What Are FAANG Stocks?
FAANG is an acronym that describes five of the most popular tech stocks whose parent companies have come to influence so many of our purchases and a large part of the market: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google (now called Alphabet).
The five stocks all trade on the NASDAQ, which lists more than 3,300 stocks, including many of the more successful tech and growth stocks. They are also listed on the S&P 500, a list of the largest publicly traded corporations.
Why Are FAANG Stocks so Popular?
The FAANG stock grouping represents one barometer of investment health for the tech sector, which is considered a leading indicator of economic growth. Because of their large size and because the companies’ products are so much a part of our daily lives, their performance is considered indicative of the sector’s and economy’s health.
Performance of FAANG stocks
If you had invested just $100 in each of the five FAANG stocks in 2012, your total portfolio would have been worth $5,059.62 by 2018. That is a staggering 911.92% return over the six-year period.
Facebook Stock (symbol FB)
Apple Stock (symbol AAPL)
Amazon Stock (symbol AMZN)
Netflix Stock (symbol NFLX)
Google Stock (symbol GOOG/GOOGL)
Difference Between FANG, FAANG, and FAAMG
- FANG stands for Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet’s Google.
- FAANG stands for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Alphabet’s Google.
- FAAMG stands for Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Alphabet’s Google.
Is There a FAANG ETF?
Lots of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer exposure to some or all of the FAANG stocks, but there is just one specific FAANG ETF: the AdvisorShares New Tech and Media ETF.
It is actively managed and its holdings expand beyond Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet’s Google. The ETF holds just over 25 stocks and can also be said to be a FAANG and FAAMG ETF because it holds shares of Apple and Microsoft.
Where Did the FAANG Acronym Come From?
CNBC's 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer coined the acronym FANG in 2013 to collectively refer to the four high-growth internet stocks Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Alphabet’s Google. Apple has since been added to this powerhouse acronym.
How to Invest in FAANG Stocks
Just like any other stock you’d like to purchase, you may purchase one or all of the FAANG stocks through a brokerage or dealer platform. Click here for the best online broker rates.
Online investment tools allow you to purchase fractional shares of each with a very low minimum buy-in. To ensure exposure to all the FAANG stocks, you may also invest in a FAANG ETF.
