A seemingly unstoppable flood of money has Vanguard Group Inc. on the brink of claiming a crown that State Street Corp. has held for decades.

With sticky investors and strong initial inflows for 2025, the S&P 500 tracking ETF is threatening the decades-long reign of State Street's SPY.

Vanguard exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a fantastic choice for retired investors looking to play the long game with their portfolios. Undoubtedly, Vanguard is a name that passive investors can put their trust in.

Four of the stocks listed above are currently outperforming the benchmark S&P 500 in 2025. But Constellation Energy and Vistra are leading the way, with year-to-date returns of 44% and 35%, respectively. Those gains speak to their strong market positions.