GEW vs QQQ

GEW vs QQQ

Which is better, GEW or QQQ?

All Cap Blend against Large Cap Growth.

QQQ has a lower expense ratio. QQQ led over 1Y and the full window. GEW is less concentrated, with 17.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 47.2%.

Lower Fees: QQQHigher Returns: QQQLess Concentrated: GEW

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricGEWQQQ
Expense Ratio0.30%0.18%Best
AUM$141M$498.6B
Dividend Yield1.22%0.42%
Holdings455321
YTD Return+8.38%+22.35%Best
1Y Return+10.23%+22.84%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+27.55%
5Y Return (annualized)-+16.36%
Volatility (annualized)10.2%Best21.0%
Max Drawdown-8.2%Best-12.0%
$10,000 over 1 years$11,240$12,555Best
Top 10 Weight17.6%Best47.2%
Fund FamilyCambria Investment ManagementInvesco (US)
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleAll Cap BlendLarge Cap Growth
InceptionSep 25, 2025Mar 10, 1999

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Sep 25, 2025 to Oct 8, 2026 (1 years).

GEW vs QQQ growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1 years both funds cover.

GEW vs QQQ Performance

Cambria Global EW ETF (GEW) is an ETF from Cambria Investment Management and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is an ETF from Invesco (US). Over the past year GEW returned +10.23% while QQQ returned +22.84%. Year to date, GEW is up 8.38% versus a gain of 22.35% for QQQ.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

QQQ has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 21.0% compared with 10.2% for GEW. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -8.2% for GEW and -12.0% for QQQ. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.59. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.

Fees and Cost Over Time

GEW charges 0.30% per year while QQQ charges 0.18%. On a $10,000 position that is $30 vs $18 annually, a gap of $12 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, GEW currently yields 1.22% against 0.42% for QQQ.

Holdings Overlap

GEW already in QQQ17.8%
QQQ already in GEW91.1%

17.8% of GEW's money is in holdings QQQ also owns. 91.1% of QQQ's money is in holdings GEW also owns.

Most of QQQ is already inside GEW. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.

76 positions in common, counted across the 436 positions we hold weights for in GEW and 102 in QQQ, against full books of 455 and 321.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 22 positions for QQQ that do not appear in our book for GEW (8.1% of the fund), and 171 for GEW that do not appear in QQQ (45.8%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in GEWWeight in QQQDifference
NVDANvidia Corp0.86%8.45%7.59%
AAPLApple, Inc0.97%7.80%6.83%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp0.87%5.88%5.01%
MUMicron Technology, Inc.0.43%4.85%4.42%
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc0.80%4.41%3.61%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc0.39%3.71%3.32%
WMTWalmart, Inc.1.72%2.31%0.59%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A0.76%3.15%2.39%
AVGOBroadcom Inc0.83%2.74%1.91%
GOOGAlphabet Inc. C0.52%2.93%2.41%

91.1% of QQQ is already inside GEW.

You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.

GEWQQQ

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, GEW or QQQ?

GEW has an expense ratio of 0.30% while QQQ charges 0.18%. QQQ is the cheaper option, by $12 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, GEW or QQQ?

Over the past year GEW returned +10.23% vs +22.84% for QQQ, so QQQ leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), GEW annualized +12.40% vs +25.55% for QQQ. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, GEW or QQQ?

QQQ has been the more volatile fund at 21.0% annualized versus 10.2% for GEW. Worst drawdown: GEW -8.2% vs QQQ -12.0%.

Should I hold both GEW and QQQ?

GEW and QQQ have a monthly-return correlation of 0.59, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between GEW and QQQ?

91.1% of QQQ's money is in holdings GEW also owns. 91.1% of QQQ's is in holdings GEW also owns. They hold 76 positions in common, counted across the 436 positions we hold weights for in GEW and 102 in QQQ.

Which pays a higher dividend, GEW or QQQ?

GEW yields 1.22% while QQQ yields 0.42%, so GEW currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is QQQ better than GEW?

QQQ has a lower expense ratio. QQQ led over 1Y and the full window. GEW is less concentrated, with 17.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 47.2%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.