ETF Versus

QQQ vs VXUS

Invesco QQQ Trust vs Vanguard Total International Stock 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
VXUS Vanguard

Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund ETF Shares (VXUS) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to international stocks across both developed and emerging markets. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 2.93%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $129.4B ER: 0.05% Yield: 2.93% Since: Jan 26, 2011

Quick Verdict

VXUS is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $257 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. VXUS has edged ahead over the past year (25.3% vs 23.6%). Income investors may prefer VXUS for its higher yield (2.9% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric QQQ VXUS
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.05%
Dividend Yield 0.5% 2.9%
Fund Family Invesco Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth International Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

70 95 120 145 170 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
QQQ +76.5%
VXUS +21.4%

Performance Comparison

Period QQQ VXUS Difference
1 Month -3.91% -5.33% +1.42%
3 Months -4.70% +1.92% -6.62%
6 Months -3.13% +4.49% -7.62%
YTD -4.70% +1.92% -6.62%
1 Year +23.61% +25.26% -1.65%
3 Years +82.51% +40.28% +42.23%
5 Years +76.50% +21.42% +55.08%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period QQQ Fees VXUS Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $100 $257
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $430 $1.100
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $1.388 $3.523
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $499 $1.287
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $6.941 $17.617
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $13.882 $35.234

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric QQQ VXUS
Annualized Volatility 22.4% 15.9%
Max Drawdown -35.6% -32.7%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.04

Dividend Comparison

Metric QQQ VXUS
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.81 $2.29
Dividend Yield 0.48% 2.93%
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%

VXUS Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/23303.43%
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.!krx/0059301.59%
ASML Holding N.V.!ams/ASML1.29%
Tencent Holdings Limited!hkg/07000.92%
SK hynix Inc.!krx/0006600.91%
Roche Holding AGROC1.L0.76%
Alibaba Group Holding Limited!hkg/99880.73%
Novartis AG!swx/NOVN0.73%
HSBC Holdings plc!lon/HSBA0.73%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VXUS if...

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

Choose VXUS if...

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

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