QQQ vs. SPTL

Last updated Apr 4, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL).

QQQ and SPTL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. QQQ is a passively managed fund by Invesco that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. It was launched on Mar 10, 1999. SPTL is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the Bloomberg Long U.S. Treasury Index. It was launched on May 23, 2007. Both QQQ and SPTL 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

QQQ vs. SPTL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

QQQ vs. SPTL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	-4.65%	20.77%	25.58%	54.86%	-32.58%	27.42%	48.62%	38.96%	-0.13%	32.66%
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF	0.33%	5.28%	-6.23%	3.30%	-29.44%	-4.99%	18.07%	13.74%	-1.57%	9.01%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QQQ achieves a -4.65% return, which is significantly lower than SPTL's 0.33% return. Over the past 10 years, QQQ has outperformed SPTL with an annualized return of 19.05%, while SPTL has yielded a comparatively lower -0.84% annualized return.

QQQ

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: -4.65%
• 6M: -2.77%
• 1Y: 30.43%
• 3Y*: 22.97%
• 5Y*: 13.18%
• 10Y*: 19.05%

SPTL

• 1D: 0.46%
• 1M: -2.25%
• YTD: 0.33%
• 6M: -0.33%
• 1Y: -0.47%
• 3Y*: -1.60%
• 5Y*: -4.82%
• 10Y*: -0.84%

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

QQQ vs. SPTL - Expense Ratio Comparison

QQQ has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is higher than SPTL's 0.03% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

QQQ

Invesco QQQ ETF

SPTL

SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF

Return for Risk

QQQ vs. SPTL — Risk / Return Rank

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

QQQ

QQQ Risk / Return Rank: 58
QQQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
QQQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
QQQ Omega Ratio Rank: 59
QQQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
QQQ Martin Ratio Rank: 57

SPTL

SPTL Risk / Return Rank: 10
SPTL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
SPTL Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
SPTL Omega Ratio Rank: 10
SPTL Calmar Ratio Rank: 10
SPTL Martin Ratio Rank: 10

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.

QQQ vs. SPTL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL). 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.

	QQQ	SPTL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.04	0.01	+1.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.62	0.09	+1.53
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.01	+0.22
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.93	0.01	+1.92
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.00	0.03	+6.97
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

QQQ vs. SPTL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QQQ Sharpe Ratio is 1.04, which is higher than the SPTL Sharpe Ratio of 0.01. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QQQ and SPTL, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	QQQ	SPTL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.04	0.01	+1.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	-0.33	+0.92
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.86	-0.06	+0.92
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.38	0.24	+0.13

Correlation

The correlation between QQQ and SPTL is -0.21. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Dividends

QQQ vs. SPTL - Dividend Comparison

QQQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.48%, less than SPTL's 4.15% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	0.48%	0.45%	0.56%	0.62%	0.80%	0.43%	0.55%	0.74%	0.91%	0.84%	1.06%	0.99%
SPTL SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF	4.15%	4.12%	4.03%	3.24%	2.75%	1.68%	1.71%	2.45%	2.69%	2.53%	2.56%	2.60%

Drawdowns

QQQ vs. SPTL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QQQ drawdown since its inception was -82.97%, which is greater than SPTL's maximum drawdown of -46.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QQQ and SPTL.

Drawdown Indicators

	QQQ	SPTL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-82.97%	-46.20%	-36.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.96%	-8.44%	-3.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.12%	-41.02%	+5.90%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.12%	-46.20%	+11.08%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.75%	-36.42%	+28.67%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-32.98%	-14.04%	-18.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.48%	3.85%	-0.37%

Volatility

QQQ vs. SPTL - Volatility Comparison

Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) has a higher volatility of 6.38% compared to SPDR Portfolio Long Term Treasury ETF (SPTL) at 3.54%. This indicates that QQQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPTL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	QQQ	SPTL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.38%	3.54%	+2.84%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.82%	6.02%	+6.80%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.69%	10.29%	+12.40%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.37%	14.63%	+7.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.24%	13.97%	+8.27%