QQQA vs SPY
ProShares Nasdaq-100 Dorsey Wright Momentum ETF vs State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Which is better, QQQA or SPY?
Large Cap Growth against Large Cap Blend.
SPY has a lower expense ratio. QQQA led over 1Y and 3Y, SPY over 5Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 38.2% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 53.6%.
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 | QQQA | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.58% | 0.09%Best |
| AUM | $53M | $811.2B |
| Dividend Yield | 0.03% | 0.98% |
| Holdings | 21 | 1,515 |
| YTD Return | +44.98%Best | +12.70% |
| 1Y Return | +54.78%Best | +15.53% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +29.39%Best | +22.86% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +11.45% | +13.47%Best |
| Volatility (annualized) | 26.3% | 15.3%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -38.4% | -24.5%Best |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $17,195 | $18,811Best |
| Top 10 Weight | 53.6% | 38.2%Best |
| Fund Family | ProShares | State Street Investment Management |
| Category | Equity | Equity |
| Style | Large Cap Growth | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | May 18, 2021 | Jan 22, 1993 |
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: May 20, 2021 to Oct 1, 2026 (5.4 years).
QQQA vs SPY 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 5.4 years both funds cover.
QQQA vs SPY Performance
ProShares Nasdaq-100 Dorsey Wright Momentum ETF (QQQA) is an ETF from ProShares and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is an ETF from State Street Investment Management. Over the past year QQQA returned +54.78% while SPY returned +15.53%. Year to date, QQQA is up 44.98% versus a gain of 12.70% for SPY.
Over three years, QQQA compounded at +29.39% per year against +22.86% for SPY; over five years the annualized figures are +11.45% and +13.47% respectively.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
QQQA has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 26.3% compared with 15.3% for SPY. 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 -38.4% for QQQA and -24.5% for SPY. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.77. They usually move together, but the gap leaves some room for diversification.
Fees and Cost Over Time
QQQA charges 0.58% per year while SPY charges 0.09%. On a $10,000 position that is $58 vs $9 annually, a gap of $49 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, QQQA currently yields 0.03% against 0.98% for SPY.
Holdings Overlap
95.4% of QQQA's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 9.2% of SPY's money is in holdings QQQA also owns.
Most of QQQA is already inside SPY. Owning both mostly buys the same companies twice.
20 positions in common, counted across the 21 positions we hold weights for in QQQA and 504 in SPY, against full books of 21 and 1,515.
What only one of them owns
Our book lists 477 positions for SPY that do not appear in our book for QQQA (90.0% of the fund), and 0 for QQQA that do not appear in SPY (0.0%).
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
| Stock | Weight in QQQA | Weight in SPY | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| GOOGLAlphabet Inc,class A | 5.10% | 3.12% | 1.98% |
| CRWDCrowdstrike Holdings Inc | 6.55% | 0.36% | 6.19% |
| PANWPalo Alto Networks, Inc | 5.97% | 0.46% | 5.51% |
| AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc | 4.61% | 1.22% | 3.39% |
| FTNTFortinet Inc | 5.63% | 0.16% | 5.47% |
| DASHDoordash Inc - A | 5.53% | 0.12% | 5.41% |
| ROSTRoss Stores, Inc. | 5.38% | 0.11% | 5.27% |
| CSCOCisco Systems Inc. - Ordinary Shares | 4.73% | 0.66% | 4.07% |
| INTCIntel Corporation | 4.61% | 0.73% | 3.88% |
| CSXCsx Corp. | 5.16% | 0.14% | 5.02% |
95.4% of QQQA is already inside SPY.
You probably hold more than these two. Add the rest and see how much of the whole book is the same companies twice.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, QQQA or SPY?
QQQA has an expense ratio of 0.58% while SPY charges 0.09%. SPY is the cheaper option, by $49 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, QQQA or SPY?
Over the past year QQQA returned +54.78% vs +15.53% for SPY, so QQQA leads on 1-year performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, QQQA or SPY?
QQQA has been the more volatile fund at 26.3% annualized versus 15.3% for SPY. Worst drawdown: QQQA -38.4% vs SPY -24.5%.
Should I hold both QQQA and SPY?
QQQA and SPY have a monthly-return correlation of 0.77, 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 QQQA and SPY?
95.4% of QQQA's money is in holdings SPY also owns. 9.2% of SPY's is in holdings QQQA also owns. They hold 20 positions in common, counted across the 21 positions we hold weights for in QQQA and 504 in SPY.
Which pays a higher dividend, QQQA or SPY?
QQQA yields 0.03% while SPY yields 0.98%, so SPY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SPY better than QQQA?
SPY has a lower expense ratio. QQQA led over 1Y and 3Y, SPY over 5Y and the full window. SPY is less concentrated, with 38.2% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 53.6%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.