ETF Versus

QQQ vs VB

Invesco QQQ Trust vs Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares

Last updated: 2026-04-02

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
VB Vanguard

Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund ETF Shares (VB) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.03%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.33%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $69.1B ER: 0.03% Yield: 1.33% Since: Jan 26, 2004

Quick Verdict

VB is significantly cheaper at 0.03% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $297 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, QQQ has significantly outperformed with a 23.6% return vs 18.4%. Income investors may prefer VB for its higher yield (1.3% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric QQQ VB
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.03%
Dividend Yield 0.5% 1.3%
Fund Family Invesco Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth US Small Cap

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
QQQ +76.5%
VB +20.7%

Performance Comparison

Period QQQ VB Difference
1 Month -3.91% -5.50% +1.59%
3 Months -4.70% +0.71% -5.41%
6 Months -3.13% +2.15% -5.28%
YTD -4.70% +0.71% -5.41%
1 Year +23.61% +18.40% +5.21%
3 Years +82.51% +39.02% +43.49%
5 Years +76.50% +20.71% +55.79%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period QQQ Fees VB Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $60 $297
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $258 $1.271
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $835 $4.076
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $299 $1.486
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $4.176 $20.382
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $8.352 $40.764

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric QQQ VB
Annualized Volatility 22.4% 20.8%
Max Drawdown -35.6% -28.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.07

Dividend Comparison

Metric QQQ VB
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.81 $3.50
Dividend Yield 0.48% 1.33%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

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%

VB Top Holdings

NameWeight
Sandisk CorporationSNDK1.21%
Comfort Systems USA, Inc.FIX0.65%
Lumentum Holdings Inc.LITE0.64%
Ciena CorporationCIEN0.64%
Coherent Corp.COHR0.53%
Rocket Lab CorporationRKLB0.48%
NRG Energy, Inc.NRG0.44%
Bloom Energy CorporationBE0.43%
EMCOR Group, Inc.EME0.42%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VB 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 VB if...

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

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