economy
One ETF is handily outperforming the S&P 500 this year. All the stocks in it are run by women
The Hypatia Women CEO ETF hit another all-time high on Thursday. The founder explains the secret to its success.
TL;DR
- The Hypatia Women CEO ETF (WCEO) has reached an all-time high and is outperforming the S&P 500 with nearly a 20% gain in 2026.
- The ETF holds companies solely led by female chief executives, with Advanced Micro Devices (CEO Lisa Su) being its largest holding.
- Patricia Lizarraga, founder of the ETF, notes that market broadening and diversification away from a few mega-cap tech companies have contributed to WCEO's success.
- Examples of successful women CEOs include Jane Fraser of Citigroup and Mary Barra of General Motors, who have led significant turnarounds for their companies.
- Despite their performance, women lead only 11% of Fortune 500 companies.
- The ETF rebalances monthly and removes companies if a man takes over as CEO, aiming to isolate the 'female factor' in leadership.
- Lizarraga believes that demonstrating women's performance with less risk will lead to more women being considered for CEO positions.