FPE vs. QQQ
FPE (First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF) and QQQ (Invesco QQQ ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - FPE is a Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds fund actively managed by First Trust, while QQQ is a Nasdaq-100 fund tracking the NASDAQ-100 Index. FPE is actively managed, while QQQ is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, FPE returned 5.00%/yr vs 22.48%/yr for QQQ. At a 0.39 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. FPE charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.18%/yr for QQQ.
Performance
FPE vs. QQQ - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FPE achieves a 1.02% return, which is significantly lower than QQQ's 20.41% return. Over the past 10 years, FPE has underperformed QQQ with an annualized return of 5.00%, while QQQ has yielded a comparatively higher 22.48% annualized return.
FPE
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.39%
- YTD
- 1.02%
- 6M
- 1.13%
- 1Y
- 7.40%
- 3Y*
- 10.50%
- 5Y*
- 2.97%
- 10Y*
- 5.00%
QQQ
- 1D
- -0.25%
- 1M
- 2.96%
- YTD
- 20.41%
- 6M
- 19.46%
- 1Y
- 40.91%
- 3Y*
- 27.47%
- 5Y*
- 16.94%
- 10Y*
- 22.48%
FPE vs. QQQ - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF | 1.02% | 9.21% | 11.17% | 6.84% | -12.77% | 5.24% | 6.00% | 18.15% | -4.98% | 11.26% |
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF | 20.41% | 20.77% | 25.58% | 54.86% | -32.58% | 27.42% | 48.62% | 38.96% | -0.13% | 32.66% |
Correlation
The correlation between FPE and QQQ is 0.63, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.63 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.52 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.45 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 12, 2013 | 0.39 |
Over the past year, FPE and QQQ have become more correlated (0.63) than their long-term average of 0.39, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
FPE vs. QQQ — Risk / Return Rank
FPE
QQQ
FPE vs. QQQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE) 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.
| FPE | QQQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.41 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.41 | -0.01 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.82 | 3.44 | -1.62 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 8.01 | 12.79 | -4.78 |
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Drawdowns
FPE vs. QQQ - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FPE drawdown since its inception was -33.35%, smaller than the maximum QQQ drawdown of -82.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FPE and QQQ.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FPE | QQQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -33.35% | -82.97% | +49.62% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.08% | -11.96% | +7.88% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -4.66% | -22.77% | +18.11% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.65% | -35.12% | +15.47% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -33.35% | -35.12% | +1.77% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.78% | -0.99% | +0.21% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.32% | -32.73% | +29.41% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.93% | 3.21% | -2.28% |
Volatility
FPE vs. QQQ - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE) is 0.76%, while Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) has a volatility of 8.47%. This indicates that FPE experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than QQQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FPE | QQQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.76% | 8.47% | -7.71% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.11% | 14.20% | -11.09% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 3.88% | 17.67% | -13.79% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.62% | 22.64% | -16.02% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.18% | 22.43% | -12.25% |
FPE vs. QQQ - Expense Ratio Comparison
FPE has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than QQQ's 0.18% expense ratio.
Dividends
FPE vs. QQQ - Dividend Comparison
FPE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.83%, more than QQQ's 0.49% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF | 5.83% | 5.81% | 5.68% | 6.03% | 5.67% | 4.48% | 4.88% | 5.32% | 6.14% | 5.39% | 5.97% | 5.49% |
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF | 0.49% | 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
FPE and QQQ have a correlation of 0.63, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
QQQ has higher volatility (8.47%) compared to FPE (0.76%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FPE dropped -33.35% vs QQQ's -82.97%.
On 10-year performance, QQQ leads with 22.48% vs 5.00% for FPE. On fees, QQQ is cheaper at 0.18% per year. On volatility, FPE has been the lower-risk option at 0.76%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, QQQ has performed better with a 22.48% return vs 5.00%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
QQQ is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.85% for FPE.
FPE has the higher dividend yield at 5.83%, compared with 0.49% for QQQ.
FPE is categorized as Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds, while QQQ is Nasdaq-100. They also come from different issuers: First Trust and Invesco. Their fees differ too: 0.85% for FPE and 0.18% for QQQ.
QQQ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.33 vs 1.92), 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.
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