Even with the surge in popularity of passive investing, there remains an increasing appetite for actively managed exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Passive investment strategies focusing on index-based ETFs certainly have their appeal due to simplicity, effectiveness, and particularly because they keep expenses minimal. As numerous S&P 500 index ETFs continue pushing down their total expense ratios towards zero, now might be one of the best moments ever to adopt a more hands-off strategy.
In essence, passively managed ETFs can be somewhat unremarkable and generally fail to captivate investors looking for ways to outperform the overall market. Moreover, actively managed ETFs might struggle to compete with their passively managed peers.
Nevertheless, the costs associated with numerous actively managed ETFs aren’t excessively steep. Given the excitement of possibly outperforming the stock market each year, I believe certain actively managed ETFs deserve attention, particularly those offering accessible entry points.
Certainly, relying solely on historical stock or fund performance will not help you identify a winning long-term investment. Regarding actively managed ETFs, even those with outstanding returns usually gravitate towards average performances over time. As such, an ETF that excelled last year cannot be counted upon to maintain its strong track record into this year.
In either case, should you come across a fund whose approach appeals to you and charges fees below 1%, incorporating an active ETF into your investment mix could prove quite beneficial. This article will look at two actively managed ETFs that outperformed the S&P 500 over the past year and assess their prospects as we enter this fresh year.
Key Points
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A number of Cathie Wood’s ARK funds experienced significant growth last year. Will she be able to maintain this superior performance compared to the S&P 500 throughout 2025?
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Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW)
Cathie Wood's ARK funds began gaining significant momentum last year, particularly with the Next Generation Internet ARK ETF (NYSEARCA:ARKW) saw an impressive increase of almost 50% over the previous year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500, which only managed returns slightly above 20%. Clearly, it’s still early days to determine whether Cathie Wood can consistently stay ahead of the S&P 500 for several more years following what could be considered a prolonged pause.
It’s easy to envision that the impact of disruptive technologies might further boost market performance. With artificial intelligence and other rising technological advancements fueling the technology and growth sectors, I think Wood's portfolios have the potential to keep benefiting from this trend. Certainly, should we move into an era where tech once again distinguishes itself as superior compared to the broader markets,Wood will likely face significant challenges but also opportunities to demonstrate her prowess.
Given Wood’s proactive strategy and her enthusiasm for purchasing undervalued assets, she might manage to get an edge over some of the more laid-back technology investment options available. Regardless, her upcoming internet-focused fund, bolstered by last year’s profits from Bitcoin, could potentially make significant strides. Tesla ( NASDAQ:TSLA ), and Coinbase (NASDAQ:COIN) appears to be gaining significant traction.
We'll have to wait and see if ARKW can manage another year of outperforming the S&P 500. Should the cryptocurrency market remain robust and Woods continue making savvy moves, it seems likely that the fund’s prospects would look favorable. However, unless you're confident in Woods' strategy and can tolerate fluctuations, holding onto ARKW through 2025 might prove challenging.
The ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics Exchange-Traded Fund (ARKQ)
In my opinion, the The ARK Autonomous Technology and Robotics Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) (ARKQ) stands out as one of the most exciting parts of the ARK basket, given the rise of autonomous robotaxis, physical artificial intelligence (AI), and increased automation in the workplace. If anything, the ARKQ is the most ready for the next chapter in the AI story.
Just as anticipated, Cathie Wood’s preferred stock, Tesla, stands out as one of the leading holdings within the ETF, accounting for over 15% of the overall portfolio. This significant investment in TSLA is largely responsible for ARKQ outperforming the S&P 500 substantially; in 2024 alone, it surged almost 40%. Should robotics take center stage in 2025, ARKQ seems primed to keep up this growth trend. However, the key uncertainty lies in whether it will achieve fresh record-breaking levels.
If I had to place my bets on an ARK fund, it would definitely be the ARKQ. Although I remain somewhat skeptical about whether Cathie Wood has made her return, another year of outperforming the markets might once again draw significant attention, much like it did towards the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. Is 2025 going to mark the resurgence of actively managed ETFs? Only time will tell what impact novel AI-led advancements will have.
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