9%−9.9%−12.7%−21.1%−1.1%−65.3%—
SPOT Spotify Technology S.A.1 of 4−4.2%−65.7%−20.6%−42.1%——————
MSFT Microsoft Corporation5 of 6−2.0%−31.0%−27.7%−18.2%−7.4%−14.4%−14.1%−2.6%−57.9%−62.9%
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.3 of 6−3.4%−39.6%−22.7%−33.2%−7.1%−30.6%−20.7%−2.9%−65.3%−91.8%
NFLX Netflix, Inc.2 of 6−6.1%−71.9%−22.6%−38.7%−6.7%−36.8%−59.7%−6.5%−55.9%—
MTCH Match Group, Inc.1 of 6−8.6%−65.1%−37.6%−38.9%−6.8%−57.7%−18.8%−2.4%−51.6%−51.4%
SNAP Snap Inc.0 of 5−7.4%−78.3%−51.3%−45.4%−9.4%—————
U Unity Software Inc.0 of 2−7.6%−76.6%————————
PINS Pinterest, Inc.1 of 3−8.0%−50.1%−53.7%———————
YELP Yelp Inc.1 of 6−4.9%−27.3%−58.3%−39.1%−14.8%−51.5%————
WB Weibo Corporation3 of 6−5.3%−60.7%−30.6%−29.7%−8.0%−39.7%————
RBLX Roblox Corporation0 of 2−3.4%−75.6%————————
TME Tencent Music Entertainment Group3 of 3−2.3%−57.4%−26.6%———————
TTD The Trade Desk, Inc.2 of 5−8.4%−51.7%−54.2%−33.0%−8.6%—————
BIDU Baidu, Inc.2 of 6−7.5%−36.6%−38.4%−31.8%−9.0%−35.5%−36.0%−4.3%−74.9%—
BILI Bilibili Inc.2 of 4−8.0%−70.2%−28.2%−17.6%——————
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How closely does META move with the S&P 500?

Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares META with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 10 years.

Monthly total returns over the past 10 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than META's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.

InvestmentUpside captureDownside captureCapture ratioBeta
META This pageMeta Platforms, Inc.134%143%0.941.25
ANET Arista Networks, Inc.174%91%1.921.40
NVDA NVIDIA Corporation248%140%1.771.83
AAPL Apple Inc.137%94%1.461.15
MSFT Microsoft Corporation127%91%1.390.96
GOOG Alphabet Inc.132%110%1.201.12
NFLX Netflix, Inc.122%105%1.161.18
AMZN Amazon.com, Inc.134%139%0.961.31
TTD The Trade Desk, Inc.140%173%0.811.75
MTCH Match Group, Inc.98%131%0.750.98
BIDU Baidu, Inc.56%159%0.350.79
YELP Yelp Inc.52%156%0.331.14
WB Weibo Corporation15%144%0.100.63
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What diversifies META?

Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with META's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing META with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.

Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which META lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% META and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.

ETFs

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe2022201880/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
META Meta Platforms, Inc. (this page)1.00+106%0.55−64.2%−25.7%42.8%+16.6%
LVHI InternationalFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF0.24+119%1.48+3.8%−5.2%34.7%+18.4%
DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund0.30+225%1.34+6.0%−19.8%35.1%+20.3%
EMLP Broad MarketFirst Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund0.06+101%1.04+10.4%−8.7%34.5%+18.3%
HDV Dividend & IncomeiShares Core High Dividend ETF0.02+83.3%1.00+7.1%−3.0%34.4%+17.7%
DBEF InternationalXtrackers MSCI EAFE Hedged Equity ETF0.39+85.0%0.96−5.1%−9.5%35.1%+17.6%
GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares0.08+126%0.96−0.8%−1.9%34.7%+18.9%
SPMO Broad MarketInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF0.31+136%0.93−10.4%−0.9%35.7%+19.3%
XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF-0.17+177%0.93+64.4%−18.2%33.7%+20.7%

Stocks

InvestmentCorrelation5Y returnSharpe2022201880/20 mix volatility80/20 mix annual return
META Meta Platforms, Inc. (this page)1.00+106%0.55−64.2%−25.7%42.8%+16.6%
CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc.-0.04+479%1.55+54.1%−24.5%34.4%+23.2%
CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc.0.30+3,143%1.47+1.3%−16.3%39.3%+35.2%
FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc.0.17+1,636%1.46+17.0%+0.8%36.8%+31.8%
MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation-0.21+413%1.44+51.8%−28.4%33.5%+22.9%
MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation-0.01+690%1.41+86.6%−8.2%34.8%+25.4%
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Common questions

What was META's worst drawdown?

META's deepest decline since it began trading in 2012 was 76.7%, from September 2021 to November 2022. It took 14 months from the low to climb back to its old high. Because META launched in May 2012, that record does not include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or two other sell-offs.

What were META's best and worst years?

Over 13 full calendar years, META's best year was 2023, when it returned 194%. Its worst was 2022, with a return of -64.2%.

Is there a better investment than META?

Among META's popular alternatives, AAPL and GOOG earned more than META with less volatility over the past 5 years. AAPL returned 18.5% a year at 28.0% volatility, against 15.5% a year at 45.4%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, FFIV (cybersecurity) and MSGS (entertainment) earned more than META with less volatility over the past 5 years. FFIV returned 17.1% a year at 30.8% volatility, against 15.5% a year at 45.4%.

Is META more volatile than the S&P 500?

Yes. META's volatility over the past 5 years was 45.4%, 2.6 times the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, META's return lands within 45.4% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.

What is META's Sharpe ratio?

META's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.55, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so META earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.

How correlated is META with the S&P 500?

Over the past 5 years, META's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.43 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They often move together: some diversification next to an index fund, but not a cushion. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against META instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a META holding.

What are the best alternatives to META?

Of the 20 popular alternatives we compared, three outperformed META in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 3 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: NVDA, ANET and AAPL.

Did META outperform the S&P 500?

META finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in eight of 13 full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +13.1%, against +17.7% for the index.

How did META do in stock market crashes?

META fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in one of the six major crashes it has traded through, and further in four. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when META fell 62.1% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.

What diversifies META?

These had a low correlation with META over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, LVHI (correlation 0.24), DXJ (correlation 0.30) and EMLP (correlation 0.06); among large stocks, CAH (correlation -0.04), CLS (correlation 0.30) and FIX (correlation 0.17). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.

How we measure

More research

Popular alternatives to META

Other stocks and ETFs