- As of Nov 4, 2026, 127 of 329 theme ETFs beat the S&P 500 over a full year, and 32% of the median theme fund is already in it.
In plain words
Theme funds pick companies by an idea instead of market size, and many readers compare them with the S&P 500 to see whether the idea paid off. ETFIQ makes that comparison for every theme fund over the same year.
Of 329 theme funds with a full year, 127 finished ahead of the index. The median theme fund also has 32% of its weight in companies the S&P 500 owns, so some of the result comes from the same large firms. A fund that mostly copies the index adds little new; 130 pairs of theme funds are close enough to be called twins.
Questions
- How is ahead measured?
By total return minus the S&P 500’s total return over the same year.
- Why compare with the S&P 500?
It is the broad market most theme funds are set against. ETFIQ also shows a Nasdaq-100 comparison where it fits.
- Where do I see each fund?
On the themes page and each fund page.