3 ETFs to Buy as Washington Stalls

Another standoff in Washington has led to a government shutdown, but investors have seen this movie before and know the market rarely cares for long. In fact, this time around, the market seems to have barely taken notice. While the news may grab headlines, the reality is that the companies driving this bull market keep chugging along regardless of political gridlock. Tech and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks are still seeing strong growth, and that is unlikely to change because Congress cannot pass a budget.

All in all, whatever is going on in Washington shouldn't change your long-term investment strategy. I'd still highly recommend that investors keep adding money regularly, no matter where the market is trading or what the government is fighting about at the moment. This is called dollar-cost averaging, and it is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build wealth over the long term.

Let's look at three exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that investors can start dollar-cost averaging into today to ride the AI wave.

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Invesco QQQ Trust

Among the major market indexes, the Nasdaq Composite has been a standout performer this year. This isn't a new trend either, as the tech-heavy index has been outperforming the S&P 500 for years. Within the Nasdaq Composite is a more focused index called the Nasdaq 100, which is made up of the largest non-financial companies on the broader exchange. One of the best ways to tap into the strength of the Nasdaq is through the Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), which tracks the Nasdaq-100. The QQQ Trust gets you a portfolio heavily skewed toward technology and other high-growth businesses.

More than 60% of ETF's assets are in tech stocks, and that concentration has paid off in the form of some great returns over the years. Over the past decade, the ETF has returned over 536% in total, averaging about 20.3% a year, which crushes the S&P 500 over the same period. What's even more impressive is that the Invesco QQQ Trust has beaten the S&P 500 on a rolling 12-month basis nearly 90% of the time during that stretch. That level of consistent outperformance is hard to beat.

Vanguard Growth ETF

The Vanguard Growth ETF (NYSEMKT: VUG) is another great option for investors to consider. It tracks the growth side of the S&P 500, which means you are getting a heavy allocation to the same technology and AI-driven companies powering the market's gains.

The ETF owns roughly 165 stocks, but more than half of its portfolio is in just the top seven AI names: Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Broadcom, and Meta Platforms, which together make up more than 55% of its holdings. That concentration has been a huge tailwind, with the ETF posting an average annual return of 18% over the past decade and a 31.7% annualized return over the past three years.

For investors who want to invest in a collection of leading growth stocks, the Vanguard Growth ETF is an excellent option to buy and keep adding to over time.

Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF

If you want a more focused AI approach that goes beyond the U.S. megacap names, the Global X Artificial Intelligence & Technology ETF (NASDAQ: AIQ) is worth considering. The fund was designed specifically to invest in AI stocks, holding nearly 90 stocks across semiconductors, software, cloud computing, and other industries where AI adoption is expanding rapidly.

Nearly 70% of its portfolio is in U.S. companies, but the ETF also includes global players such as Alibaba and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, which are critical to the future of AI. Notably, U.S.-focused index ETFs, like the ones above, do not own these stocks, so this is a great way to get some international AI stock exposure.

The ETF has averaged an 18.5% annual return since launching in 2018, but its recent performance has been even stronger, posting a 37.4% annualized average return over the past three years. Its expense ratio of 0.68% is higher than the other ETFs, but you are paying for access to a more diversified AI portfolio that spans geographies.

Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet and Invesco QQQ Trust. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Alibaba Group, Broadcom, and Nasdaq and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.