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.
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Q Stock vs the S&P 500: Returns, Risk and Crash History
Qnity Electronics, Inc., technology (market value $24.9 billion), an S&P 500 member: how it compared with the S&P 500, how it behaved in every crash since 2008, its risk‑adjusted returns and what analysts said. Data as of Sep 30, 2026.
Key takeaways
- Q has traded only since October 2025, so it has no full 1‑year record against the S&P 500 yet.
- 10 analysts rated it in the past year; 100% of their latest calls were Buy.
Did Q beat the S&P 500?
There is not yet enough price history to compare Q with the S&P 500 over full periods.
Q is in the S&P 500 (members as of Oct 20, 2026); the list shows every member’s return against the index.
How Q behaved in past crashes
Q began trading in October 2025, after the crises this page replays (2008 to 2025) and has less than a year of prices, so it has no drawdown history yet.
What Wall Street analysts say about Q
In the 12 months to 30 days ago, 10 analysts published 99 ratings on Q. Their latest calls were 100% Buy, 0% Hold and 0% Sell. 5 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 $139.38 (range $130.00–$150.00), +16.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Yang | Oppenheimer | 4.9★ | 71.8% |
| James Schneider | Goldman Sachs | 4.9★ | 57.0% |
| Melissa Weathers | Deutsche Bank | 4.8★ | 68.7% |
| John Roberts CFA | Mizuho Securities | 4.7★ | 53.9% |
| Aleksey Yefremov | Barclays | 4.4★ | 40.8% |
Ratings are shown with a 30‑day delay. Who the top‑ranked analysts on Q are, their live calls and the median target of only the top‑rated analysts are in Exent Gems.
Latest Q upgrades, downgrades and price‑target changes
| Date | Rating and target | Analyst |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 14 | New coverage Buy | Pete Osterland |
| Oct 14 | New coverage Buy | Pete Osterland |
| Oct 12 | New coverage Buy | Aleksey Yefremov |
| Sep 30 | Target cut Buy | John Roberts CFA |
Named analysts’ rating and price‑target changes on Q in the 5 weeks to Sep 22, 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.
The right benchmark for Q
Exent matches every holding to the index with the most similar risk. For Q 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.
Other technology stocks
| Ticker | Name | 5‑year return | Volatility (5y) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDA | NVIDIA Corporation | +1,004% | 51.1% |
| AAPL | Apple Inc. | +141.1% | 27.8% |
| MSFT | Microsoft Corporation | +89.6% | 26.5% |
| AVGO | Broadcom Inc. | +688.5% | 44.0% |
| MU | Micron Technology, Inc. | +1,437% | 51.9% |
| AMD | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. | +494.5% | 56.7% |
| INTC | Intel Corporation | +145.0% | 51.2% |
| PLTR | Palantir Technologies Inc. | +678.1% | 64.4% |
Data and methodology
Returns are total returns from month‑end adjusted closing prices (dividends reinvested) through Sep 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.
See what Q does to your own portfolio
- Upload a screenshot of your holdings (or a CSV, Excel, PDF or Google Sheet); no brokerage login.
- Exent replays your whole portfolio, Q included, through the 2008, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2025 selloffs and shows which holdings drive the losses.
- It finds holdings that move together with Q and compares your portfolio with a risk‑matched benchmark, Sharpe and Sortino included.
- Use the what‑if simulator to change weights and see the effect before you trade.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. As of Oct 20, 2026, Q (Qnity Electronics, Inc.) is one of the 503 stocks in the S&P 500.
What would Q do to your portfolio?
Exent replays your whole portfolio through the same crashes, finds holdings that move together and compares you with a risk‑matched benchmark. Upload a screenshot; results in about a minute.
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Educational content, not investment advice. Examples are illustrative; past performance does not guarantee future results.