Across the pond: ETF’s

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7 Best ETFs to Buy in May 2026

Exchange-traded funds tend to be less volatile than individual stocks and provide exposure to a broad range of opportunities.

By Matthew DiLallo – Updated May 6, 2026 at 12:34 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

• ETFs offer a diversified investment option, reducing risk compared to individual stocks.
• Low expense ratios in ETFs like Vanguard S&P 500 (0.03%) enhance investor returns.
• ETFs like the Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF provide exposure to high-yielding stocks with growth potential.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are investment vehicles that trade like a stock but give investors ownership of a broad range of stocks or other assets. ETFs offer investors an appealing alternative to owning individual stocks. They can also be great complements to an investor’s stock portfolio.

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF)

An exchange-traded fund, or ETF, allows investors to buy many stocks or bonds at once.

There are all kinds of ETFs available. Some track major indexes, such as the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq Composite. Others give investors exposure to specific regions, such as China or emerging markets. And some ETFs concentrate on certain sectors, such as technology or banking, or specific types of stocks, like dividend or growth stocks.

In a challenging market environment, ETFs can help reduce the risks of owning an individual stock, as they tend to be less volatile. Although they’re similar in principle to mutual funds, they’re easier to buy and trade than typical mutual funds and tend to have lower fees. If you’re looking for ETFs to invest in, keep reading to see seven of the best.

Top seven ETFs to buy now

There are hundreds of ETFs to choose from. Here are seven of the best ETFs to buy this month.

Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) and Ticker	Assets Under Management (AUM)	Expense Ratio	Description
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSEMKT:VOO)	$932.0 billion	0.03%	Fund that tracks the S&P 500
Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ:QQQ)	$440.7 billion	0.18%	Fund that tracks the Nasdaq-100
Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT:VUG)	$216.0 billion	0.03%	ETF that invests in large-cap U.S. growth stocks
iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (NYSEMKT:IJR)	$102.8 billion	0.06%	Fund that tracks the S&P SmallCap 600 index
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (NYSEMKT:SCHD)	$90.8 billion	0.06%	ETF that invests in 100 high-yielding U.S. stocks with histories of increasing their dividends
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (NYSEMKT:VTI)	$626.4 billion	0.03%	Fund that holds more than 3,500 U.S. stocks of all sizes
iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (NASDAQ:IXUS)	$56.1 billion	0.07%	ETF that holds around 4,250 international stocks of all sizes

1. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

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NYSEMKT: VOO

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF

Today’s Change

(0.55%) $3.74

Current Price

$682.41

Key Data Points

Day’s Range

$676.20 – $683.91

52wk Range

$529.11 – $683.91

Volume

4.9M

Vanguard created the index fund. If you’re looking for an S&P 500 index fund, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO +0.55%) is hard to beat. It offers an ultra-low expense ratio of just 0.03%, compared to the 0.23% average for similar funds. This lower expense ratio means that, for every $10,000 invested in the fund, investors will pay just $3 in annual fees, versus $23 in a typical competing fund.

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is one of the largest and most popular ETFs. It was the largest ETF by assets under management (AUM) in May 2026. The ETF’s combination of low costs and large size makes it an excellent choice for investing in the broader market. Because of its history, diversification, and exposure to blue chip stocks, many investors consider it one of the best ETFs to buy and hold.

The S&P 500 has an excellent track record of delivering returns for investors. Over the last 50 years, the average stock market return, as measured by the S&P 500, has been 8% with dividends reinvested. The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF is a low-cost way to capture the market’s returns.

2. Invesco QQQ Trust

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NASDAQ: QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust

Today’s Change

(1.06%) $7.47

Current Price

$714.71

If you’re looking to gain exposure to big tech stocks, Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ +1.06%) is an excellent choice. The ETF tracks the Nasdaq-100 index, which includes 100 of the Nasdaq’s largest nonfinancial companies.

The top stocks in the ETF are Nvidia (NVDA +2.33%), Apple (AAPL +1.50%), Microsoft (MSFT -0.63%), Broadcom (AVGO -0.60%), and Amazon (AMZN +1.61%). As one of the best-performing ETFs, it boasts an affordable expense ratio of 0.18%.

As of May 2026, the Invesco QQQ Trust had generated a total return of around 580% over the past decade. A $10,000 investment made in this ETF 10 years ago would be worth more than $67,864 today.

The Nasdaq-100’s focus on innovative technology companies positions it to continue delivering strong total returns, especially as artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates growth in the tech sector in the coming years.

3. Vanguard Growth ETF

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VUG

NYSEMKT: VUG

Vanguard Growth ETF

Today’s Change

(1.10%) $0.95

Current Price

$87.51

If you want to invest in growth stocks but don’t want to be an active stock picker, the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG +1.10%) makes that easy. The ETF holds large-cap growth stocks and tracks the CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index.

Like Invesco QQQ Trust and Vanguard S&P 500, the Vanguard Growth ETF’s biggest holdings are Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft. The growth-focused ETF also held many other growth stocks among the roughly 150 companies in the fund as of May 2026. The Vanguard Growth ETF offers a rock-bottom expense ratio of just 0.03%. Its low cost makes it a good deal for anyone looking for a growth stock ETF.

4. iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF

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IJR

NYSEMKT: IJR

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF

Today’s Change

(-0.38%) $-0.51

Current Price

$135.28

The iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR -0.38%) provides broad exposure to small-cap stocks. Small caps tend to be more volatile than the broader market because they may be less profitable or less financially strong than their large-cap counterparts. As a result, small caps tend to be riskier during a downturn because they may not have the same access to capital.

This ETF helps mute some of that risk by holding a large basket of small-cap stocks. As of May 2026, it held around 640 stocks and had a fairly low concentration of holdings. Its top 10 holdings made roughly 6% of the total. The ETF has a very low expense ratio of 0.06%, making it a low-cost way to add some small-cap exposure to your portfolio.

5. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

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SCHD

NYSEMKT: SCHD

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Today’s Change

(-0.03%) $-0.01

Current Price

$31.75

Dividend stocks are great long-term investments. Over the last 50 years, dividend-paying companies outperformed nondividend payers by more than 2-to-1 (9.2% average annual total return versus 4.2% for nondividend payers). The best performance came from dividend growers and initiators (10.2% versus 6.9% for companies with no change in their dividend policy).

The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD -0.03%) provides exposure to high-yielding U.S. stocks with a history of dividend growth. It tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100, which measures the performance of 100 top dividend stocks based on several quality characteristics. Among its 10 largest holdings in early May 2026 were notable dividend payers PepsiCo (PEP -1.70%) and Chevron (CVX -0.04%).

The ETF offers a relatively attractive dividend yield. As of May 2026, it had a trailing-12-month yield of 3.4%, triple the 1.1% dividend yield of an S&P 500 index fund. And thanks to its low expense ratio of 0.06%, investors keep more of the ETF’s dividend income. The fund should also deliver price appreciation as the underlying companies grow their earnings and dividends.

6. Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

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NYSEMKT: VTI

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF

Today’s Change

(0.53%) $1.92

Current Price

$364.71

Although the S&P 500 is considered a broad-market index, it gives you exposure to only 500 large-cap U.S. stocks. If you want to own all the stocks in the U.S. market, the best way to do it is through a total stock market fund such as the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI +0.53%).

As of May 2026, the fund held more than 3,500 companies, including large-, mid-, and small-cap stocks. Because its holdings encompass the S&P 500, its largest positions are the same as for the broad market index.

Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF aims to track the CRSP U.S. Total Stock Market index. Like other Vanguard funds, its low 0.03% expense ratio makes it an affordable way to invest in the entire U.S. stock market through a single ETF.

7. iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF

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NASDAQ: IXUS

iShares Trust – iShares Core Msci Total International Stock ETF

Today’s Change

(1.04%) $0.98

Current Price

$95.60

If it’s international markets you want, the iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF (IXUS +1.04%) is a good way to go. The fund derives its holdings from an MSCI global index and subtracts the U.S. listings. It holds about 4,160 stocks, including large-, mid-, and small-cap companies from around the world.

The ETF offers diversified international exposure. Its top five geographies as of May 2026 were:

• Japan: 14.6% of the fund’s holdings
• United Kingdom: 8.4%
• Taiwan: 8.3%
• Canada: 8.1%
• China: 6.8%

The iShares Core MSCI Total International Stock ETF allows you to invest globally at an affordable expense ratio of 0.07%. It also has an attractive dividend yield of 3.2% based on the last 12 months of dividend payments (as of May 2026).

Tax considerations for ETFs

ETFs tend to be more tax-efficient compared to mutual funds. However, investors still need to keep taxes in mind when holding an ETF in a regular brokerage account.

Investors will pay two types of taxes on ETFs that hold stocks or bonds:

• Taxes on income: ETFs that hold dividend-paying stocks must distribute the income from those dividends to investors at least once each year. The IRS taxes Qualified dividends at the lower federal long-term capital gains rates of 0%, 15%, or 20%, while taxing non-qualified dividends and interest income from bonds as ordinary income, up to 37%.
• Taxes on capital gains: If you sell an equity or bond ETF, you’ll pay taxes on the gain depending on how long you held the fund and your annual income. ETFs held for more than a year get taxed at the lower federal long-term capital gains rates of 0%, 15%, or 20%. Meanwhile, the IRS taxes funds held less than a year at the short-term capital gains rate, which is the same as your ordinary tax rate (up to 37%).

Types of ETFs

There are several types of ETFs that investors can buy, including:

• Broad index funds: Many of the largest ETFs track a broad market index, such as the S&P 500 or the Nasdaq-100. These funds enable investors to gain diversified market exposure through a single low-cost fund.
• Sector ETFs: These ETFs focus on stocks in a specific stock market sector, such as technology, energy, or healthcare.
• Asset-focused funds: These funds invest in a specific asset class, such as government bonds, dividend stocks, small-cap stocks, or commodities.
• Thematic ETFs: Thematic funds invest in themes such as semiconductor stocks, artificial intelligence (AI), international stocks, or clean energy.

How to choose an ETF

You should evaluate the following factors when choosing an ETF:

• Whether the investment strategy (i.e., growth, income, or specific theme) fits your needs
• How the ETF’s expense ratio compares to similar funds
• Its past performance compared to similar funds and its benchmark
• Its size and trading volume versus other similar funds.
• Whether it uses any leverage

Should you invest in ETFs?

Exchange-traded funds can work for almost any kind of investor, regardless of your investing style or the type of stocks you’re looking to invest in. Hundreds of ETFs offer exposure to a wide range of sectors and investment goals, including dividend and growth strategies. These funds have several benefits, including:

• Potentially lower risk and less volatility compared to investing in individual stocks.
• A passive investment with a low management fee.
• Built-in diversification from day one.
• Targeted investment in a trend or theme through a simple investment vehicle.
• Liquidity (ETFs trade like stocks).
• Very transparent investments.
• A possible source of passive income, depending on the ETF’s investment strategy.

However, there are also some drawbacks to investing in ETFs that investors need to consider, including:

• They have the potential to underperform a portfolio of individual stocks.
• The higher management fees of some funds can eat into their returns.
• Leverage and other factors can cause some funds to deliver poor long-term performance.

For most investors, holding at least one or two high-quality ETFs makes sense, especially if you want to eliminate some of the work of picking individual stocks. The list above offers a good starting point if you’re looking for the best ETFs to buy.

Tips for Investing in ETFs

Here are some practical tips and strategies for investing in ETFs:

• Invest in a low-cost index fund to gain broad exposure to the stock market.
• Avoid small ETFs (with assets under management of less than $200 million) due to their greater risk of manipulation and closure.
• Look for ETFs with expense ratios well below 1%.
• Use ETFs to target themes you believe will deliver long-term outperformance (e.g., AI-focused funds or clean energy ETFs).
• Avoid most funds that use leverage to increase returns.
• Use ETFs to increase your portfolio diversification (e.g., bond ETFs and international stock ETFs).