QTEC vs. BALQ
QTEC (First Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund) and BALQ (iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF) are both Nasdaq-100 funds. QTEC is passively managed, while BALQ is actively managed. Their correlation of 0.88 suggests significant overlap in exposure. QTEC charges 0.57%/yr vs 0.35%/yr for BALQ.
Performance
QTEC vs. BALQ - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, QTEC achieves a 44.73% return, which is significantly higher than BALQ's 22.89% return.
QTEC
- 1D
- 0.07%
- 1M
- 22.39%
- YTD
- 44.73%
- 6M
- 40.31%
- 1Y
- 67.84%
- 3Y*
- 32.86%
- 5Y*
- 17.61%
- 10Y*
- 23.00%
BALQ
- 1D
- -0.21%
- 1M
- 11.15%
- YTD
- 22.89%
- 6M
- 22.29%
- 1Y
- —
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
QTEC vs. BALQ - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
QTEC First Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund | 44.73% | -3.06% |
BALQ iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF | 22.89% | -0.49% |
Correlation
The correlation between QTEC and BALQ is 0.88, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 4, 2025 | 0.88 |
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Return for Risk
QTEC vs. BALQ — Risk / Return Rank
QTEC
BALQ
QTEC vs. BALQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund (QTEC) and iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF (BALQ). 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.
| QTEC | BALQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | — | — | |
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | — | — | |
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.47 | — | — |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 4.25 | — | — |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.77 | — | — |
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
| QTEC | BALQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.97 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.61 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.84 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.60 | 2.81 | -2.21 |
Drawdowns
QTEC vs. BALQ - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum QTEC drawdown since its inception was -58.86%, which is greater than BALQ's maximum drawdown of -11.79%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QTEC and BALQ.
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Drawdown Indicators
| QTEC | BALQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -58.86% | -11.79% | -47.07% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -16.03% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -29.00% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -45.54% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.54% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -0.21% | +0.21% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -9.89% | -2.37% | -7.52% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.94% | — | — |
Volatility
QTEC vs. BALQ - Volatility Comparison
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Volatility by Period
| QTEC | BALQ | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.34% | — | — |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 18.26% | — | — |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 22.98% | 18.03% | +4.95% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 29.19% | 18.03% | +11.16% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 27.51% | 18.03% | +9.48% |
QTEC vs. BALQ - Expense Ratio Comparison
QTEC has a 0.57% expense ratio, which is higher than BALQ's 0.35% expense ratio.
Dividends
QTEC vs. BALQ - Dividend Comparison
QTEC has not paid dividends to shareholders, while BALQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.59%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BALQ iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF | 4.59% | 0.95% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
QTEC First Trust NASDAQ-100 Technology Sector Index Fund | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.02% | 0.14% | 0.15% | 0.02% | 0.44% | 0.68% | 0.91% | 0.80% | 1.29% | 0.99% |
Frequently Asked Questions
QTEC and BALQ have a correlation of 0.88, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
On fees, BALQ is cheaper at 0.35% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
BALQ is cheaper with a 0.35% expense ratio, compared with 0.57% for QTEC.
BALQ has the higher dividend yield at 4.59%, compared with 0.00% for QTEC.
They also come from different issuers: First Trust and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.57% for QTEC and 0.35% for BALQ.
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