QQQ vs. XLB.TO
QQQ (Invesco QQQ ETF) and XLB.TO (iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - QQQ is a Nasdaq-100 fund tracking the NASDAQ-100 Index, while XLB.TO is a Canadian Government Bonds fund tracking the Morningstar Can 10+Y Core Bd GR CAD. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, QQQ returned 21.59%/yr vs -0.33%/yr for XLB.TO. At a 0.01 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. QQQ charges 0.18%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for XLB.TO.
Performance
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Performance Comparison
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Different Trading Currencies
QQQ is traded in USD, while XLB.TO is traded in CAD. To make them comparable, the XLB.TO values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, QQQ achieves a 16.71% return, which is significantly higher than XLB.TO's -0.90% return. Over the past 10 years, QQQ has outperformed XLB.TO with an annualized return of 21.59%, while XLB.TO has yielded a comparatively lower -0.33% annualized return.
QQQ
- 1D
- 1.56%
- 1M
- 0.68%
- YTD
- 16.71%
- 6M
- 15.00%
- 1Y
- 35.78%
- 3Y*
- 27.15%
- 5Y*
- 16.98%
- 10Y*
- 21.59%
XLB.TO
- 1D
- -1.34%
- 1M
- -2.55%
- YTD
- -0.90%
- 6M
- 0.33%
- 1Y
- -0.56%
- 3Y*
- 1.08%
- 5Y*
- -4.72%
- 10Y*
- -0.33%
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF | 16.71% | 20.77% | 25.58% | 54.86% | -32.58% | 27.42% | 48.62% | 38.96% | -0.13% | 32.66% |
XLB.TO iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF | -0.90% | 3.99% | -7.15% | 11.81% | -26.31% | -4.54% | 13.88% | 17.71% | -7.99% | 14.89% |
Correlation
The correlation between QQQ and XLB.TO is 0.21, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.15 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.11 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.03 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 13, 2006 | 0.01 |
Over the past year, QQQ and XLB.TO have become more correlated (0.21) than their long-term average of 0.01, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
QQQ vs. XLB.TO — Risk / Return Rank
QQQ
XLB.TO
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) and iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF (XLB.TO). 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 | XLB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +2.22 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.80 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.38 | 1.00 | +0.38 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.00 | -0.10 | +3.10 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.43 | -0.22 | +11.65 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| QQQ | XLB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.15 | -0.06 | +2.22 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.76 | -0.34 | +1.10 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.97 | -0.02 | +0.99 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.40 | 0.18 | +0.22 |
Drawdowns
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum QQQ drawdown since its inception was -82.97%, which is greater than XLB.TO's maximum drawdown of -36.38%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QQQ and XLB.TO.
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Drawdown Indicators
| QQQ | XLB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -82.97% | -36.38% | -46.59% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.96% | -5.76% | -6.20% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -22.77% | -14.63% | -8.14% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -35.12% | -34.20% | -0.92% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.12% | -36.38% | +1.26% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.03% | -24.88% | +20.85% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -32.77% | -11.08% | -21.69% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.14% | 2.59% | +0.55% |
Volatility
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Volatility Comparison
Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) has a higher volatility of 6.84% compared to iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF (XLB.TO) at 3.03%. This indicates that QQQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XLB.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| QQQ | XLB.TO | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 6.84% | 3.03% | +3.81% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 13.20% | 7.04% | +6.16% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.74% | 8.92% | +7.82% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 22.49% | 13.88% | +8.61% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 22.36% | 13.36% | +9.00% |
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison
QQQ has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than XLB.TO's 0.20% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
QQQ vs. XLB.TO - Dividend Comparison
QQQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.39%, less than XLB.TO's 4.08% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF | 0.39% | 0.45% | 0.56% | 0.62% | 0.80% | 0.43% | 0.55% | 0.74% | 0.91% | 0.84% | 1.06% | 0.99% |
XLB.TO iShares Core Canadian Long Term Bond Index ETF | 4.08% | 4.05% | 3.82% | 3.73% | 3.97% | 3.03% | 2.90% | 3.18% | 3.56% | 3.45% | 3.62% | 3.64% |
Frequently Asked Questions
QQQ and XLB.TO have a correlation of 0.21, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, QQQ is cheaper at 0.18% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
QQQ is cheaper with a 0.18% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for XLB.TO.
QQQ is categorized as Nasdaq-100, while XLB.TO is Canadian Government Bonds. QQQ tracks NASDAQ-100 Index, while XLB.TO tracks Morningstar Can 10+Y Core Bd GR CAD. They also come from different issuers: Invesco and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.18% for QQQ and 0.20% for XLB.TO.
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