^NDX vs. NQ=F

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) and E-Mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (NQ=F).

Performance

^NDX vs. NQ=F - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) and E-Mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (NQ=F). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^NDX vs. NQ=F - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^NDX NASDAQ 100 Index	-4.87%	20.17%	24.88%	53.81%	-32.97%	26.63%	47.58%	37.96%	-1.04%	31.52%
NQ=F E-Mini Nasdaq 100 Futures	-4.99%	19.93%	24.69%	54.45%	-32.46%	26.66%	47.22%	38.20%	-1.18%	31.76%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with ^NDX having a -4.87% return and NQ=F slightly lower at -4.99%. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with ^NDX having a 18.15% annualized return and NQ=F not far ahead at 18.24%.

^NDX

• 1D: 1.18%
• 1M: -3.89%
• YTD: -4.87%
• 6M: -3.15%
• 1Y: 23.58%
• 3Y*: 22.14%
• 5Y*: 12.50%
• 10Y*: 18.15%

NQ=F

• 1D: 1.14%
• 1M: -3.35%
• YTD: -4.99%
• 6M: -3.32%
• 1Y: 23.38%
• 3Y*: 22.06%
• 5Y*: 12.68%
• 10Y*: 18.24%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^NDX vs. NQ=F — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^NDX

^NDX Risk / Return Rank: 76
^NDX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
^NDX Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
^NDX Omega Ratio Rank: 74
^NDX Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
^NDX Martin Ratio Rank: 80

NQ=F

NQ=F Risk / Return Rank: 60
NQ=F Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
NQ=F Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
NQ=F Omega Ratio Rank: 59
NQ=F Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
NQ=F Martin Ratio Rank: 70

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^NDX vs. NQ=F - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) and E-Mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (NQ=F). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^NDX	NQ=F	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.04	1.02	+0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.62	1.60	+0.03
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.23	0.00
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.93	2.41	-0.47
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.05	8.99	-1.94
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^NDX vs. NQ=F - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^NDX Sharpe Ratio is 1.04, which is comparable to the NQ=F Sharpe Ratio of 1.02. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^NDX and NQ=F, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^NDX	NQ=F	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.04	1.02	+0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56	0.56	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.81	0.82	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.55	0.90	-0.35

Correlation

The correlation between ^NDX and NQ=F is 0.98, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Drawdowns

^NDX vs. NQ=F - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^NDX drawdown since its inception was -82.90%, which is greater than NQ=F's maximum drawdown of -35.28%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^NDX and NQ=F.

Drawdown Indicators

	^NDX	NQ=F	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.90%	-35.28%	-47.62%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.72%	-12.72%	0.00%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.56%	-35.28%	-0.28%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.56%	-35.28%	-0.28%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.04%	-7.90%	-0.14%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-24.72%	-5.15%	-19.57%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.49%	3.18%	+0.31%

Volatility

^NDX vs. NQ=F - Volatility Comparison

NASDAQ 100 Index (^NDX) has a higher volatility of 6.65% compared to E-Mini Nasdaq 100 Futures (NQ=F) at 6.23%. This indicates that ^NDX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NQ=F based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^NDX	NQ=F	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.65%	6.23%	+0.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.93%	12.64%	+0.29%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.77%	22.19%	+0.58%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.61%	22.48%	+0.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.48%	22.24%	+0.24%