3 ETFs for Growth Investors to Buy and Hold for Decades

Do you want exposure to some of the best growth stocks in the world? You don’t have to go out hunting for them using various stock screeners to find the most promising opportunities in the markets. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can help you with that.

ETFs are often associated with being safe options for risk-averse investors who don’t know much about stocks or aren’t good at picking stocks. But they can also help target specific growth opportunities. Whether you want broad exposure to growth stocks or focus on a specific sector of the market, they can help simplify your overall investing strategy.

Three ETFs that can be suitable options for growth investors are the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ 1.08%), iShares Biotechnology ETF (IBB 1.02%), and iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF 1.15%). Here’s what makes these stocks potentially great investments to add to your portfolio right now and hold on to for the long haul.

Invesco QQQ Trust

The Invesco QQQ Trust is the one ETF I would have no trouble recommending to any long-term investor. Since it focuses on the top non-financial stocks on the Nasdaq exchange, it can give you some exposure to fantastic stocks all in just one investment. And given that it focuses on just 100 holdings, you’re getting the best of the best with the fund, including big tech stocks such as Apple and Nvidia.

In the past five years, the Invesco fund has generated total returns (including dividends) of more than 160%, which is far higher than the S&P 500‘s returns of 108% over the same time frame.

The one downside of the fund is that it is tech heavy; more than 50% of its holdings are tech stocks. That means there can and will be volatility depending on how tech stocks are doing.

This is why the ETF is ideal for long-term investors who aren’t planning to pull their money out of the stock market within the next few years. As long as you have at least five-plus investing years to go, this can be a no-brainer to put into your portfolio.

iShares Biotechnology ETF

For investors who have a bit more risk tolerance and want to go outside of tech for potentially big gains, the iShares Biotechnology ETF can be an attractive option. As the name suggests, this is a fund focused on top biotech stocks.

Biotech can give you exposure to some of the leading growth stocks in healthcare, including Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Amgen, which are two of the top holdings within the fund.

And with more than 200 stocks in the ETF, you’re also getting some broad diversification and exposure to smaller players in the industry. The bulk of the fund is made up of biotechs (81% of holdings), but another 16% comes from stocks involved with life-sciences tools and services.

The ETF has underperformed the markets in the past five years as its total returns are around just 40%. But with a lot of growth opportunities within the healthcare industry, the fund has the potential to outperform the market in the long run.

iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF

For the investor who wants broad access to many growing businesses, the iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF could be the most attractive option listed here. Its focus on large and mid-cap stocks means there could be more potential upside here since the fund specializes in U.S. companies that are likely to grow faster than the market.

There are around 400 holdings in the ETF, making it the largest fund on this list. Like the Invesco QQQ, it includes big names such as Apple, Nvidia, and other tech leaders. But investors will also gain access to smaller growth stocks as well, including Booking Holdings and Arista Networks. Their positions will be much smaller, but the fund gives investors a more diverse way to tap into promising growth stocks.

Over the past five years, the ETF has been a market-beating investment, generating total returns of around 140%.