^VXN vs. SQQQ

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about CBOE NASDAQ 100 Voltility Index (^VXN) and ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ).

SQQQ is a passively managed fund by ProShares that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index (-300%). It was launched on Feb 9, 2010.

Performance

^VXN vs. SQQQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in CBOE NASDAQ 100 Voltility Index (^VXN) and ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^VXN vs. SQQQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^VXN CBOE NASDAQ 100 Voltility Index	40.90%	-1.81%	22.96%	-41.30%	30.19%	-21.28%	59.44%	-46.28%	100.51%	-6.00%
SQQQ ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ	13.75%	-53.05%	-49.79%	-73.61%	82.40%	-60.87%	-86.40%	-65.92%	-20.83%	-58.67%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^VXN achieves a 40.90% return, which is significantly higher than SQQQ's 13.75% return. Over the past 10 years, ^VXN has outperformed SQQQ with an annualized return of 5.69%, while SQQQ has yielded a comparatively lower -52.78% annualized return.

^VXN

• 1D: -2.41%
• 1M: 8.50%
• YTD: 40.90%
• 6M: 38.70%
• 1Y: 11.13%
• 3Y*: 5.31%
• 5Y*: 3.50%
• 10Y*: 5.69%

SQQQ

• 1D: -0.21%
• 1M: 6.93%
• YTD: 13.75%
• 6M: 7.42%
• 1Y: -55.21%
• 3Y*: -49.54%
• 5Y*: -42.72%
• 10Y*: -52.78%

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

Return for Risk

^VXN vs. SQQQ — Risk / Return Rank

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

^VXN

^VXN Risk / Return Rank: 25
^VXN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
^VXN Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
^VXN Omega Ratio Rank: 34
^VXN Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
^VXN Martin Ratio Rank: 16

SQQQ

SQQQ Risk / Return Rank: 2
SQQQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1
SQQQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
SQQQ Omega Ratio Rank: 1
SQQQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 1
SQQQ Martin Ratio Rank: 5

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.

^VXN vs. SQQQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for CBOE NASDAQ 100 Voltility Index (^VXN) and ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ). 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.

	^VXN	SQQQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.10	-0.82	+0.92
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.03	-1.10	+2.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.12	0.85	+0.27
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.14	-0.75	+0.89
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.18	-0.86	+1.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^VXN vs. SQQQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^VXN Sharpe Ratio is 0.10, which is higher than the SQQQ Sharpe Ratio of -0.82. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^VXN and SQQQ, 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

	^VXN	SQQQ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.10	-0.82	+0.92
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.04	-0.64	+0.68
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.05	-0.80	+0.85
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.03	-0.85	+0.82

Correlation

The correlation between ^VXN and SQQQ is 0.73, 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

^VXN vs. SQQQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^VXN drawdown since its inception was -87.50%, smaller than the maximum SQQQ drawdown of -100.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^VXN and SQQQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	^VXN	SQQQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-87.50%	-100.00%	+12.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-61.32%	-75.23%	+13.91%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-72.97%	-95.36%	+22.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-86.01%	-99.96%	+13.95%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-66.59%	-100.00%	+33.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-69.39%	-92.32%	+22.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	48.21%	65.54%	-17.33%

Volatility

^VXN vs. SQQQ - Volatility Comparison

CBOE NASDAQ 100 Voltility Index (^VXN) has a higher volatility of 42.08% compared to ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ (SQQQ) at 19.33%. This indicates that ^VXN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SQQQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^VXN	SQQQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	42.08%	19.33%	+22.75%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	80.84%	38.20%	+42.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	110.87%	67.34%	+43.53%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	98.26%	66.63%	+31.63%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	108.85%	65.96%	+42.89%