ETFs That Beat the S&P 500 Most Consistently
Not the biggest winners — the steadiest
Updated October 23, 2026
Plenty of lists show you which funds returned the most last year. The trouble with raw return is that it’s often one or two explosive months carrying the whole figure — not something you’d have wanted to hold through. So we rank a different way: by consistency — the share of the last 52 weeks each ETF actually finished ahead of the S&P 500.
A fund near the top didn’t just win the year; it won most weeks of it — a steadier kind of outperformance that’s easier to sit through. The list is limited to plain, non-leveraged funds (leverage would top a “beats SPY most weeks” board in any rising market without telling you anything). Each row shows how many weeks it led, its total excess for the year, and where it stands lately.
| # | Stock | Weeks > SPY | 1Y excess | 1Y return | 1M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | XLESPDR Energy Select Sector ETFETF | 34 / 52 | +32.0% | +57.9% | +10.8% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +57.9% total return — +32.0% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 2 | DFIVDimensional International Value ETFETF | 34 / 52 | +7.3% | +22.0% | −1.0% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +22.0% total return — +7.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 3 | VLUEiShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETFETF | 33 / 52 | +31.5% | +51.6% | −3.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 33 of its last 52 weeks, on a +51.6% total return — +31.5% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 4 | IXCiShares Global Energy ETFETF | 33 / 52 | +29.7% | +54.6% | +10.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 33 of its last 52 weeks, on a +54.6% total return — +29.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 5 | EWTiShares MSCI Taiwan ETFETF | 32 / 52 | +39.3% | +61.3% | −7.2% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 32 of its last 52 weeks, on a +61.3% total return — +39.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 6 | FXNFirst Trust Energy AlphaDEX FundETF | 32 / 52 | +29.2% | +57.6% | +9.0% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 32 of its last 52 weeks, on a +57.6% total return — +29.2% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 7 | PDBCInvesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy ETFETF | 32 / 52 | +28.4% | +51.9% | +2.7% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 32 of its last 52 weeks, on a +51.9% total return — +28.4% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 8 | FCGFirst Trust Natural Gas ETFETF | 31 / 52 | +18.7% | +44.9% | +7.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +44.9% total return — +18.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 9 | SCHDSchwab US Dividend Equity ETFETF | 31 / 52 | +14.2% | +30.7% | +6.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +30.7% total return — +14.2% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 10 | COWZPacer US Cash Cows 100 ETFETF | 31 / 52 | +10.3% | +23.3% | +5.2% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +23.3% total return — +10.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 11 | JQUAJPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETFETF | 31 / 52 | +6.2% | +21.0% | +2.3% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +21.0% total return — +6.2% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 12 | USOUnited States Oil Fund, LPETF | 30 / 52 | +81.2% | +140.0% | +10.7% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +140.0% total return — +81.2% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 13 | EWYiShares MSCI South Korea ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +61.4% | +69.1% | −17.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +69.1% total return — +61.4% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 14 | BUGGlobal X Cybersecurity ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +21.9% | +42.9% | +7.0% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +42.9% total return — +21.9% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 15 | AIAiShares Asia 50 ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +18.3% | +33.4% | −10.8% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +33.4% total return — +18.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 16 | IYWiShares U.S. Technology ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +11.3% | +26.4% | −5.4% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +26.4% total return — +11.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 17 | MLPXGlobal X MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +6.3% | +24.7% | +3.5% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +24.7% total return — +6.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 18 | RDVYFirst Trust Rising Dividend Achievers ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +4.8% | +17.6% | −0.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +17.6% total return — +4.8% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 19 | AVUSAvantis U.S. Equity ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +3.6% | +18.1% | −0.8% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +18.1% total return — +3.6% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 20 | MOATVanEck Morningstar Wide Moat ETFETF | 30 / 52 | −0.7% | +10.3% | +4.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +10.3% total return — −0.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 21 | SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF | 29 / 52 | +35.8% | +55.7% | −12.2% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 29 of its last 52 weeks, on a +55.7% total return — +35.8% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 22 | PPHVanEck Pharmaceutical ETFETF | 29 / 52 | +10.3% | +24.5% | +3.4% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 29 of its last 52 weeks, on a +24.5% total return — +10.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 23 | AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF | 29 / 52 | +9.8% | +23.6% | −5.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 29 of its last 52 weeks, on a +23.6% total return — +9.8% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 24 | GUNRFlexShares Global Upstream Natural Resources Index FundETF | 29 / 52 | +8.1% | +24.3% | −0.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 29 of its last 52 weeks, on a +24.3% total return — +8.1% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 25 | EWCiShares MSCI Canada ETFETF | 29 / 52 | +5.8% | +20.9% | +2.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 29 of its last 52 weeks, on a +20.9% total return — +5.8% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||