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QQQ vs. FTQI
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

QQQ vs. FTQI

Last updated Aug 6, 2026
Documentation

QQQ (Invesco QQQ ETF) and FTQI (First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF) are both Nasdaq-100 funds tracking the NASDAQ-100 Index, from Invesco and First Trust respectively. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, QQQ returned 20.75%/yr vs 8.38%/yr for FTQI. Their 0.60 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. QQQ charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for FTQI.

Performance

QQQ vs. FTQI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QQQ achieves a 17.04% return, which is significantly higher than FTQI's 14.01% return. Over the past 10 years, QQQ has outperformed FTQI with an annualized return of 20.75%, while FTQI has yielded a comparatively lower 8.38% annualized return.

QQQ

1D
-0.90%
1M
-0.76%
6M
18.69%
YTD
17.04%
1Y
28.64%
3Y*
25.18%
5Y*
14.96%
10Y*
20.75%
ALL TIME*
10.80%

FTQI

1D
-0.18%
1M
0.97%
6M
14.35%
YTD
14.01%
1Y
25.27%
3Y*
17.45%
5Y*
12.21%
10Y*
8.38%
ALL TIME*
7.14%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Liquidity Comparison

PositionAvg. Volume Value (2W)Avg. Volume Value (1M)Avg. Volume Value (3M)

FTQI

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF
$11.50M$8.69M$6.02M

QQQ

Invesco QQQ ETF
$34.07B$28.96B$31.85B

QQQ vs. FTQI - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
QQQ
Invesco QQQ ETF		17.04%20.77%25.58%54.86%-32.58%27.42%48.62%38.96%-0.13%32.66%
FTQI
First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF		14.01%12.68%18.30%23.63%-8.77%10.46%-6.54%13.98%-9.78%12.47%

Correlation

The correlation between QQQ and FTQI is 0.91, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.

0.91

Correlation (3Y)
Balances recent behavior with more history.

0.90

Correlation (5Y)
Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.

0.84

Correlation (10Y)
Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.

0.66

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 7, 2014

0.60

Over the past year, QQQ and FTQI have become more correlated (0.91) than their long-term average of 0.60, meaning their price movements have been converging.

QQQ vs. FTQI - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
QQQ
FTQI

Technology

60.9%
47.4%

Communication Services

13.1%
8.5%

Consumer Cyclical

10.7%
11.6%

Consumer Defensive

6.3%
7.4%

Healthcare

3.6%
7.6%

Industrials

2.7%
6.3%

Utilities

1.1%
1.5%

Basic Materials

1.0%
1.1%

Energy

0.5%
2.2%

Financial Services

0.2%
5.2%

Real Estate

0.1%
1.1%

Technology

QQQ
60.9%
FTQI
47.4%

Communication Services

QQQ
13.1%
FTQI
8.5%

Consumer Cyclical

QQQ
10.7%
FTQI
11.6%

Consumer Defensive

QQQ
6.3%
FTQI
7.4%

Healthcare

QQQ
3.6%
FTQI
7.6%

Industrials

QQQ
2.7%
FTQI
6.3%

Utilities

QQQ
1.1%
FTQI
1.5%

Basic Materials

QQQ
1.0%
FTQI
1.1%

Energy

QQQ
0.5%
FTQI
2.2%

Financial Services

QQQ
0.2%
FTQI
5.2%

Real Estate

QQQ
0.1%
FTQI
1.1%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

Search for stocks, ETFs, and funds for a quick comparison or use the comparison tool for more options.

Invesco QQQ ETF

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF

Often compared with QQQ:
QQQ vs. SPYQQQ vs. VOOQQQ vs. VGTQQQ vs. TQQQQQQ vs. SMHQQQ vs. QQQMQQQ vs. SPMO
Often compared with FTQI:
FTQI vs. FTHIFTQI vs. JEPQFTQI vs. QYLDFTQI vs. QQQIFTQI vs. TUGNFTQI vs. SPYIFTQI vs. SPY

Return for Risk

QQQ vs. FTQI — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.
QQQ
QQQ Risk / Return Rank: 5454
Overall Rank
QQQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5252
Sharpe Ratio Rank
QQQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 5050
Sortino Ratio Rank
QQQ Omega Ratio Rank: 4949
Omega Ratio Rank
QQQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 6060
Calmar Ratio Rank
QQQ Martin Ratio Rank: 5656
Martin Ratio Rank
FTQI
FTQI Risk / Return Rank: 8888
Overall Rank
FTQI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8686
Sharpe Ratio Rank
FTQI Sortino Ratio Rank: 8686
Sortino Ratio Rank
FTQI Omega Ratio Rank: 8686
Omega Ratio Rank
FTQI Calmar Ratio Rank: 8989
Calmar Ratio Rank
FTQI Martin Ratio Rank: 9393
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

QQQ vs. FTQI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI). 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.

QQQFTQIDifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.47
2.26

-0.79

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.05
3.16

-1.12

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.26

1.41

-0.16

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.40

4.07

-1.66

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

7.62

18.34

-10.72

QQQ vs. FTQI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QQQ Sharpe Ratio is 1.47, which is lower than the FTQI Sharpe Ratio of 2.26. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QQQ and FTQI, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Drawdowns

QQQ vs. FTQI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QQQ drawdown since its inception was -82.97%, which is greater than FTQI's maximum drawdown of -19.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QQQ and FTQI.

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Drawdown Indicators

QQQFTQIDifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-82.97%

-19.42%

-63.55%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-11.96%

-6.24%

-5.72%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-22.77%

-19.42%

-3.35%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-35.12%

-19.42%

-15.70%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-35.12%

-19.42%

-15.70%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-3.76%

-0.18%

-3.58%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-32.61%

-3.72%

-28.89%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

3.77%

1.38%

+2.39%

Volatility

QQQ vs. FTQI - Volatility Comparison

Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) has a higher volatility of 7.44% compared to First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) at 3.82%. This indicates that QQQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FTQI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

QQQFTQIDifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

7.44%

3.82%

+3.62%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

16.38%

9.19%

+7.19%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

19.56%

11.24%

+8.32%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

22.97%

14.80%

+8.17%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

22.53%

12.94%

+9.59%

QQQ vs. FTQI - Expense Ratio Comparison

QQQ has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than FTQI's 0.75% expense ratio.

Dividends

QQQ vs. FTQI - Dividend Comparison

QQQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.42%, less than FTQI's 11.03% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
FTQI
First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF		11.03%11.46%11.66%11.49%9.85%3.05%3.27%2.95%3.27%2.74%3.02%3.54%
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

With a correlation of 0.91, QQQ and FTQI move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

QQQ has higher volatility (7.44%) compared to FTQI (3.82%). In terms of maximum drawdown, QQQ dropped -82.97% vs FTQI's -19.42%.

On 10-year performance, QQQ leads with 20.75% vs 8.38% for FTQI. On fees, QQQ is cheaper at 0.18% per year. On volatility, FTQI has been the lower-risk option at 3.82%. 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 20.75% return vs 8.38%. 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 0.75% for FTQI.

FTQI has the higher dividend yield at 11.03%, compared with 0.42% for QQQ.

Both ETFs track NASDAQ-100 Index. They also come from different issuers: Invesco and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for QQQ and 0.75% for FTQI.

FTQI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.26 vs 1.47), 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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