The Motley Fool·2026-01-13 05:00Core Insights - The article discusses the growing interest in investing in artificial intelligence (AI) stocks and highlights the limitations of the Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) in capturing key AI companies [1][2][3] Group 1: ETF Performance and Composition - The Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) has increased over 657% in the past decade, outperforming the S&P 500's 328% growth [3] - VGT includes over 320 companies in the tech sector, with its top three holdings being Nvidia (16.61%), Apple (15.31%), and Microsoft (12.43%) [4] - VGT's focus on pure-play tech companies excludes significant players like Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta, which are considered tech companies but belong to other sectors [4][5][6] Group 2: Importance of Excluded Companies - Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta are integral to the AI ecosystem, with Alphabet operating a major cloud platform and conducting critical AI research [7][8] - Amazon Web Services (AWS) is recognized as the backbone of the AI industry, supporting numerous AI models [8] - Meta has contributed to open-source AI development and is innovating in the application of AI in social media and advertising [8] Group 3: Alternative Investment Options - The Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) is suggested as a better alternative for those interested in AI investments, as it includes key companies like Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet [9] - QQQ mirrors the Nasdaq-100 index, which tracks the largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq exchange, providing exposure to important AI players [9][10] - While QQQ is not a pure-play tech ETF, it still allocates 64% of its investments to the tech sector, allowing for participation in AI growth while diversifying across other sectors [10]