ETFs That Beat the S&P 500 Most Consistently
Not the biggest winners — the steadiest
Updated September 6, 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 | AIQGlobal X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETFETF | 38 / 52 | +21.5% | +41.5% | +1.5% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 38 of its last 52 weeks, on a +41.5% total return — +21.5% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 2 | EWYiShares MSCI South Korea ETFETF | 37 / 52 | +88.6% | +158.5% | +15.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 37 of its last 52 weeks, on a +158.5% total return — +88.6% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 3 | SMHVanEck Semiconductor ETFETF | 36 / 52 | +53.9% | +95.6% | −0.8% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 36 of its last 52 weeks, on a +95.6% total return — +53.9% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 4 | VLUEiShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETFETF | 35 / 52 | +38.4% | +71.3% | +4.7% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 35 of its last 52 weeks, on a +71.3% total return — +38.4% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 5 | IVESDan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETFETF | 35 / 52 | +21.4% | +39.2% | +4.4% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 35 of its last 52 weeks, on a +39.2% total return — +21.4% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 6 | AIAiShares Asia 50 ETFETF | 34 / 52 | +37.1% | +69.7% | +7.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +69.7% total return — +37.1% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 7 | EMXCiShares MSCI Emerging Markets ex China ETFETF | 34 / 52 | +29.5% | +58.4% | +7.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +58.4% total return — +29.5% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 8 | FXNFirst Trust Energy AlphaDEX FundETF | 34 / 52 | +24.0% | +45.0% | +10.8% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +45.0% total return — +24.0% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 9 | XLKSPDR Technology Select Sector ETFETF | 34 / 52 | +20.5% | +42.6% | +1.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +42.6% total return — +20.5% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 10 | EEMiShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETFETF | 34 / 52 | +14.3% | +37.8% | +5.7% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 34 of its last 52 weeks, on a +37.8% total return — +14.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 11 | EWTiShares MSCI Taiwan ETFETF | 33 / 52 | +49.7% | +89.2% | +10.0% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 33 of its last 52 weeks, on a +89.2% total return — +49.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 12 | CHATRoundhill Generative AI & Technology ETFETF | 33 / 52 | +41.8% | +67.5% | +1.8% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 33 of its last 52 weeks, on a +67.5% total return — +41.8% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 13 | GDXVanEck Gold Miners ETFETF | 32 / 52 | +46.9% | +53.7% | +18.3% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 32 of its last 52 weeks, on a +53.7% total return — +46.9% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 14 | AMLPAlerian MLP ETFETF | 32 / 52 | −3.4% | +15.8% | +1.3% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 32 of its last 52 weeks, on a +15.8% total return — −3.4% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 15 | SLViShares Silver TrustETF | 31 / 52 | +51.8% | +62.0% | +7.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +62.0% total return — +51.8% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 16 | IXCiShares Global Energy ETFETF | 31 / 52 | +19.0% | +41.3% | +7.9% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +41.3% total return — +19.0% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 17 | DFLVDimensional US Large Cap Value ETFETF | 31 / 52 | +7.7% | +29.1% | +1.7% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +29.1% total return — +7.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 18 | GRIDFirst Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Smart Grid Infrastructure Index FundETF | 31 / 52 | +5.3% | +25.5% | −3.6% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +25.5% total return — +5.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 19 | EFAiShares MSCI EAFE ETFETF | 31 / 52 | −2.6% | +18.6% | +0.9% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 31 of its last 52 weeks, on a +18.6% total return — −2.6% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 20 | XBISPDR S&P Biotech ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +43.7% | +75.3% | +6.0% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +75.3% total return — +43.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 21 | OIHVanEck Oil Services ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +38.4% | +65.8% | +9.0% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +65.8% total return — +38.4% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 22 | LITGlobal X Lithium & Battery Tech ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +33.3% | +57.8% | +2.4% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +57.8% total return — +33.3% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 23 | QTUMDefiance Quantum ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +32.5% | +57.0% | −0.9% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +57.0% total return — +32.5% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 24 | PICKiShares MSCI Global Metals & Mining Producers ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +32.5% | +57.7% | +4.5% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +57.7% total return — +32.5% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||
| 25 | XLESPDR Energy Select Sector ETFETF | 30 / 52 | +21.7% | +43.8% | +10.1% |
| Beat the S&P 500 in 30 of its last 52 weeks, on a +43.8% total return — +21.7% ahead of the index for the year. | |||||