How Can I Beat the S&P 500? What the Evidence Says
The honest answer to the most asked question in investing: how many people beat the index, why it is so hard, why investors trail even their own funds, and how daily market context fits in.
Microchip Technology Incorporated, technology (market value $42.3 billion), a member of the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq‑100: how it compared with the S&P 500, how it behaved in every crash since 2008, its risk‑adjusted returns and what analysts said. Returns to Oct 30, 2026; analyst data as of Nov 9, 2026.
What do the best‑ranked analysts on MCHP say now? See it in Exent Gems →
Over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026, Microchip Technology Incorporated (MCHP) returned +16.4% including dividends, versus +75.9% for the S&P 500 (SPY). It lagged the index by 59.5 percentage points, or +3.1% a year against +12.0%.
| Period | MCHP | S&P 500 | MCHP per year | S&P 500 per year | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year | +27.1% | +12.0% | +27.1% | +12.0% | Beat |
| 3 years | +17.0% | +87.4% | +5.4% | +23.3% | Lagged |
| 5 years | +16.4% | +75.9% | +3.1% | +12.0% | Lagged |
| 10 years | +208.5% | +316.3% | +11.9% | +15.3% | Lagged |
Total return with dividends reinvested, from month-end prices to Oct 30, 2026. Beating the index on raw return is only half the story: the next section adjusts for the risk taken. See also how to beat the S&P 500.
MCHP is in the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq‑100 (members as of Oct 20, 2026); the lists show every member’s return against the index.
In the 12 months to 30 days ago, 24 analysts published 238 ratings on MCHP. Their latest calls were 78% Buy, 22% Hold and 0% Sell. 23 of them rank 4★ or higher in Exent’s analyst scoring, which is based on each analyst’s past price‑target hit rate and returns.
The consensus 12‑month price target was $100.60 (range $88.00–$120.00), +66.7% from the last price. Remember that the average analyst’s target is hit only about half the time: how accurate are price targets?
| Top‑ranked analyst covering | Firm | Stars | Price‑target hit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 67.3% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 60.0% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 63.2% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 59.0% |
| ??? | ??? | 5.0★ | 69.3% |
Other analysts covering MCHP: Melissa Fairbanks · Mark Lipacis · Matthew Prisco · Blayne Curtis · Thomas O'Malley · Joshua Buchalter
Ratings are shown with a 30‑day delay. Who the top‑ranked analysts on MCHP are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts are in Exent Gems.
The average analyst’s target is reached about 53.1% of the time; Exent Gems is built on the top 50 of Exent’s ranking,where some reached 90% or more over the last two years. Unlock the top 50 analysts.
MCHP beat the S&P 500 in 5 of the 9 full calendar years shown.
| Year | MCHP | S&P 500 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to Oct 30, 2026) | +23.4% | +11.7% | +11.7% |
| 2025 | +14.6% | +17.7% | −3.1% |
| 2024 | −35.0% | +24.9% | −59.9% |
| 2023 | +30.9% | +26.2% | +4.7% |
| 2022 | −18.0% | −18.2% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | +27.5% | +28.7% | −1.2% |
| 2020 | +33.7% | +18.3% | +15.4% |
| 2019 | +48.1% | +31.2% | +16.9% |
| 2018 | −16.7% | −4.6% | −12.1% |
| 2017 | +39.5% | +21.7% | +17.8% |
Over 5 years, MCHP had a Sharpe ratio of 0.19 against 0.58 for the S&P 500, so it earned less return per unit of risk than the index. Its annualized volatility was 43.8% and its beta 1.84: it tended to move about 1.8× as much as the market.
| Metric | MCHP | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Annual return | +3.1% | +12.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 43.8% | 15.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.19 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.33 | 0.91 |
| Max drawdown (month-end) | −51.7% | −23.9% |
| Beta to the S&P 500 | 1.84 | 1.00 |
MCHP’s deepest fall in the crises below was −56.5% in the global financial crisis (2007–09), against −56.5% for the S&P 500. The last column turns that into money: what a $100,000 position would have lost from peak to trough.
| Crisis | MCHP | S&P 500 | Loss on $100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global financial crisis (2007–09) | −56.5% | −56.5% | −$56,480 |
| 2018 trade-war selloff | −26.5% | −20.2% | −$26,480 |
| COVID crash (Feb–Mar 2020) | −49.2% | −34.1% | −$49,210 |
| 2022 inflation bear market | −36.2% | −25.4% | −$36,200 |
| 2025 tariff selloff | −45.0% | −19.0% | −$45,040 |
| Window | MCHP max drawdown |
|---|---|
| Last 1 year | −34.4% |
| Last 3 years | −63.8% |
| Last 5 years | −63.8% |
| Last 10 years | −64.5% |
Peak‑to‑trough declines from daily prices inside each crisis window. A crash replay does not predict the next crisis; it shows how much room a holding needs. Run the same replay on a whole portfolio with the crash test.
Correlation runs from −1 (moves opposite) to +1 (moves in lockstep). Over the last 60 months of monthly returns, MCHP’s correlation with the S&P 500 was 0.65, with the Nasdaq‑100 0.66, with long Treasuries (TLT) 0.36 and with gold (GLD) 0.06.
Adding a 5% MCHP position to an S&P 500 portfolio would have moved its 5‑year volatility from 15.5% to 16.2%.
| Least correlated large caps | Correlation | Most correlated large caps | Correlation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MRK | −0.17 | TXN | 0.80 |
| REGN | −0.11 | ADI | 0.80 |
| CME | −0.11 | AMD | 0.60 |
| BMY | −0.08 | LRCX | 0.59 |
| MCK | −0.08 | WDC | 0.59 |
Holdings that are highly correlated behave like one position in a selloff. See how to find hidden overlap.
| Date | Rating and target | Analyst |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 6 | Target cut Buy | Blayne Curtis |
| Nov 6 | Target cut Buy | Melissa Fairbanks |
| Nov 6 | Target cut Hold | Joseph Quatrochi |
| Nov 6 | Target cut Buy | James Schneider |
| Nov 6 | Target cut Buy | Vivek Arya |
| Nov 6 | Target cut Buy | Tore Svanberg |
| Nov 6 | New coverage Buy | Craig Ellis |
| Nov 6 | Target cut Hold | Thomas O'Malley |
| Nov 5 | Target cut Buy | Matthew Prisco |
| Oct 22 | Target cut Buy | Craig Ellis |
| Oct 20 | Target cut Hold | Joseph Quatrochi |
Named analysts’ rating and price‑target changes on MCHP in the 5 weeks to Oct 12, 2026, shown 30 days after publication (the free analysts’ calls 3 days after). The top‑ranked analysts’ calls are in Exent Gems. See all of the latest analyst upgrades and downgrades.
Of the 461 analyst price targets on MCHP set from 2019 until a year ago, 67.7% were reached within 12 months (data to Oct 20, 2026), 0.9 points below the 68.6% hit rate of the median stock in Exent’s study of 794 stocks. Targets that were reached took a median of 71 days. The median target sat 18.3% above the share price on the day it was set.
Where analysts said MCHP would be by now: a year ago, 13 analysts had a price target on MCHP, and the median of their latest targets was $75.00. On Oct 20, 2026 MCHP closed at $75.85, 1.1% above it.
| After | Calls | Move on the call | 3 months vs S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upgrades of MCHP | 14 | +1.8% | +2.4% |
| Upgrades, all stocks | 11,514 | +2.5% | +3.4% |
| Downgrades of MCHP | 7 | −2.8% | −3.4% |
| Downgrades, all stocks | 10,700 | −3.0% | −1.6% |
The move on the call runs from the close before the rating change to the close after it; the last column is the stock’s return minus the S&P 500’s over the next three months. Averages of rating changes on MCHP through Sep 15, 2026; analysts are not named here. Do analyst upgrades move stocks?
MCHP beat the consensus earnings‑per‑share estimate in 9 of its last 12 quarterly reports, through the one on Aug 6, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 7 of 12. From the close before each report to the close after it, the stock moved 6.1% on average, up or down, against 6.8% for the average report across the 1,002 US stocks Exent tracks. It rose after 4 of the 12 reports. In 7 of the 9 beats the stock still fell.
| Report | EPS vs estimate | Revenue vs estimate | Stock move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 6, 2026 | $0.76 vs $0.70 | +1.8% | +8.9% |
| May 7, 2026 | $0.57 vs $0.51 | +3.8% | −3.7% |
| Feb 5, 2026 | $0.44 vs $0.43 | +0.2% | −2.8% |
| Nov 6, 2025 | $0.35 vs $0.33 | +0.7% | −7.4% |
| Aug 7, 2025 | $0.27 vs $0.24 | +1.7% | −6.5% |
| May 8, 2025 | $0.11 vs $0.10 | +0.8% | +15.1% |
| Feb 6, 2025 | $0.20 vs $0.28 | −1.9% | −3.0% |
| Nov 5, 2024 | $0.46 vs $0.43 | +1.0% | −1.0% |
Reported earnings per share against the consensus estimate, revenue surprise in percent, and the stock’s price change over the two sessions around the report. How stocks move after earnings
In fiscal 2026, MCHP’s largest segment was Semiconductor Products Member, with 96.5% of $4.7 billion revenue (+6.5% on the year before).
| Segment | Revenue | Share | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semiconductor Products Member | $4.5 billion | 96.5% | +6.5% |
| Technology Licensing Member | $163.8 million | 3.5% | +24.9% |
From MCHP’s annual filings; segment growth compares fiscal 2026 with the year before. Regions are as each company reports them, so one company’s “Asia Pacific” is not another’s. China counts the regions a company reports as China, Greater China or Hong Kong; a separately reported Taiwan is not counted. Which S&P 500 companies depend most on China?
As of Oct 20, 2026, 12 members of Congress had disclosed 52 trades in MCHP (25 buys and 27 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate. The latest public trade is dated Aug 10, 2026.
| Trade date | Member | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 10, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Buy | $50,001–$100,000 |
| Jul 7, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Sale | $50,001–$100,000 |
| Jun 30, 2026 | Gilbert Cisneros | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| May 1, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| May 1, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Sale | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Ro Khanna | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
| Mar 27, 2026 | Alan Armstrong | Buy | $1,001–$15,000 |
Amounts are the ranges members report, not exact values. The STOCK Act gives members up to 45 days to disclose a trade, so trades appear weeks after they are made. See every member’s disclosed trades
2 trades in MCHP disclosed in the last 30 days are in Exent Radar.
In the 12 months to Oct 20, 2026, MCHP insiders made no open‑market purchases and 21 sales worth $71.1 million, according to SEC Form 4 filings. The last open‑market purchase on record was on Jun 17, 2022.
After the 2 insider purchases of $10,000 or more since 2012, MCHP beat the S&P 500 by an average of 15.5 percentage points over the next 12 months; every one was followed by a beat (a small sample). Across all 17,865 insider purchases in Exent’s study, the average was +17.2% and the median +1.0% against the index.
| Date | Insider | Role | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 17, 2022 | Moorthy Ganesh | President & CEO | $169,801 |
| Aug 14, 2018 | Moorthy Ganesh | Coo | $1.0 million |
| Jun 15, 2011 | Meyercord Wade F | Director | $7,200 |
| Dec 1, 2008 | Meyercord Wade F | Director | $35,600 |
| Nov 19, 2008 | Meyercord Wade F | Director | $17,790 |
The table lists the latest open‑market purchases on record, leaving out the last 30 days. The chart counts Form 4 purchases and sales by calendar quarter. Purchases are open‑market buys; sales include planned sales under 10b5‑1 trading plans. Do insider buys beat the market?
As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 6.26% of MCHP’s float was sold short: 33.3 million shares, or 3.8 days of average trading volume to cover. A year earlier (Oct 15, 2025) it was 4.37%. The median across the 997 US stocks Exent tracks was 4.77%, so MCHP is more heavily shorted than most.
From FINRA short‑interest reports, filed twice a month; the bars show the short share of the float at each month‑end. Days to cover divides the shares short by the average daily volume. The most shorted stocks
At the end of Q2 2026 (Jun 30, 2026), 1,362 institutions reported holding MCHP in 13F filings, up 127 from the quarter before and up from 1,191 a year earlier. Their reported holdings add up to 100.6% of MCHP’s shares. In the quarter 682 institutions added to their positions and 449 cut them.
Investment managers with over $100 million in US equities file 13F reports within 45 days of each quarter end, so this is the latest complete quarter. Holdings can add up to more than 100% when shares are lent and counted twice. Which stocks institutions are buying and selling
MCHP’s diluted share count rose 1.2% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2026 and rose 2.0% in fiscal 2026 alone. Each share now owns a smaller slice of the company. The median change across the 1,005 US stocks Exent tracks was −0.1%.
Stock‑based compensation was $255.4 million in fiscal 2026, 5.4% of revenue. MCHP spent $182.1 million buying back shares, a buyback yield of 0.46% of its market value; stock pay equaled 140.3% of the buybacks.
Weighted‑average diluted shares from MCHP’s annual income statements; stock‑based compensation and buybacks from its cash‑flow statement. Stock dilution and stock‑based compensation, explained
In Exent’s Oct 20, 2026 snapshot, MCHP’s Altman Z‑score was 4.21, in the safe zone (where 465 of the 794 non‑financial US stocks Exent tracks sit). Its Piotroski F‑score was 7 out of 9; 40% of scored stocks reach 7 or more.
The Altman Z‑score combines five balance‑sheet and earnings ratios into one bankruptcy‑risk score: below 1.81 is the distress zone, 1.81–2.99 grey, above 2.99 safe. It is not meaningful for banks, insurers and REITs. The Piotroski F‑score counts nine yes/no tests of profitability, leverage and efficiency; 8–9 is strong, 0–2 weak. Both come from the latest annual statements. Which stocks have the highest bankruptcy risk?
On its latest earnings call (Aug 6, 2026), MCHP’s executives and analysts mentioned AI 9 times, against 1 on the call before (Feb 5, 2026); the average across 455 S&P 500 calls that quarter was 12.9. After AI, the most mentioned topic was data centers (46). Tariffs and recession did not come up.
| Mentions | Aug ’26 | Feb ’26 | Nov ’25 | Aug ’25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI | 9 | 1 | 11 | 19 |
| AI agents | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Data centers | 46 | 15 | 29 | 6 |
| Tariffs | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 |
| China | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Recession | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Word counts in the full transcript of each call, prepared remarks and Q&A, newest first. “AI” also counts generative AI and large language models; “AI agents” counts agentic AI. Which companies talk most about AI?
As of Oct 20, 2026, 66 of the 304 ETFs Exent tracks held MCHP. Its largest weight is in PSI (Invesco Semiconductors ETF), at 2.94% of the fund.
| ETF | Fund | Weight of MCHP |
|---|---|---|
| PSI | Invesco Semiconductors ETF | 2.94% |
| SOXX | iShares Semiconductor ETF | 2.22% |
| SOXQ | Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF | 1.87% |
| DTCR | Global X Data Center & Digital Infrastructure ETF | 1.74% |
| IWP | iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF | 1.18% |
| QTUM | Defiance Quantum ETF | 1.07% |
| VOT | Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Fund | 1.00% |
| SMH | VanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.83% |
Owning several of these funds stacks the same position. How much do VOO, QQQ and VTI overlap?
Steve Sanghi, MCHP’s Chair of the Board, CEO and President, received total pay of $40.5 million for fiscal 2026, up 89.1% from $21.4 million for fiscal 2025, according to the company’s proxy statement filed with the SEC on Jul 6, 2026. 95% of it came as stock and option awards, valued when they were granted rather than when they pay out. The median CEO pay across the 378 S&P 500 companies Exent tracks was $17.2 million, so MCHP’s CEO earned 2.4 times as much.
| Pay component | Amount | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Salary | $961,616 | 2.4% |
| Bonus | $14,730 | 0.0% |
| Stock and option awards | $38.3 million | 94.5% |
| Incentive plan (cash) | $1.2 million | 3.0% |
| Other | $18,447 | 0.0% |
| Other top executives | Role | Total pay, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Richard J. Simoncic | Chief Operating Officer | $4.0 million |
| J. Eric Bjornholt | Senior Corporate VP and CFO | $2.6 million |
| Mathew B. Bunker | Senior Corporate VP, Operations | $2.1 million |
| Joseph R. Krawczyk | Senior Corporate VP, Worldwide Client Engagement | $1.8 million |
Figures from the summary compensation table of the proxy statement; awards count at their grant‑date value, so one large multi‑year grant can make a single year stand out. CEO pay across the S&P 500
Exent matches every holding to the index with the most similar risk. For MCHP that is QQQ (the Nasdaq‑100). Comparing a holding with an index that carries very different risk makes good results look bad and risky ones look clever. Read why the S&P 500 is the wrong benchmark for most portfolios.
| Ticker | Name | 5‑year return | Volatility (5y) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAPL | Apple Inc. | +135.9% | 28.0% |
| NVDA | NVIDIA Corporation | +704.3% | 51.1% |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corporation | +64.0% | 26.5% |
| AVGO | Broadcom Inc. | +570.0% | 44.7% |
| MU | Micron Technology, Inc. | +1,211% | 51.9% |
| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | +319.9% | 58.3% |
| PLTR | Palantir Technologies Inc. | +611.4% | 64.4% |
| ORCL | Oracle Corporation | +45.7% | 40.4% |
Returns are total returns from month‑end adjusted closing prices (dividends reinvested) through Oct 30, 2026. Crisis drawdowns and trailing maximum drawdowns use daily prices. Analyst coverage counts ratings published in the last 12 months, shown with a 30‑day delay. Full method: Exent methodology.
Company data as of Oct 20, 2026. The move around an earnings report runs from the close before it to the close after it; a price target counts as hit when the stock closed at or beyond it within 12 months (Exent analyst data). Revenue by region and segment, share counts and executive pay come from company filings; insider trades from SEC Form 4, short interest from FINRA, institutional ownership from 13F filings, Congress trades from STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate, federal contracts from USAspending.gov. Filings from the last 30 days are shown as counts only.
Past performance does not guarantee future results. Historical figures are calculated by Exent from market data and are for education only; they are not investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.
Wall Street’s average MCHP price target is 66.7% above the latest share price. See what the best‑ranked analysts on MCHP say now in Exent Gems.
No. MCHP returned +208.5% (+11.9% a year) over the 10 years to Oct 30, 2026, versus +316.3% (+15.3% a year) for the S&P 500, including dividends.
Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, MCHP (Microchip Technology Incorporated) is one of the 503 stocks in the S&P 500. It is also in the Nasdaq-100.
Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, MCHP (Microchip Technology Incorporated) is one of the 101 stocks in the Nasdaq-100.
MCHP fell −56.5% from peak to trough during the global financial crisis (2007–09), versus −56.5% for the S&P 500.
MCHP fell −49.2% from peak to trough during the covid crash (feb–mar 2020), versus −34.1% for the S&P 500.
MCHP fell −36.2% from peak to trough during the 2022 inflation bear market, versus −25.4% for the S&P 500.
Over the 5 years to Oct 30, 2026, MCHP’s Sharpe ratio was 0.19 and its Sortino ratio 0.33, versus 0.58 and 0.91 for the S&P 500.
MCHP’s 5‑year annualized volatility was 43.5%, higher than the S&P 500’s 17.0%, with a beta of 1.84.
Among large US stocks, the lowest correlations with MCHP over the last 60 months were MRK (−0.17), REGN (−0.11), CME (−0.11). Its correlation with long Treasuries (TLT) was 0.36 and with gold (GLD) 0.06.
MCHP beat the consensus earnings-per-share estimate in 9 of its last 12 quarterly reports through Aug 6, 2026, and the revenue estimate in 7 of 12. The stock moved 6.1% on average, up or down, from the close before each report to the close after it.
Steve Sanghi, MCHP’s Chair of the Board, CEO and President, received $40.5 million in total pay for fiscal 2026, including a $961,616 salary and $38.3 million in stock and option awards valued at grant, according to the proxy statement filed with the SEC on Jul 6, 2026. The median S&P 500 CEO received $17.2 million.
Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, 12 members of Congress had disclosed 52 trades in MCHP (25 buys and 27 sales) in STOCK Act disclosures filed with the House and Senate.
As of the Sep 30, 2026 settlement date, 6.26% of MCHP’s float was sold short (33.3 million shares, 3.8 days to cover), according to FINRA short-interest reports. A year earlier it was 4.37%.
Yes. MCHP’s diluted share count rose 1.2% over the five fiscal years to fiscal 2026 and rose 2.0% in the latest year. Stock-based compensation was 5.4% of revenue, and buybacks totaled $182.1 million.
Exent ranks Wall Street analysts by their track record. Gems shows who the top‑ranked analysts on MCHP are, their latest calls and the stocks where several of them agree.
Educational content, not investment advice. Examples are illustrative; past performance does not guarantee future results.