Welcome to another monthly update of my long-term ETF stock-market portfolio. The S&P is starting to outpace me again, but I’m not really surprised by that. It’s outpaced me in the past and, truthfully, beating the S&P isn’t a goal of this portfolio.
I’m more interested in surviving the down-turns, while hopefully capitalizing on outsized moves several years in the future due to investments in up-and-coming industries.
That said, I do like to use the major indices as a bit of a measuring stick just to have some context. Read on to see how I’m comparing to the S&P 500 and DOW.
Month-Over-Month Performance
- My Portfolio: +1.1%
- S&P 500: +2.8%
- DOW: +0.8%
The July market came out of the gate cautiously, dragged down by soft labor data and rate-cut uncertainty. On July 31, the Dow dropped over 530 points after the actual jobs numbers came in well below expectations.
Still, my ETF portfolio quietly held its ground. The S&P popped more than 2.5% during the stretch, lifted by big tech earnings, meanwhile, the DOW made modest gains before the month-end stumble.
In the face of all that, my portfolio managed a tidy +1.1%. I consider that a win.
Top Month-Over-Month ETF Contributors (July):
| ETF | Change |
|---|---|
| XLU | +0.35% |
| XLI | +0.19% |
| XLE | +0.18% |
| ROBO | +0.15% |
| IDRV | +0.21% |
Year-to-Date Performance
- My Portfolio: +7.0%
- S&P 500: +8.6%
- DOW: +4.7%
The market in early 2025 has been…. let’s say unpredictable. But while the S&P’s strength is anchored by megacap tech and a softening Fed, the DOW’s been more sluggish—reflecting uncertainty in consumer cyclicals, labor markets, and tariffs.
Still, my stock-market portfolio performance speaks for itself. Quietly up 7% YTD, it’s comfortably ahead of the DOW and only modestly behind the S&P. Not bad for a portfolio that isn’t leaning heavily into the mega-cap momentum trades.
YTD ETF Contributors (Jan–July):
| ETF | Change |
|---|---|
| XLI | +0.97% |
| XLU | +0.87% |
| AIQ | +0.74% |
| XLC | +0.73% |
| XLF | +0.62% |
| PEJ | +0.55% |
Even my future-forward picks, like IDRV (+0.39%) and ROBO (+0.39%), are starting to creep upward. Slow and strategic still wins the race.
Since Inception (July 12, 2022 – July 31, 2025)
- My Portfolio: +36.0%
- S&P 500: +66.0%
- DOW: +42.4%
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the S&P 500 has absolutely crushed it over the past three years; and the DOW’s return, while more modest, is nothing to sneeze at.
My ETF portfolio? Up a respectable 36%. That trails the benchmarks, but it wasn’t designed to beat them in the short run. I’ve chosen sectors that might not hit their stride for 10+ years—autonomous vehicles, robotics, and AI infrastructure among them.
Top Overall Contributors Since Inception:
| ETF | Change |
|---|---|
| XLC | +6.68% |
| AIQ | +5.34% |
| XLF | +4.71% |
| XLI | +4.58% |
| PSI | +4.09% |
| PEJ | +3.21% |
Portfolio Plan and Goals
Let’s revisit the original thesis behind this ETF strategy:
- ETF-Based Diversification
I’m not chasing meme stocks or betting the farm on one ticker. ETFs let me spread risk across entire industries—whether that’s energy, entertainment, or bleeding-edge computing. - Long-Term Focus
I’ve deliberately allocated capital to areas like AI (AIQ), autonomous driving (IDRV), and robotics (ROBO). I don’t expect them to outperform in 2025, I expect them to define 2035. - Risk-Reward Resilience
Balancing speculative slices with stability from consumer staples (XLP), utilities (XLU), and real estate (XLRE) lets the portfolio grow without giving me ulcers every earnings season.
Final Thoughts: This Race Is Long for a Reason
This ETF portfolio wasn’t built to beat the market this year. It was built to be steady, resilient, and provide outsized results in the long-term. So far?
- Month-over-month: Matched the DOW, trailed the S&P slightly
- YTD: Quiet outperformance over the DOW, slight lag to the S&P
- Overall: Respectable gains, with massive future upside in place
So while the S&P sprints and the DOW dips and dives, I’ll stay the course. Steady, strategic, and staked in sectors that will shape the next decade—not just this quarter.