Meet the Vanguard ETF That's Crushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 Despite Not Owning Micron, Sandisk, or Any of the "Magnificent Seven" Stocks
Yahoo Finance ·
Sandisk ( SNDK +8.88% ) has been by far the best-performing S&P 500 ( ^GSPC -0.52% ) stock in 2026 with a 544% year to date gain as of the market close on Aug. 13. Sandisk is followed by Dell Technologies , Seagate Technology , Micron Technology ( MU +4.13% ) -- which now has a market cap of more than $1 trillion -- Intel , Western Digital , Marvell Technology , Hewlett Packard Enterprise , Lumentum , and Advanced Micro Devices . So the 10 best-performing S&P 500 stocks are all tech stocks with significant exposure to the boom in artificial intelligence (AI) spending. Given that concentration, you may think that large-cap tech stocks are driving the market to new heights. But surprisingly, small-cap stocks are outperforming mid-, large-, and mega-cap stocks in 2026 -- as well as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 -- which is the largest non-financial companies by market cap in the Nasdaq Composite ( ^IXIC -0.32% ) Here's why the Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF ( VB -0.43% ) presents one of the best ways to invest in small-cap stocks , and why the exchange-traded fund could be a buy now. In 2022, the S&P 500 fell 19%, and the Nasdaq-100 fell 33%, as investors questioned valuations and digested inflationary pressures. But on Nov. 30, 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT for free. What has followed has been nothing short of paradigm-shifting momentum in the U.S. stock market -- driven largely by artificial intelligence (AI), the technology sector, and mega-cap growth stocks.
AI 시장 분석
In 2026, while AI-related tech stocks are showing a strong surge with Sandisk soaring 544% within the S&P 500, small-cap stocks are outperforming large-cap stocks, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq-100 to lead the market. In this market environment, small-cap investment products such as the Vanguard Morningstar Small-Cap ETF (VB) are gaining attention. Investors need to review diversified investment opportunities across small-caps, moving away from heavy concentration in large-cap tech stocks.
상승 영향
- Small-caps — As the benefits of the AI boom spread beyond large-caps to small-caps, recording performance that outperforms the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, investment appeal has increased.
- AI — Explosive AI spending benefits for tech stocks like Sandisk (up 544%), Micron, and Dell are expected to drive revenue growth across the related ecosystem.
하락 영향
- Large-caps — As market leadership shifts from mega-cap growth stocks to small-caps, they are under pressure of relative performance stagnation.
DYAX 전담 분석
As of August 13, 2026, even though the top 10 S&P 500 stocks are filled with AI-related tech stocks, a phenomenon is emerging where small-caps, rather than large-caps, are outperforming market indices. This suggests that the warmth of the AI boom is spreading to lower value chains and the small-cap sector.
In the bullish scenario, the expansion of AI investment could lead to improved earnings across small-cap tech stocks, driving further gains for small-cap ETFs. In the bearish scenario, volatility could expand if interest rate and inflation pressures re-emerge. Key monitoring indicators are small-cap earnings growth rates and the valuation gap compared to large-caps.
AI가 생성한 분석으로 투자 자문이 아닙니다.
DYAX Investor Sentiment
Bullish (Long) 56% · Bearish (Short) 44%
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