Crypto and Long-Term Bonds Boosted by Third-Quarter Rally
By AAII Staff
The top 25 and bottom 25 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds for the third quarter of 2026.
Consistent Category Winners
ETFs with NAV returns in the top 40% of their category over the last, three-, five- and 10-year periods, accompanied by an expense ratio below norm for their category and volatility below norm for their category. Excludes leveraged funds and inverse funds. Ranked by one-year NAV return in descending order.
Passing ETFs Ranked By 3-Yr Ann'l Ret
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 3-YR ANN'L RET | TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| iShares MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF |
RING
|
56.7% B | 3.38 | 0.96 C | 0.39% B | Equity Precious Metals |
| iShares Expanded Tech Sector ETF |
IGM
|
38.7% A | 1.83 | 0.85 B | 0.37% B | Technology |
| iShares Global Tech ETF |
IXN
|
37.6% B | 1.89 | 0.88 B | 0.37% B | Technology |
| iShares US Technology ETF |
IYW
|
36.4% B | 1.81 | 0.84 B | 0.37% B | Technology |
| iShares MSCI Austria ETF |
EWO
|
36.0% A | 1.22 | 0.19 A | 0.49% C | Focused Region |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
TOP ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| Invesco S&P 500® Momentum ETF |
SPMO
|
21.6% A | 1.71 | 1.59 F | 0.13% A | Large Blend |
| iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF |
GARP
|
19.7% A | 1.47 | 0.98 C | 0.15% A | Large Growth |
| iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF |
VLUE
|
17.5% A | 1.62 | 1.63 F | 0.15% A | Large Value |
| Invesco Large Cap Growth ETF |
PWB
|
17.2% A | 1.59 | 1.06 D | 0.55% C | Large Growth |
| Fidelity Fundamental Large Cap Core ETF |
FFLC
|
17.0% A | 1.09 | 1.01 D | 0.38% B | Large Blend |
BOTTOM ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| Invesco WilderHill Clean Energy ETF |
PBW
|
-15.7% F | 3.28 | 1.87 F | 0.63% C | Small Growth |
| CapForce IBD® 50 ETF |
FFTY
|
-4.9% F | 2.41 | 1.36 F | 0.80% D | Mid-Cap Growth |
| Invesco S&P SmallCap Hi Div Low Vol ETF |
XSHD
|
-4.3% F | 1.44 | 0.95 C | 0.30% B | Small Value |
| ARK Innovation ETF |
ARKK
|
-4.1% F | 3.36 | 1.89 F | 0.75% D | Mid-Cap Growth |
| Renaissance IPO ETF |
IPO
|
-3.8% F | 2.27 | 1.28 F | 0.60% C | Mid-Cap Growth |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
TOP ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| iShares MSCI Peru ETF |
EPU
|
33.0% A | 1.85 | 0.29 A | 0.59% C | Focused Region |
| Global X MSCI Greece ETF |
GREK
|
30.3% A | 1.48 | 0.23 A | 0.56% C | Focused Region |
| WisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity ETF |
DXJ
|
26.8% A | 1.17 | 1.01 D | 0.48% C | Japan Stock |
| WisdomTree Japan Opportunities ETF |
OPPJ
|
24.7% A | 1.12 | 0.97 C | 0.58% C | Japan Stock |
| Franklin FTSE Taiwan ETF |
FLTW
|
23.1% A | 2.33 | 1.10 D | 0.19% A | Greater China Region |
BOTTOM ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| Franklin FTSE Russia ETF |
FLRU
|
-80.1% F | 0.00 | 0.00 A | 0.19% A | Focused Region |
| VanEck Russia ETF |
RSX
|
-44.4% F | 10.39 | 1.60 F | 0.83% D | Focused Region |
| VanEck Russia Small-Cap ETF |
RSXJ
|
-22.6% F | 18.39 | 2.83 F | 0.84% D | Focused Region |
| FMQQ The Next Frontier Internet ETF |
FMQQ
|
-13.6% F | 1.47 | 1.12 D | 0.86% D | Diversified Emerging Mkts |
| KraneShares MSCI China Clean Tech ETF |
KGRN
|
-12.4% F | 2.34 | 1.10 D | 0.79% D | Greater China Region |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
TOP ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| VanEck Semiconductor ETF |
SMH
|
37.4% A | 2.69 | 1.25 F | 0.35% B | Technology |
| Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF |
SOXQ
|
32.2% A | 3.02 | 1.40 F | 0.19% A | Technology |
| iShares Semiconductor ETF |
SOXX
|
31.8% A | 3.13 | 1.46 F | 0.33% B | Technology |
| First Trust Nasdaq Semiconductor ETF |
FTXL
|
31.0% A | 3.29 | 1.53 F | 0.60% C | Technology |
| Invesco Semiconductors ETF |
PSI
|
29.4% A | 3.45 | 1.61 F | 0.55% C | Technology |
BOTTOM ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| AdvisorShares Pure US Cannabis ETF |
MSOS
|
-32.1% F | 7.09 | 2.49 F | 0.78% D | Miscellaneous Sector |
| Amplify Seymour Cannabis ETF |
CNBS
|
-30.2% F | 6.29 | 2.21 F | 0.76% D | Miscellaneous Sector |
| Amplify Alternative Harvest ETF |
MJ
|
-29.6% F | 5.38 | 1.89 F | 0.75% D | Miscellaneous Sector |
| AdvisorShares Pure Cannabis ETF |
YOLO
|
-28.2% F | 4.80 | 1.69 F | 0.51% C | Miscellaneous Sector |
| AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF |
PSIL
|
-21.9% F | 3.75 | 1.32 F | 1.00% F | Miscellaneous Sector |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
TOP ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| FolioBeyond Alt Inc and Int Rt Hdg ETF |
RISR
|
14.5% A | 0.54 | 1.18 F | 1.04% F | Nontraditional Bond |
| ProShares High Yield—Interest Rate Hdgd |
HYHG
|
6.8% A | 0.26 | 0.58 A | 0.50% C | Nontraditional Bond |
| iShares Interest Rate Hdg Hi Yld Bd ETF |
HYGH
|
6.8% A | 0.26 | 0.68 A | 0.52% C | High Yield Bond |
| Pacer Aristotle Pac Ast Fl Rt Hi Inc ETF |
FLRT
|
6.1% A | 0.17 | 1.01 D | 0.60% C | Bank Loan |
| WisdomTree Interest Rt Hdg Hi Yld Bd ETF |
HYZD
|
6.0% A | 0.27 | 0.58 A | 0.43% B | Nontraditional Bond |
BOTTOM ETFs
| ETF NAME | TICKER | 5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
EXPENSE RATIO |
CATEGORY |
| PIMCO 25+ Year Zero Coupon US Trs ETF |
ZROZ
|
-15.0% F | 1.77 | 1.74 F | 0.15% A | Long Government |
| iShares 25+ Year Treasury STRIPS Bd ETF |
GOVZ
|
-14.9% F | 1.76 | 1.74 F | 0.10% A | Long Government |
| Vanguard Extended Duration Trs ETF |
EDV
|
-13.2% F | 1.63 | 1.60 F | 0.05% A | Long Government |
| Simplify Intmdt Term Trs Futs Stgy ETF |
TYA
|
-12.4% D | 1.40 | 1.38 F | 0.25% B | Long Government |
| iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF |
TLT
|
-8.4% D | 1.10 | 1.09 D | 0.15% A | Long Government |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
Consistent Performers
A list of ETFs which have exceeded or fallen short of their category over the last 3-, 5-, and 10-year periods, updated monthly.
| ETF NAME | TICKER | ANNUAL RETURN | CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY | ||
| 3 YRS | 5 YRS | 10 YRS | ||||
| iShares Asia 50 ETF |
AIA
|
40.2% A | 15.2% A | 13.5% A | 1.15 F | Pacific/Asia ex-Japan Stk |
| First Trust RBA Amer Indl RenaisTM ETF |
AIRR
|
26.2% A | 20.6% A | 17.8% A | 1.29 F | Industrials |
| iShares Core 80/20 Aggressive Allc ETF |
AOA
|
17.9% A | 9.3% A | 10.1% A | 0.80 B | Global Moderately Aggressive Allocation |
| iShares Core 30/70 Cnsrv Allc ETF |
AOK
|
9.5% A | 3.4% A | 4.7% A | 1.00 C | Global Conservative Allocation |
| Global X MSCI Argentina ETF |
ARGT
|
29.4% A | 22.9% A | 15.1% A | 0.43 A | Focused Region |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| ETF NAME | TICKER | ANNUAL RETURN | CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY | ||
| 3 YRS | 5 YRS | 10 YRS | ||||
| iShares MSCI Global Min Vol Factor ETF |
ACWV
|
11.3% F | 5.9% F | 7.3% F | 0.66 A | Global Large-Stock Blend |
| iShares 1-10 Year U.S. Aggregate Bd ETF |
AGGM
|
3.7% F | -0.9% F | 1.0% F | 0.96 C | Intermediate Core Bond |
| First Trust Active Gbl Qual Inc ETF |
AGQI
|
13.7% F | 6.2% F | 0.7% F | 0.86 B | Global Large-Stock Value |
| Akre Focus ETF |
AKRE
|
4.0% F | 0.5% F | 10.4% F | 1.08 D | Large Growth |
| BeeHive ETF |
BEEX
|
12.7% F | 7.1% F | 9.9% F | 0.87 B | Large Blend |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| ETF NAME | TICKER | ANNUAL RETURN | CATEGORY RISK INDEX |
CATEGORY | ||
| 3 YRS | 5 YRS | 10 YRS | ||||
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(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| ETF NAME | TICKER | MANAGER ADDED | NUMBER OF MANAGERS |
LONGEST TENURE (YEARS) | AVERAGE TENURE (YEARS) |
| 800VDC AI Datacenter Ecosystem ETF |
HUMM
|
Adela Ghinet (2026) | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 800VDC AI Datacenter Ecosystem ETF |
HUMM
|
Spenser Lerner (2026) | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 800VDC AI Datacenter Ecosystem ETF |
HUMM
|
Justin Menne (2026) | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 800VDC AI Datacenter Ecosystem ETF |
HUMM
|
Jonathan Poynter (2026) | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| ALPS Clean Energy ETF |
ACES
|
Kyle Kleckner (2026) | 2 | 8.3 | 4.2 |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| ETF NAME | TICKER | MANAGER DROPPED | NUMBER OF MANAGERS |
LONGEST TENURE (YEARS) | AVERAGE TENURE (YEARS) |
| ALPS Electrification Infrastructure ETF |
ELFY
|
Andrew Hicks (2025) | 3 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
| AdvisorShares Active Bear ETF |
HDGE
|
John Del Vecchio (2011) | 1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| AdvisorShares Active Bear ETF |
HDGE
|
Brad Lamensdorf (2011) | 1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Alpha Brands Consumption Leaders ETF |
LOGO
|
Andrew Hicks (2026) | 4 | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Amplify S&P 500 Dividend Drivers ETF |
DRVR
|
Andrew Hicks (2026) | 2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| ETF NAME | TICKER | MANAGER NAMES | NUMBER OF MANAGERS |
LONGEST TENURE (YEARS) | AVERAGE TENURE (YEARS) |
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Performance Benchmarks
Returns for the major indexes and the ETF categories, updated monthly, to use for comparison.
| ETF CATEGORY | 1-MONTH RETURN |
YTD RETURN |
3-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
10-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
YIELD | EXPENSE RATIO |
| Large Blend | -1.2% | 10.9% | 20.4% | 11.9% | 13.8% | 1.08 | 1.4% | 0.42% |
| Intermediate Government | -2.4% | -2.9% | 3.3% | -0.6% | 0.9% | 0.39 | 5.0% | 0.10% |
| Foreign Large Blend | -2.9% | 11.4% | 18.9% | 9.4% | 9.2% | 1.05 | 2.6% | 0.40% |
| Mid-Cap Blend | -3.8% | 11.0% | 16.6% | 8.7% | 11.3% | 1.28 | 0.9% | 0.45% |
| Small Blend | -4.7% | 12.9% | 15.9% | 7.2% | 10.2% | 1.49 | 1.3% | 0.42% |
See All ETF Category Comparisons
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| GLOBAL ASSET CLASS | 1-MONTH RETURN |
YTD RETURN |
3-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
10-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
YIELD | EXPENSE RATIO |
| Equity | -2.0% | 11.0% | 20.7% | 8.7% | 10.3% | 1.55 | 2.9% | 0.57% |
| Allocation | -2.0% | 7.5% | 12.8% | 5.8% | 6.8% | 0.84 | 2.9% | 0.88% |
| Fixed Income | -2.2% | -1.2% | 4.9% | 0.9% | 2.1% | 0.39 | 5.0% | 0.33% |
See All Global Asset Class Comparisons
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| ETF GROUP | 1-MONTH RETURN |
YTD RETURN |
3-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
10-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
YIELD | EXPENSE RATIO |
| Commodities | -0.9% | 66.7% | 18.7% | 11.7% | 7.2% | 1.85 | 7.6% | 0.73% |
| Taxable Bond | -2.0% | -0.9% | 5.3% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 0.39 | 5.4% | 0.35% |
| Allocation | -2.0% | 7.8% | 13.0% | 5.8% | 7.2% | 0.85 | 2.8% | 0.87% |
| U.S. Equity | -2.5% | 11.5% | 18.7% | 9.9% | 12.2% | 1.26 | 1.3% | 0.44% |
| International Equity | -2.8% | 11.8% | 29.1% | 8.3% | 8.5% | 2.07 | 2.9% | 0.51% |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
| INDEX | 1-MONTH RETURN |
YTD RETURN |
3-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
5-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
10-YR ANNUAL RETURN |
TOTAL RISK INDEX |
| S&P 500 (TR) (1970) | -0.3% | 12.7% | 22.9% | 13.8% | 15.3% | 0.84 |
| MSCI EAFE GR USD | -3.0% | 10.8% | 19.0% | 9.9% | 9.6% | 0.88 |
| S&P MidCap 400 TR | -4.2% | 9.9% | 14.5% | 8.0% | 10.5% | 1.05 |
| Bloomberg US Treasury Long TR USD | -5.0% | -7.6% | 1.0% | -7.3% | -2.1% | 0.84 |
| S&P SmallCap 600 TR USD | -5.6% | 14.1% | 14.8% | 6.2% | 9.8% | 1.28 |
(Data as of 9/30/2026)
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