Dividend comparison

QQQ vs SPYG: Which Is Better?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 and State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

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QQQ vs SPYG: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. SPYG is cheaper at 0.04% a year versus 0.18% for QQQ. On $10,000 that is $14 a year less in fees.
  • Income. Their trailing yields are almost the same: 0.53% for QQQ and 0.48% for SPYG. QQQ pays annual, SPYG pays quarterly.
  • Performance. Over the last 5 years, QQQ returned 97.0% versus 86.3% for SPYG, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $19,698 in QQQ and $18,633 in SPYG.
  • Risk. QQQ has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 5 years was -35.1%, against -32.7% for SPYG.
  • Diversification. SPYG holds 152 positions and QQQ holds 102. The ten largest positions make up 47.2% of QQQ and 60.2% of SPYG.
  • Overlap. 55% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 41 shared holdings.
  • Dividend growth. QQQ grew its yearly payout 13.3% a year over the last 4 years, versus 5.3% for SPYG.
  • Size. QQQ is the larger fund with $487.5 billion in assets, against $56.1 billion for SPYG.

Bottom line: QQQ fits better if you care most about stronger 5-year returns and faster dividend growth. SPYG fits better if you care most about lower fees.

Side-by-side snapshot
Trailing twelve-month figures where available. Higher yield is highlighted — not a buy recommendation.
MetricQQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
SPYG
State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)0.53%0.48%
Dividend / share (TTM)$3.79$0.59
Payout frequencyAnnualQuarterly
Last dividend$0.7514 on Oct 8, 2026$0.1482 on Sep 23, 2026
Ex-dividend dateDec 21, 2026Sep 21, 2026
Next payment$0.7941 on Dec 28, 2026—
Dividend growth (CAGR)13.3% over 4 yrs5.3% over 4 yrs
Price$717.63$121.15
Dividend growth streak—1 year
Beta1.231.18
Max drawdown (5Y)-35.1%-32.7%
Market cap$479.05B$55.60B
ExchangeNASDAQAMEX
Expense ratio0.18%0.04%
Assets under management$487.46B$56.15B
Number of holdings102152
Top 10 concentration47.2%60.2%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

QQQ

$4.40/mo

$53 /yr at 0.53% yield

SPYG

$4.03/mo

$48 /yr at 0.48% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. QQQ pays annual; SPYG pays quarterly.
YearQQQSPYG
2025$2.7949$0.5519
2024$3.0623$0.5315
2023$2.3200$0.7493
2022$2.1351$0.5194
2021$1.6968$0.4482
Strategy: Large-cap growth
Funds that hold the faster-growing half of the large-cap market, selected by measures like earnings growth, sales growth and price momentum. In practice that means heavy weights in technology and communication companies, with the largest few names often making up a third of the fund or more. Dividends are small because growth companies reinvest their cash instead of paying it out.

Concentration in a handful of mega-cap stocks makes these funds swing harder than the broad market in both directions, and they offer little current income.

What QQQ vs SPYG 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 Oct 20, 2021 would now be worth $19,698 in QQQ and $18,633 in SPYG.
PeriodQQQSPYG
1 month-0.43%-0.14%
3 months3.10%4.05%
Year to date17.09%13.98%
1 year17.78%15.83%
3 years105.61%110.00%
5 years96.98%86.33%
  • QQQ
  • SPYG
61139216202120222023202420252026197186

Both series indexed to 100 on 2021-10-20 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.
  • QQQ
  • SPYG
0%15%29%44%59%Technology58.8%52.6%Communication Services12.1%15.5%Consumer Cyclical10.2%8.3%Industrials5.5%5.8%Healthcare4.4%6.5%Financial Services0.2%8.9%Consumer Defensive6.1%1.2%Utilities1.1%0.3%Basic Materials1.0%0.3%Real Estate0.1%0.6%Other0.6%0.1%
QQQ vs SPYG holdings overlap
55% overlap by weight, with 41 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 holdingsQQQ weightSPYG weight
NVDANVIDIA Corp8.17%14.45%
AAPLApple Inc7.82%6.88%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp6.19%10.90%
AMZNAmazon.com Inc4.42%3.76%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.28%4.28%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc3.15%5.56%
GOOGAlphabet Inc2.94%4.45%
MUMicron Technology Inc4.41%2.81%
AVGOBroadcom Inc2.49%4.38%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.79%2.42%
Top 10 holdings
Largest positions by portfolio weight.

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%

SPYG152 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA CORP14.45%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP10.90%
AAPLAPPLE INC6.88%
GOOGLALPHABET INC CL A5.56%
GOOGALPHABET INC CL C4.45%
AVGOBROADCOM INC4.38%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC CLASS A4.28%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC3.76%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC2.81%
LLYELI LILLY + CO2.73%

Quick verdict

QQQ fits better if you care most about stronger 5-year returns and faster dividend growth. SPYG fits better if you care most about lower fees. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

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Frequently asked questions

Is QQQ or SPYG better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. QQQ currently yields 0.53% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while SPYG yields 0.48%. 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 QQQ and SPYG?
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 (QQQ) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. State Street SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG) is an ETF listed on AMEX. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, QQQ or SPYG?
SPYG has the lower expense ratio. QQQ charges 0.18% a year and SPYG charges 0.04%, a difference of $14 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which has performed better, QQQ or SPYG?
Over the last 5 years, QQQ has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: QQQ returned 97.0% and SPYG returned 86.3%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, QQQ or SPYG?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, QQQ has been riskier: QQQ fell as much as 35.1% and SPYG as much as 32.7%. Their betas are 1.23 and 1.18.
How much do QQQ and SPYG overlap?
About 55% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 41 shared holdings. The largest shared positions are NVDA, AAPL, MSFT. Holding both still adds meaningful diversification.
How often do QQQ and SPYG pay dividends?
QQQ pays annual and SPYG pays quarterly.
How much income does $10,000 in QQQ vs SPYG generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in QQQ would generate roughly $4.40 per month ($53 annually). The same amount in SPYG would produce about $4.03 per month ($48 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both QQQ and SPYG?
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 QQQ vs SPYG with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how QQQ and SPYG 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.