QQQ vs TMED
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 vs T. Rowe Price Health Care ETF
Which is better, QQQ or TMED?
Large Cap Growth against Large Cap Value.
QQQ has a lower expense ratio. TMED led over 1Y and the full window. QQQ is less concentrated, with 46.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 49.0%.
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
| Metric | QQQ | TMED |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.18%Best | 0.44% |
| AUM | $483.5B | $33M |
| Dividend Yield | 0.44% | 0.46% |
| Holdings | 107 | 108 |
| YTD Return | +15.18%Best | +14.27% |
| 1Y Return | +19.65% | +32.97%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +24.60% | - |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +13.94% | - |
| Volatility (annualized) | 19.9% | 15.2%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -12.0% | -11.1%Best |
| $10,000 over 1.3 years | $13,403 | $13,704Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 46.5%Best | 49.0% |
| Fund Family | Invesco (US) | T.Rowe Price |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Large Cap Growth | Large Cap Value |
| Inception | Mar 10, 1999 | Jun 11, 2025 |
Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.3 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: Jun 12, 2025 to Sep 15, 2026 (1.3 years).
QQQ vs TMED 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 1.3 years both funds cover.
QQQ vs TMED Performance
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is an ETF from Invesco (US) and T. Rowe Price Health Care ETF (TMED) is an ETF from T.Rowe Price. Over the past year QQQ returned +19.65% while TMED returned +32.97%. Year to date, QQQ is up 15.18% versus a gain of 14.27% for TMED.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
QQQ has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 19.9% compared with 15.2% for TMED. 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 -12.0% for QQQ and -11.1% for TMED. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.44. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
QQQ charges 0.18% per year while TMED charges 0.44%. On a $10,000 position that is $18 vs $44 annually, a gap of $26 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, QQQ currently yields 0.44% against 0.46% for TMED.
Holdings Overlap
1.2% of QQQ's money is in holdings TMED also owns. 11.7% of TMED's money is in holdings QQQ also owns.
TMED and QQQ share little of their money.
4 positions in common, counted across the 102 positions we hold weights for in QQQ and 97 in TMED, against full books of 107 and 108.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 84 positions for TMED that do not appear in our book for QQQ (83.1% of the fund), and 92 for QQQ that do not appear in TMED (96.4%).
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.
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of QQQ and TMED you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, QQQ or TMED?
QQQ has an expense ratio of 0.18% while TMED charges 0.44%. QQQ is the cheaper option, by $26 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, QQQ or TMED?
Over the past year QQQ returned +19.65% vs +32.97% for TMED, so TMED leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), QQQ annualized +25.27% vs +27.43% for TMED. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, QQQ or TMED?
QQQ has been the more volatile fund at 19.9% annualized versus 15.2% for TMED. Worst drawdown: QQQ -12.0% vs TMED -11.1%.
Should I hold both QQQ and TMED?
QQQ and TMED have a monthly-return correlation of 0.44, 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 TMED?
11.7% of TMED's money is in holdings QQQ also owns. 11.7% of TMED's is in holdings QQQ also owns. They hold 4 positions in common, counted across the 102 positions we hold weights for in QQQ and 97 in TMED.
Which pays a higher dividend, QQQ or TMED?
QQQ yields 0.44% while TMED yields 0.46%, so TMED currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is TMED better than QQQ?
QQQ has a lower expense ratio. TMED led over 1Y and the full window. QQQ is less concentrated, with 46.5% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 49.0%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.