The U.S. stock market closed higher in 2024, with the S&P 500 index rising by more than 23% last year. While funds tracking the major indexes will achieve similar returns, a handful of actively managed ETFs sold in Europe have outperformed, including JPMorgan’s U.S. Research Enhanced Index Equity ETF and Invesco’s Quantitative Strategies ESG Global Equity Multifactor ETF . CNBC Pro screened 321 ETFs in Europe that invest in stocks, fixed income or commodities and are not leveraged or generate inverse returns. JEUS JPMorgan’s U.S. Research Enhanced Index Equity SRI Paris Unified UCITS ETF was the best-performing ETF, up 30.3% in 2024. The fund’s euro-denominated currency non-hedged variant is listed in Germany under the ticker JEUS. J.P. Morgan Asset Management said the fund “actively invests in a portfolio primarily of U.S. companies while being consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.” The 2015 Paris Agreement climate change treaty outlines efforts to ensure global warming is “well below” 2 degrees Celsius and “work towards” the long-term goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. IQSA Invesco’s Quantitative Strategies ESG Global Equity Multi-Factor UCITS ETF missed the top spot slightly, returning 29.9% in 2024. Unlike JPMorgan’s funds, Invesco’s ETF invests globally, with 70% allocated in the United States. The ETF has also outperformed its MSCI World Total Return benchmark over the past four years since its inception five years ago. Other ETFs in the top 5 for 2024 include Ossiam US ESG Low Carbon Equity Factors UCITS ETF, JPMorgan’s Japan Research Enhanced Index Equity and Fidelity Sustainable Research Enhanced US Equity UCITS ETF. —CNBC’s Sam Meredith contributed to this report.
