Top Performing Larger Company Exchange-Traded Funds in September 2025

In the world of investing, large-cap ETFs continue to be a popular choice for many investors. These exchange-traded funds invest in the market's largest companies, where the total value of all the company's stock is more than $20 billion.

One of the most well-known collections of large-caps is the Standard & Poor's 500 index, which includes about 500 of America's largest companies. However, for those seeking specific investment strategies within the large-cap segment, there are several options available.

The Invesco S&P 500 Pure Value ETF (RPV) tracks the S&P 500 Pure Value Index, which includes S&P 500 stocks that score well on value for metrics such as price to earnings ratio, price to sales, and price to book value. With a 2025 YTD performance of 10.1 percent, a historical performance of 16.1 percent over 5 years, and an expense ratio of 0.35 percent, RPV offers a value-focused large-cap investment option.

If you're looking for growth and stability, you can split the difference between large-caps and small-caps by focusing on the best mid-cap ETFs. For instance, the Pacer U.S. Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) includes the top 100 companies in the Russell 1000 Index, weights them by their free cash flow yield, and has a 2025 YTD performance of 3.3 percent, a historical performance of 16.9 percent over 5 years, and an expense ratio of 0.49 percent.

For those seeking higher returns and a bit more risk, the Invesco S&P 500 High Beta ETF (SPHB) and the Invesco S&P 500 Momentum ETF (SPMO) could be attractive options. SPHB, with a 2025 YTD performance of 20.4 percent, a historical performance of 20.1 percent over 5 years, and an expense ratio of 0.25 percent, focuses on high-beta stocks. On the other hand, SPMO, with a 2025 YTD performance of 24.5 percent, a historical performance of 19.6 percent over 5 years, and an expense ratio of 0.13 percent, focuses on momentum stocks.

Large-cap companies tend to be less volatile than their small-cap cousins, making them a bit better for risk-averse investors. They also have access to their own cash and can often raise money on favorable terms. Moreover, large-cap companies tend to grow less quickly but tend to be cash cows, often returning much of their earnings to shareholders through dividends.

In 2025, among the top-performing large-capitalization ETFs in the US markets were thematic ETFs focused on miners and technology sectors, such as the Themes Gold Miners ETF (AUMI) and iShares MSCI Global Silver and Metals Miners ETF (SLVP). Other notable top performers included mid-cap blend and innovation-focused ETFs like Adaptiv Select ETF (ADPV) and ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF (ARKX).

It's essential to remember that, like any kind of investment, large-cap ETFs don't come without risk, even if those risks tend to be lower than for other types of stocks, such as small- and mid-cap stocks. A portfolio of large-cap stocks such as the S&P 500 has generated returns of about 10 percent annually over long periods.

Lastly, large-cap companies range from under-the-radar picks to household names like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. Investing in large-cap ETFs allows investors to own some of the world's most successful companies without having to analyze individual companies and pick the winners. Moreover, large-cap ETFs can help investors buy that segment of the market without having to do extensive research on their investment.

In conclusion, large-cap ETFs offer a diverse range of investment opportunities within the large-cap segment. Whether you're seeking value, growth, stability, or thematic investments, there's a large-cap ETF to suit your investment style and goals.