QQEW vs. ILCB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund (QQEW) and iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF (ILCB).

QQEW and ILCB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. QQEW is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index. It was launched on Apr 19, 2006. ILCB is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Morningstar US Large-Mid Cap Index. It was launched on Jun 28, 2004. Both QQEW and ILCB 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

QQEW vs. ILCB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund (QQEW) and iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF (ILCB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

QQEW vs. ILCB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
QQEW First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund	-10.65%	14.22%	7.00%	33.31%	-24.59%	17.75%	37.30%	35.87%	-5.30%	26.04%
ILCB iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF	-4.57%	17.70%	24.96%	26.91%	-19.48%	24.07%	19.40%	32.68%	-8.51%	22.09%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QQEW achieves a -10.65% return, which is significantly lower than ILCB's -4.57% return. Over the past 10 years, QQEW has underperformed ILCB with an annualized return of 12.12%, while ILCB has yielded a comparatively higher 13.49% annualized return.

QQEW

• 1D: 3.19%
• 1M: -5.30%
• YTD: -10.65%
• 6M: -9.89%
• 1Y: 5.33%
• 3Y*: 8.63%
• 5Y*: 4.39%
• 10Y*: 12.12%

ILCB

• 1D: 2.92%
• 1M: -4.96%
• YTD: -4.57%
• 6M: -2.23%
• 1Y: 17.62%
• 3Y*: 18.30%
• 5Y*: 11.15%
• 10Y*: 13.49%

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

QQEW vs. ILCB - Expense Ratio Comparison

QQEW has a 0.58% expense ratio, which is higher than ILCB's 0.03% expense ratio.

QQEW

First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund

ILCB

iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF

Return for Risk

QQEW vs. ILCB — Risk / Return Rank

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

QQEW

QQEW Risk / Return Rank: 20
QQEW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
QQEW Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
QQEW Omega Ratio Rank: 20
QQEW Calmar Ratio Rank: 20
QQEW Martin Ratio Rank: 20

ILCB

ILCB Risk / Return Rank: 62
ILCB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 56
ILCB Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
ILCB Omega Ratio Rank: 63
ILCB Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
ILCB Martin Ratio Rank: 71

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.

QQEW vs. ILCB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund (QQEW) and iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF (ILCB). 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.

	QQEW	ILCB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.25	0.96	-0.72
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.51	1.47	-0.96
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.22	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.33	1.51	-1.19
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.08	7.11	-6.03
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

QQEW vs. ILCB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QQEW Sharpe Ratio is 0.25, which is lower than the ILCB Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QQEW and ILCB, 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

	QQEW	ILCB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.25	0.96	-0.72
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.21	0.65	-0.44
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	0.75	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.60	-0.11

Correlation

The correlation between QQEW and ILCB is 0.87, 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

QQEW vs. ILCB - Dividend Comparison

QQEW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.35%, less than ILCB's 1.13% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
QQEW First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund	0.35%	0.41%	0.57%	0.70%	0.66%	0.24%	0.34%	0.48%	0.56%	0.48%	0.73%	0.61%
ILCB iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF	1.13%	1.11%	1.19%	1.43%	1.65%	1.16%	1.26%	2.25%	2.17%	1.81%	1.97%	2.44%

Drawdowns

QQEW vs. ILCB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QQEW drawdown since its inception was -58.16%, which is greater than ILCB's maximum drawdown of -51.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QQEW and ILCB.

Drawdown Indicators

	QQEW	ILCB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-58.16%	-51.53%	-6.63%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.74%	-12.07%	-3.67%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.12%	-25.47%	-6.65%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.12%	-35.30%	+3.18%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-13.05%	-6.44%	-6.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.33%	-6.28%	-2.05%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.76%	2.57%	+2.19%

Volatility

QQEW vs. ILCB - Volatility Comparison

First Trust Nasdaq-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund (QQEW) has a higher volatility of 6.69% compared to iShares Morningstar U.S. Equity ETF (ILCB) at 5.34%. This indicates that QQEW's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ILCB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	QQEW	ILCB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.69%	5.34%	+1.35%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.88%	9.62%	+3.26%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.82%	18.41%	+3.41%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.62%	17.13%	+3.49%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.78%	18.14%	+2.64%