Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) is on pace to top the 2025 Magnificent Seven leaderboard, but investors who looked beyond U.S. tech found even richer returns across eight different global equity markets.
Shares of Google’s parent company are up 66% year-to-date, the best performance among the seven mega-cap tech giants. That rally easily tops Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), which is up 42%.
Yet the real surprise sits overseas.
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Across emerging and developed markets alike, eight country exchange-traded funds tracking stocks from around the globe have outpaced Google’s parent, offering a vivid reminder that the world’s investment story this year is not solely written in Big Tech.
According to data from CountryETFtracker, eight country-focused ETFs have delivered stronger year-to-date returns than Alphabet:
8. iShares MSCI South Africa ETF (NYSE:EZA), up 67.3%
7. iShares MSCI Austria ETF (NYSE:EWO), up 67.9%
6. Global X – MSCI Colombia ETF (NYSE:COLO), up 68.5%
5. iShares MSCI Poland ETF (NYSE:EPOL), up 68.6%
4. iShares MSCI Spain ETF (NYSE:EWP), up 73%
3. Global X – MSCI Greece ETF (NYSE:GREK), up 77%
2. iShares MSCI Peru and Global Exposure ETF (NYSE:EPU), up 85%
1. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSE:EWY), up 87%
Photo: CountryETFtracker.com
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At least three of the strongest performers share a common driver: commodities.
South Africa, Colombia and Peru rode a powerful surge in precious and industrial metals.
Silver has surged 160% year-to-date, while gold has climbed nearly 70%. Even lesser-known metals like platinum and palladium posted gains of 170% and 110%, respectively.
For stocks tied to these markets, it has been a windfall of gains.
In South Africa, miners dominated the tape. AngloGold Ashanti Plc (NYSE:AU) and Gold Fields Limited Sponsored ADR (NYSE:GFI), both top holdings in EZA, have each surged more than 220%.
Currency strength added fuel. The South African…
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