QQQ vs RAA

QQQ vs RAA

Which is better, QQQ or RAA?

Large Cap Growth against Large Cap Blend.

QQQ has a lower expense ratio. QQQ led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. QQQ is less concentrated, with 46.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 57.0%.

Lower Fees: QQQHigher Returns: QQQLess Concentrated: QQQ

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

MetricQQQRAA
Expense Ratio0.18%Best0.85%
AUM$483.5B$616M
Dividend Yield0.44%2.06%
Holdings107185
YTD Return+17.21%Best+9.64%
1Y Return+22.10%Best+13.68%
3Y Return (annualized)+25.27%Best+14.31%
5Y Return (annualized)+14.60%Best+14.31%
Volatility (annualized)30.6%25.6%Best
Max Drawdown-83.0%-53.8%Best
$10,000 over 5 years$19,766Best$19,517
Top 10 Weight46.5%Best57.0%
Fund FamilyInvesco (US)3FourteenSMI
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap GrowthLarge Cap Blend
InceptionMar 10, 1999Feb 26, 2025

Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Mar 10, 1999 to Sep 17, 2026 (27.5 years).

QQQ vs RAA 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 27.5 years both funds cover.

QQQ vs RAA Performance

Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is an ETF from Invesco (US) and SMI 3Fourteen REAL Asset Allocation ETF (RAA) is an ETF from 3FourteenSMI. Over the past year QQQ returned +22.10% while RAA returned +13.68%. Year to date, QQQ is up 17.21% versus a gain of 9.64% for RAA.

Over three years, QQQ compounded at +25.27% per year against +14.31% for RAA; over five years the annualized figures are +14.60% and +14.31% respectively. Across the full 28-year window we track, QQQ has the edge at +13.02% annualized vs +6.32%.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

QQQ has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 30.6% compared with 25.6% for RAA. 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 -83.0% for QQQ and -53.8% for RAA. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.00. They move largely independently of each other.

Fees and Cost Over Time

QQQ charges 0.18% per year while RAA charges 0.85%. On a $10,000 position that is $18 vs $85 annually, a gap of $67 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, QQQ currently yields 0.44% against 2.06% for RAA.

Holdings Overlap

QQQ already in RAA98.5%
RAA already in QQQ16.3%

98.5% of QQQ's money is in holdings RAA also owns. 16.3% of RAA's money is in holdings QQQ also owns.

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

99 positions in common, counted across the 102 positions we hold weights for in QQQ and 180 in RAA, against full books of 107 and 185.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 69 positions for RAA that do not appear in our book for QQQ (80.5% of the fund), and 1 for QQQ that do not appear in RAA (0.5%).

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 QQQWeight in RAADifference
NVDANvidia Corp8.44%1.34%7.10%
AAPLApple, Inc7.27%1.33%5.94%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp5.76%0.94%4.82%
AMZNAmazon.Com Inc4.67%0.63%4.04%
MUMicron Technology, Inc.4.43%0.81%3.62%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.45%0.55%2.90%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A3.36%0.48%2.88%
AVGOBroadcom Inc3.16%0.45%2.71%
GOOGAlphabet Inc3.13%0.45%2.68%
METAMeta Platforms Inc2.78%0.43%2.35%

98.5% of QQQ is already inside RAA.

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

QQQRAA

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, QQQ or RAA?

QQQ has an expense ratio of 0.18% while RAA charges 0.85%. QQQ is the cheaper option, by $67 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, QQQ or RAA?

Over the past year QQQ returned +22.10% vs +13.68% for RAA, so QQQ leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (28 years), QQQ annualized +13.02% vs +6.32% for RAA. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, QQQ or RAA?

QQQ has been the more volatile fund at 30.6% annualized versus 25.6% for RAA. Worst drawdown: QQQ -83.0% vs RAA -53.8%.

Should I hold both QQQ and RAA?

QQQ and RAA have a monthly-return correlation of 0.00, 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 QQQ and RAA?

98.5% of QQQ's money is in holdings RAA also owns. 16.3% of RAA's is in holdings QQQ also owns. They hold 99 positions in common, counted across the 102 positions we hold weights for in QQQ and 180 in RAA.

Which pays a higher dividend, QQQ or RAA?

QQQ yields 0.44% while RAA yields 2.06%, so RAA currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is RAA better than QQQ?

QQQ has a lower expense ratio. QQQ led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. QQQ is less concentrated, with 46.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 57.0%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.