ETF Versus

IJR vs QQQ

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.28%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $90.2B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.28% Since: May 22, 2000
QQQ Invesco

Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.48%. Launched in 1999, the fund has a 27-year track record.

AUM: $363.1B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.48% Since: Mar 10, 1999

Quick Verdict

IJR is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $237 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. QQQ has edged ahead over the past year (23.6% vs 19.2%). Income investors may prefer IJR for its higher yield (1.3% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR QQQ
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 0.5%
Fund Family iShares Invesco
Category US Small Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 99 123 147 171 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJR +13.0%
QQQ +76.5%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR QQQ Difference
1 Month -4.33% -3.91% -0.42%
3 Months +2.92% -4.70% +7.62%
6 Months +4.03% -3.13% +7.16%
YTD +2.92% -4.70% +7.62%
1 Year +19.20% +23.61% -4.41%
3 Years +29.06% +82.51% -53.45%
5 Years +12.98% +76.50% -63.52%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees QQQ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $120 $357 $237
$10.000 20 years $515 $1.529 $1.014
$10.000 30 years $1.664 $4.912 $3.248
$50.000 10 years $598 $1.786 $1.187
$50.000 30 years $8.318 $24.558 $16.240
$100.000 30 years $16.637 $49.116 $32.479

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR QQQ
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 22.4%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.01 0.42

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR QQQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $2.81
Dividend Yield 1.28% 0.48%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.37%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.54%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.52%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.52%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.51%
Element Solutions IncESI0.51%
LKQ CorporationLKQ0.50%
SM Energy CompanySM0.49%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.48%

QQQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.55%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.67%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.56%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.49%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.79%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.48%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.26%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.13%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.99%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose QQQ if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose IJR if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Related Comparisons