Technology stocks and tech ETFs have enjoyed renewed interest in investors' "risk-on" approach to the market. Driving the upside has been exuberant demand for all things having to do with generative artificial intelligence (AI) – demand that has helped AI bellwether Nvidia (NVDA) gain more than $2 trillion in market value over the past two years.
But it's not just Nvidia. Indeed, investors' insatiable appetite for risk drove major gains in many Big Tech stocks, dubbed the Magnificent 7, which in turn sent the broader stock market back into record-high territory.
The outperformance is no guarantee of future returns, of course. And to be sure, a late-July selloff in technology stocks has many questioning if the AI trade rallied too far too fast.
Still, there's no denying that tech has been the hot-hand for the market and investors should remember that pullbacks happen and are normal in bull markets. "Every investor should always have some dry powder either in cash or in U.S. Treasuries so that they are able to take advantage of any pullbacks, which are buying opportunities for long-term investors," says Robert Schein, chief investment officer at Blanke Schein Wealth Management.
Those that want to use that cash to gain exposure to the longer-term tech momentum can home in on individual stocks. But a lower-risk approach is to buy technology exchange-traded funds, whose risk is spread across dozens if not hundreds of stocks.
With that in mind, here are nine of the best tech ETFs to buy now. The names featured here are some of the top exchange-traded funds to buy for those looking to participate in the growth of the entire sector, or even smaller industry trends like cybersecurity and AI, while minimizing the risk of single-stock implosions. Data is as of July 23.
- Assets under management: $291.6 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.6%
- Expenses: 0.20%, or $20 annually for every $10,000 invested
Though not technically a dedicated technology fund, the sheer size of the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ, $480.62) makes it worth a look. This massive index fund is benchmarked to the Nasdaq-100, a group of the largest companies that are listed on this innovative exchange. And, unsurprisingly, technology accounts for more than 51% of QQQ via several trillion-dollar Nasdaq-listed companies like Microsoft, Apple (AAPL) and Nvidia.
In fact, these three blue chip stocks alone account for roughly 25% of the entire portfolio. Furthermore, the next largest sector is communication services at 15% or so. This includes digital companies such as Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) that technically fall into that bucket rather than traditional tech.
You'll still get a smattering of stocks in various other sectors, but if you want to lean into technology via a diversified ETF instead of a laser-focused sector fund, then the QQQ is worth a look. And the Invesco QQQ Trust is one of the most popular and liquid tech ETFs, so you'll be in very good company.
Learn more about QQQ at the Invesco provider site.
- Assets under management: $76.2 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.6%
- Expenses: 0.10%
The Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT, $583.15) is a heavily diversified, but still dedicated tech-sector fund. VGT has many of the same benefits as QQQ, including an outsized focus on Big Tech icons like Apple and Microsoft. With $76 billion in assets, it's also incredibly liquid and established. And at an annual expense ratio of just 0.10%, it's one of the best cheap ETFs out there.
The big difference here is that this Vanguard ETF is wholly dedicated to tech stocks with 100% of the portfolio in that sector. Interestingly, VGT is even more top-heavy on the trillion-dollar Dow Jones stocks, with some 33% of assets dedicated to Apple and Microsoft. This is because the Vanguard Information Technology ETF weights its individual stocks by their respective sizes.
Keep this in mind if you're looking to play the tech sector since the performance (or underperformance) of one of these top stocks could have an outsized influence on the movement of this ETF.
That said, there are still roughly 310 other positions in this tech fund. VGT is by far the largest of the tech ETFs on Wall Street, more than three times larger than its closest peer. So if you want a simple and easy way to play the broad trends in technology then VGT might be your best bet.
Learn more about VGT at the Vanguard provider site.
- Assets under management: $374.2 million
- Dividend yield: 0.00%
- Expenses: 0.58%
Moving away from diversification, the MicroSectors FANG+ ETN (FNGS, $50.04) is a unique offering that allows investors to play a short list of leading technology companies.
Several years back, during the high-growth and "risk-on" days where tech was king, pundits commonly used the FANG acronym as a stand-in for the momentum stocks of the day – Facebook, Amazon, Netflix (NFLX) and Google.
The marketplace has evolved, including Facebook changing its name to Meta Platforms (META) and Google changing its name to Alphabet in the intervening years. Still, this acronym remains shorthand for the biggest and most dynamic names in tech, and this fund is a way to stay focused on that elite list of leaders.
FNGS offers a focused list of just 10 total Big Tech holdings, including semiconductor stocks Broadcom (AVGO) and Nvidia. It rebalances quarterly to ensure that stocks stay at roughly a 10% allocation each.
As you can see from several of the funds on this list, it's not uncommon for even the best tech ETFs to be reliant on a short list of companies for the majority of their holdings. So rather than fill the portfolio with hundreds of stocks at tiny allocations, FNGS dives into the leaders of Silicon Valley and ignores the rest.
That can be risky, sure. But considering it is up nearly 50% in the past 12 months, this is a strategy that can also pay off when that short list of tech companies does well.
Learn more about FNGS at the MicroSectors provider site.
- Assets under management: $6.7 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.5%
- Expenses: 0.59%
Between the long-term shift toward a digital economy and the increased reliance on remote work and e-commerce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stakes continue to get higher for cybersecurity with each passing year. In fact, the total cost of cybercrime in 2024 is forecasted to reach $9.5 trillion worldwide – yes, trillion with a T – and hit $10.5 trillion by 2025, according to Cybersecurity Ventures.
That means one area of the tech sector that's all but a sure thing these days are cybersecurity stocks. There is admittedly shifting market share among the players as they jockey for bigger pieces of the pie, but it's undeniable that the pie itself is only getting larger.
The First Trust NASDAQ Cybersecurity ETF (CIBR, $56.36) is one of the best tech ETFs to play this trend and gain exposure to software and IT companies that are beneficiaries of long-term cybersecurity spending growth.
There are currently only about 30 total holdings in CIBR, but they are a focused list of players in the space. These include firewall software provider Palo Alto Networks (PANW) and enterprise tech mainstay Cisco Systems (CSCO), among others.
For investors seeking out the top tech funds, CIBR is a diversified way to play heightened awareness and increased spending on cybersecurity in the years ahead. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine prompting increased cyber risk for businesses and government institutions, it seems unlikely that these threats are going away anytime soon.
Learn more about CIBR at the First Trust provider site.
- Assets under management: $901.6 million
- Dividend yield: 0.0%
- Expenses: 0.75%
The Ark Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF, $28.66) is a tech ETF from asset manager Ark Invest that gives investors exposure to firms in mobile payments, digital wallets and blockchain technology. Particularly as bitcoin gets some of its mojo back, now may be a great time to consider this technology fund with a dedicated focus on fintech stocks.
This is a global fund, holding about 30 total companies that provide products or services that aim to reshape the way we pay for things and manage our money in a digital age. This includes digital payments companies like cryptocurrency trading platform Coinbase Global (COIN), as well as Canadian e-commerce service provider Shopify (SHOP), online food ordering platform Toast (TOST) and mobile-friendly investment platform Robinhood Markets (HOOD) to name a few.
With the internet now decades old, it's not particularly innovative to do business on the web. And particularly after the pandemic, it's all but expected that most major merchants offer some kind of online transaction platform. But the companies that make up the Ark Fintech Innovation ETF are thinking about the next generation of digital finance and how the global economy may evolve even more over the years to come. This is why ARKF is on this list of the best tech ETFs to watch going forward.
Learn more about ARKF at the ARK Funds provider site.
- Assets under management: $15.3 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.6%
- Expenses: 0.35%
Along the same lines as cybersecurity, the semiconductor manufacturing industry has been soaring on excitement for all things generative AI, as well as the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act that aims to inject $280 billion domestically into the industry.
Indeed, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX, $242.57) is up more than 40% in the past 12 months.
The iShares fund is the largest ETF dedicated to the chip-making industry, and is the most focused way to play U.S.-listed semiconductor stocks capitalizing from recent developments. Top holdings in SOXX include Nvidia, Broadcom and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), among others.
There's always a risk that supply-chain disruptions, which caused the industry to melt down in 2021, will happen again, or that consumer and business spending will dry up. But based on recent momentum, SOXX is looking good for investors seeking out the best tech ETFs.
Learn more about SOXX at the iShares provider site.
- Assets under management: $1.5 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.0%
- Expenses: 0.87%
The ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW, $82.09) is another fund from Ark Invest and is a play on software-related technology opportunities rather than hardware ones. As the name implies, this is a tech-focused fund that looks at the future of the digital economy through holdings such as payments processor Block (SQ), crypto asset exchange Coinbase Global, streaming media icon Roku (ROKU) and gaming giant Roblox (RBLX).
There's a lot of risk and potential disruption in the works here, as well as a chance that some of these so-called transformative technologies don't live up to the hype. But with roughly 30% gains in the past 12 months, there are clearly plenty of people on Wall Street who believe in the potential of these companies right now. And ARKW is one of the best tech ETFs to gain exposure to these firms.
One note, however: This ARK fund is actively managed, meaning a higher expense structure than some of the less tactical technology ETFs out here. Given its recent outperformance, that may not bother many people. But in an environment where ARKW doesn't do much better than the broader market – or worse, underperforms – it could be tough to stomach the fees that are between five times and 10 times most other funds on this list.
Learn more about ARKW at the ARK Funds provider site.
- Assets under management: $2.7 billion
- Dividend yield: 0.2%
- Expenses: 0.68%
Artificial intelligence and automation are emerging as a shift in the global economy. Investors seeking out the best ETFs to buy to play this new trend will certainly want to focus on the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence ETF (BOTZ, $31.12) – the largest and most established fund in this space.
To be clear, this is not a play on development-stage companies that have grandiose plans to build supercomputers that think for us. Rather, this technology ETF is populated with the best AI stocks making real profits from next-generation technology already being sold today.
Representative examples include robotic surgery leader Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), sensor and barcoding leader Keyence (KYCCF) and global electronics conglomerate ABB (ABBNY), to name a few. Together, these three companies are valued at about $370 billion in market value – so they are hardly risky startups that could flame out in the next year or two. And the fund's top position is AI leader Nvidia, with a 12% weighting.
With gains of about 6% over the past 12 months, this AI ETF has lagged the broader S&P 500. But with the increased focus on automation and AI to drive both efficiency as well as high-tech progress in all sectors of the economy, BOTZ could be in for better days in the future.
Learn more about BOTZ at the Global X provider site.
- Assets under management: $5.0 billion
- Dividend yield: 1.7%
- Expenses: 0.69%
The last on our list of the best tech ETFs is perhaps the most speculative of all. The KraneShares CSI China Internet ETF (KWEB, $27.10) is a global option that is dedicated to the high-risk but high-growth internet sector in China.
The good news is that even though many of the companies in the portfolio are China-listed rather than U.S.-listed, this fund is just as easy to buy in your brokerage account as your favorite blue chip stock. It's also well-established with $5 billion in assets, so this is not a fly-by-night operation.
Still, there's risk here as the top holdings are companies such as Tencent Holdings (TCEHY) and Alibaba Group Holding (BABA) that are closely tied to spending trends in China.
There is real risk trading these Chinese stocks given the mainland's uncertain regulatory backdrop, but it's undeniable that the tech sector in this emerging market has much more room to grow than one in more established Western markets like the U.S. For instance, data from Statista shows that roughly 1.0 billion people in China accessed the internet in 2021, but this represented just 72% of the population. By contrast, the U.S. had a 97% internet penetration rate in 2021. That's still a lot of growth to be had in China, and could translate into significant gains for the 30 or so stocks that make up this top technology ETF.
Learn more about KWEB from the KraneShares provider site.
