DAR vs. QQQ

Last updated Aug 5, 2026

DAR (Darling Ingredients Inc.) is a stock, while QQQ (Invesco QQQ ETF) is Nasdaq-100 fund tracking the NASDAQ-100 Index. Over the past 10 years, DAR returned 14.96%/yr vs 20.86%/yr for QQQ. Their 0.32 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.

Performance

DAR vs. QQQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Darling Ingredients Inc. (DAR) and Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DAR achieves a 67.08% return, which is significantly higher than QQQ's 18.11% return. Over the past 10 years, DAR has underperformed QQQ with an annualized return of 14.96%, while QQQ has yielded a comparatively higher 20.86% annualized return.

DAR

• 1D: 0.65%
• 1M: 6.40%
• 6M: 25.68%
• YTD: 67.08%
• 1Y: 90.41%
• 3Y*: -4.08%
• 5Y*: -2.91%
• 10Y*: 14.96%
• ALL TIME*: 8.61%

QQQ

• 1D: 3.40%
• 1M: 1.58%
• 6M: 17.69%
• YTD: 18.11%
• 1Y: 28.94%
• 3Y*: 25.56%
• 5Y*: 15.07%
• 10Y*: 20.86%
• ALL TIME*: 10.84%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
DAR Darling Ingredients Inc.	$146.81M	$134.51M	$136.67M
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	$33.34B	$28.86B	$31.95B

DAR vs. QQQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
DAR Darling Ingredients Inc.	67.08%	6.86%	-32.40%	-20.37%	-9.67%	20.13%	105.41%	45.95%	6.12%	40.43%
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	18.11%	20.77%	25.58%	54.86%	-32.58%	27.42%	48.62%	38.96%	-0.13%	32.66%

Correlation

The correlation between DAR and QQQ is 0.08, meaning there was essentially no consistent relationship between their historical price movements. Each responded to its own set of market drivers.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.08
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.18
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.29
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.33
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 10, 1999	0.32

Over the past year, the correlation between DAR and QQQ has dropped to 0.08 - well below their long-term average of 0.32, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Return for Risk

DAR vs. QQQ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

DAR

DAR Risk / Return Rank: 93
DAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 95
DAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 94
DAR Omega Ratio Rank: 92
DAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
DAR Martin Ratio Rank: 93

QQQ

QQQ Risk / Return Rank: 55
QQQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
QQQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 52
QQQ Omega Ratio Rank: 51
QQQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
QQQ Martin Ratio Rank: 58

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

DAR vs. QQQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Darling Ingredients Inc. (DAR) and Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	DAR	QQQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.50	1.49	+1.01
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.36	2.07	+1.30
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.26	+0.14
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.78	2.43	+2.35
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	12.01	7.72	+4.29

DAR vs. QQQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DAR Sharpe Ratio is 2.50, which is higher than the QQQ Sharpe Ratio of 1.49. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DAR and QQQ, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

DAR vs. QQQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DAR drawdown since its inception was -97.89%, which is greater than QQQ's maximum drawdown of -82.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DAR and QQQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	DAR	QQQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-97.89%	-82.97%	-14.92%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.03%	-11.96%	-7.07%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-59.59%	-22.77%	-36.82%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-68.31%	-35.12%	-33.19%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-68.31%	-35.12%	-33.19%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-31.00%	-2.88%	-28.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-41.09%	-32.61%	-8.48%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.56%	3.76%	+3.80%

Volatility

DAR vs. QQQ - Volatility Comparison

Darling Ingredients Inc. (DAR) has a higher volatility of 9.92% compared to Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) at 7.63%. This indicates that DAR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QQQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DAR	QQQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.92%	7.63%	+2.29%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.35%	16.43%	+3.92%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	36.36%	19.61%	+16.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	40.17%	22.97%	+17.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	38.72%	22.54%	+16.18%

Dividends

DAR vs. QQQ - Dividend Comparison

DAR has not paid dividends to shareholders, while QQQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.42%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
DAR Darling Ingredients Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	0.42%	0.45%	0.56%	0.62%	0.80%	0.43%	0.55%	0.74%	0.91%	0.84%	1.06%	0.99%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both DAR and QQQ in my portfolio?

DAR and QQQ have a correlation of 0.08, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, DAR or QQQ?

DAR has higher volatility (9.92%) compared to QQQ (7.63%). In terms of maximum drawdown, DAR dropped -97.89% vs QQQ's -82.97%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

DAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.50 vs 1.49), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.