Dividend comparison

QNDX vs QQQ: Which Is Better?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for State Street SPDR Portfolio Nasdaq 100 ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

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QNDX vs QQQ: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. QNDX is cheaper at 0.10% a year versus 0.18% for QQQ. On $10,000 that is $8 a year less in fees.
  • Income. QQQ pays more income, yielding 0.53% over the last twelve months versus 0.11% for QNDX. That is about $42 more a year on $10,000. Both pay annual.
  • Risk. QQQ has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 5 years was -35.1%, against -10.1% for QNDX.
  • Diversification. QQQ holds 102 positions and QNDX holds 101. The ten largest positions make up 47.2% of QNDX and 47.2% of QQQ.
  • Overlap. 100% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 98 shared holdings. Owning both adds little diversification.
  • Size. QQQ is the larger fund with $487.5 billion in assets, against $547 million for QNDX.

Bottom line: QNDX fits better if you care most about lower fees and smaller drawdowns. QQQ fits better if you care most about more income today. With 100% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both.

Side-by-side snapshot
Trailing twelve-month figures where available. Higher yield is highlighted — not a buy recommendation.
MetricQNDX
State Street SPDR Portfolio Nasdaq 100 ETF
QQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Dividend yield (TTM)0.11%0.53%
Dividend / share (TTM)$0.03$3.79
Payout frequencyAnnualAnnual
Last dividend$0.0270 on Sep 23, 2026$0.7514 on Oct 8, 2026
Ex-dividend dateSep 21, 2026Dec 21, 2026
Next payment—$0.7941 on Dec 28, 2026
Dividend growth (CAGR)—13.3% over 4 yrs
Price$24.29$717.63
Beta1.731.23
Max drawdown (5Y)-10.1%-35.1%
Market cap$40.9M$479.05B
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
Expense ratio0.10%0.18%
Assets under management$547.3M$487.46B
Number of holdings101102
Top 10 concentration47.2%47.2%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

QNDX

$0.93/mo

$11 /yr at 0.11% yield

QQQ

$4.40/mo

$53 /yr at 0.53% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. QNDX pays annual; QQQ pays annual.
YearQNDXQQQ
2025—$2.7949
2024—$3.0623
2023—$2.3200
2022—$2.1351
2021—$1.6968
Strategy: Broad index
Low-cost funds that hold an entire market or index at market-cap weights and make no attempt to select securities. Return is the index return less a small fee, and dividends are a by-product of what the underlying companies choose to pay rather than an objective of the strategy. Differences between funds tracking the same index usually come down to fee, wrapper structure, share price and trading liquidity, not to holdings.

Current income is low and outside your control, so these need pairing with something else if the portfolio has to produce cash today.

What QNDX vs QQQ actually do

QQQ
Invesco's fund tracking the Nasdaq-100, the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq exchange.

The index is modified market-cap weighted and excludes financials by rule, which is why it lands so heavily in technology, communication services and consumer discretionary names. In December 2025 the fund converted from a unit investment trust to a conventional open-end fund and cut its fee, so it can now reinvest income and lend securities like its peers. It remains the most liquid Nasdaq-100 vehicle by a wide margin and the reference asset for a large share of the options-income products in this category.

Suits investors who want concentrated large-cap growth exposure and anyone who needs deep options liquidity. Dividends are incidental, so it does not answer an income mandate on its own.

Growth-tilted core, concentrated

Performance
Total returns with dividends reinvested, from the adjusted closing price series. $10,000 invested on Jun 29, 2026 would now be worth $9,902 in QNDX and $9,911 in QQQ.
PeriodQNDXQQQ
1 month-0.49%-0.43%
3 months3.14%3.10%
Year to date—17.09%
1 year—17.78%
3 years—105.61%
5 years—96.98%
  • QNDX
  • QQQ
909810620269999

Both series indexed to 100 on 2026-06-29 using the adjusted closing price series. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Sector allocation
Weight of each sector within the fund. Sectors are aligned on the same row so the two funds can be read against each other directly.
  • QNDX
  • QQQ
0%15%29%44%59%Technology58.8%Communication Services12.1%Consumer Cyclical10.2%Consumer Defensive6.1%Industrials5.5%Healthcare4.4%Utilities1.1%Basic Materials1.0%Energy0.5%Financial Services0.2%Other0.2%
QNDX vs QQQ holdings overlap
100% overlap by weight, with 98 holdings in common. Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for every stock both funds own, so 100% would mean identical portfolios.
Largest shared holdingsQNDX weightQQQ weight
NVDANVIDIA CORP8.18%8.17%
AAPLAPPLE INC7.82%7.82%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP6.19%6.19%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC4.42%4.42%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC4.41%4.41%
AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES3.79%3.79%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC CLASS A3.28%3.28%
GOOGLALPHABET INC CL A3.15%3.15%
TSLATESLA INC3.02%3.02%
GOOGALPHABET INC CL C2.94%2.94%
Top 10 holdings
Largest positions by portfolio weight.

QNDX101 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA CORP8.18%
AAPLAPPLE INC7.82%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP6.19%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC4.42%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC4.41%
AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES3.79%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC CLASS A3.28%
GOOGLALPHABET INC CL A3.15%
TSLATESLA INC3.02%
GOOGALPHABET INC CL C2.94%

QQQ102 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA Corp8.17%
AAPLApple Inc7.82%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp6.19%
AMZNAmazon.com Inc4.42%
MUMicron Technology Inc4.41%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.79%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.28%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc3.15%
TSLATesla Inc3.02%
GOOGAlphabet Inc2.94%

Quick verdict

QNDX fits better if you care most about lower fees and smaller drawdowns. QQQ fits better if you care most about more income today. With 100% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

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Frequently asked questions

Is QNDX or QQQ better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. QNDX currently yields 0.11% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while QQQ yields 0.53%. Higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, but may come with different risk, growth, or NAV characteristics. Compare total return and payout sustainability — not just the headline yield.
What is the difference between QNDX and QQQ?
State Street SPDR Portfolio Nasdaq 100 ETF (QNDX) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, QNDX or QQQ?
QNDX has the lower expense ratio. QNDX charges 0.10% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%, a difference of $8 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which is riskier, QNDX or QQQ?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, QQQ has been riskier: QNDX fell as much as 10.1% and QQQ as much as 35.1%. Their betas are 1.73 and 1.23.
How much do QNDX and QQQ overlap?
About 100% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 98 shared holdings. The largest shared positions are NVDA, AAPL, MSFT. Holding both adds little diversification.
How often do QNDX and QQQ pay dividends?
Both pay annual. The most recent payments were $0.0270 for QNDX and $0.7514 for QQQ.
How much income does $10,000 in QNDX vs QQQ generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in QNDX would generate roughly $0.93 per month ($11 annually). The same amount in QQQ would produce about $4.40 per month ($53 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both QNDX and QQQ?
Yes. Many income investors hold both to diversify strategy or index exposure. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on overlapping holdings and factor exposure. Model both inside Dividend Wealth to see combined income, sector mix, and forecast impact.
Where can I compare QNDX vs QQQ with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how QNDX and QQQ fit alongside the rest of your portfolio. A 14-day free trial of Standard is available with no credit card required; a limited Free plan is also available.

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For informational and educational purposes only. Not investment advice. Past performance and current yields do not guarantee future results. Verify figures independently before making investment decisions.