FTC vs. QQQ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FTC) and Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ).

FTC and QQQ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTC is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ AlphaDEX Large Cap Growth Index. It was launched on May 8, 2007. QQQ is a passively managed fund by Invesco that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. It was launched on Mar 10, 1999. Both FTC and QQQ are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

FTC vs. QQQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FTC) and Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTC vs. QQQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FTC First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund	-3.55%	15.89%	26.60%	20.72%	-23.28%	24.43%	33.35%	28.07%	-6.03%	25.32%
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	-5.93%	20.77%	25.58%	54.86%	-32.58%	27.42%	48.62%	38.96%	-0.13%	32.66%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTC achieves a -3.55% return, which is significantly higher than QQQ's -5.93% return. Over the past 10 years, FTC has underperformed QQQ with an annualized return of 12.76%, while QQQ has yielded a comparatively higher 18.85% annualized return.

FTC

• 1D: 3.50%
• 1M: -5.75%
• YTD: -3.55%
• 6M: -4.00%
• 1Y: 17.56%
• 3Y*: 18.73%
• 5Y*: 9.64%
• 10Y*: 12.76%

QQQ

• 1D: 3.39%
• 1M: -4.84%
• YTD: -5.93%
• 6M: -3.62%
• 1Y: 23.68%
• 3Y*: 22.32%
• 5Y*: 12.88%
• 10Y*: 18.85%

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

FTC vs. QQQ - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTC has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than QQQ's 0.18% expense ratio.

FTC

First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund

QQQ

Invesco QQQ ETF

Return for Risk

FTC vs. QQQ — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTC

FTC Risk / Return Rank: 52
FTC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
FTC Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
FTC Omega Ratio Rank: 47
FTC Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
FTC Martin Ratio Rank: 60

QQQ

QQQ Risk / Return Rank: 69
QQQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
QQQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
QQQ Omega Ratio Rank: 67
QQQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
QQQ Martin Ratio Rank: 73

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.

FTC vs. QQQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FTC) 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.

	FTC	QQQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.83	1.05	-0.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.25	1.63	-0.38
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.23	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.37	1.88	-0.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.60	6.95	-1.35
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTC vs. QQQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTC Sharpe Ratio is 0.83, which is comparable to the QQQ Sharpe Ratio of 1.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTC and QQQ, 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

	FTC	QQQ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.83	1.05	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49	0.58	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.63	0.85	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.37	+0.10

Correlation

The correlation between FTC and QQQ is 0.84, 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.

Dividends

FTC vs. QQQ - Dividend Comparison

FTC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.22%, less than QQQ's 0.49% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTC First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund	0.22%	0.20%	0.32%	0.65%	0.90%	0.00%	0.40%	0.64%	0.35%	0.40%	0.86%	0.52%
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%

Drawdowns

FTC vs. QQQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTC drawdown since its inception was -54.05%, smaller than the maximum QQQ drawdown of -82.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTC and QQQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTC	QQQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.05%	-82.97%	+28.92%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.79%	-12.62%	-0.17%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.18%	-35.12%	+3.94%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.66%	-35.12%	+0.46%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.22%	-8.98%	+1.76%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.40%	-32.99%	+23.59%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.14%	3.41%	-0.27%

Volatility

FTC vs. QQQ - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX Fund (FTC) has a higher volatility of 7.28% compared to Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) at 6.51%. This indicates that FTC'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

	FTC	QQQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.28%	6.51%	+0.77%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.18%	12.77%	+1.41%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.24%	22.67%	-1.43%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.72%	22.39%	-2.67%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.29%	22.25%	-1.96%