If You Have $1,000 To Invest, This Is the AI ETF to Buy

It didn't seem that far ago in the past that the idea of artificial intelligence (AI) seemed like the stuff of science fiction. Nowadays, however, it seems that everywhere we look, AI has a presence. From customer service chatbots to self-driving cars, AI in a wide variety of places that transcend the generative AI applications like ChatGPT that people are turning to daily -- and maybe even hourly.

Recognizing how rapidly AI is escalating, growth investors are looking for ways to prosper from the trend. Fortunately for them, they needn't fret about identifying individual AI companies -- the exchange-traded fund Invesco QQQ ETF (NASDAQ: QQQ) provides a convenient one-stop shopping exchange-traded fund opportunity for those looking to invest $1,000 and hold on for the long term.

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Image source: Getty Images.

Don't let the name fool you -- AI exposure reigns supreme

Although you couldn't tell by the name of the fund, the Invesco QQQ ETF still offers considerable AI exposure, although it's not explicitly stated in the same way as other AI-focused ETFs like the Roundhill Generative AI and Technology ETF or the Global X Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF.

Providing exposure to the market's leading tech stocks, the Invesco QQQ ETF has the stated goal of tracking the Nasdaq-100, an index that tracks the performance of the top 100 nonfinancial stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

In addition to all the "Magnificent Seven" stocks, the 10 largest positions in the Invesco QQQ ETF include semiconductor stalwart Broadcom, streaming leader Netflix, and leading wholesale retailer Costco Wholesale.

Data source: Invesco QQQ ETF Prospectus Data.

Despite the fact that there are 100 stocks held in the Invesco QQQ ETF, it's the top 10 positions that do the heavy lifting, representing 50% of the fund's weighting.

Besides companies providing innovative AI tools like Apple and Microsoft, investors have the opportunity to prosper from AI's use in autonomous vehicles with Tesla, as well as semiconductor stocks Nvidia and Broadcom that provide AI computing capabilities.

A simple way to surf the waves of tech innovation

While the popularity of some technologies -- like 3D printing -- turn out to not provide investors with the lucrative returns that they had seemed to initially offer, the omnipresence of AI in so many facets of society suggest that it's here to stay and become even more deeply embedded in our daily lives in the coming years. While it does, the Invesco QQQ ETF will continue to provide investors with the opportunity to benefit.

Naturally, tech advancements will continue, and the Invesco QQQ ETF will continue to serve as an ideal way for investors to have exposure to the companies at the vanguard of innovation, since the ETF is rebalanced quarterly and reconstituted annually.

Many experts, for example, suspect that quantum computing will be the next tech revolution. If they're correct, companies that are quantum computing industry leaders and are already held in the Invesco QQQ ETF -- like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Alphabet -- will provide exposure for investors.

This ETF's success is clear as day

Since its inception in March 1999, the Invesco QQQ ETF delivered a convincingly strong performance, soaring at a clip that exceeds those of both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite. From the early days of the internet through the development of the smartphone industry up to the boom in AI stocks, the Invesco QQQ ETF provided investors with a convenient way to prosper from the recent technological achievements.

QQQ data by YCharts.

As it has over the past 25 years, the ETF is bound to experience some bumps in the road, as it's subject to the whims of the market. But for investors who take the long view -- our favorite type of investors -- the volatility the ETF experiences shouldn't impede it from enjoying future success and contributing greatly to growing investors' personal wealth.

As if the allure of the fund isn't bright enough, those who fret that a high-quality ETF such as this comes with exorbitant management costs needn't worry. The Invesco QQQ ETF has a low total expense ratio of 0.2%, or $20 annually for each $10,000 invested.

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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Costco Wholesale, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom 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.