UPST vs. QQQ

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

UPST (Upstart Holdings, Inc.) is a stock, while QQQ (Invesco QQQ ETF) is Nasdaq-100 fund tracking the NASDAQ-100 Index. Over the past 5 years, UPST returned -25.47%/yr vs 14.45%/yr for QQQ. Their 0.51 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently.

Performance

UPST vs. QQQ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) and Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, UPST achieves a -32.70% return, which is significantly lower than QQQ's 14.23% return.

UPST

• 1D: 7.25%
• 1M: -15.38%
• 6M: -25.85%
• YTD: -32.70%
• 1Y: -62.85%
• 3Y*: -21.45%
• 5Y*: -25.47%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 2.23%

QQQ

• 1D: 1.76%
• 1M: -1.76%
• 6M: 12.07%
• YTD: 14.23%
• 1Y: 27.00%
• 3Y*: 24.17%
• 5Y*: 14.45%
• 10Y*: 20.46%
• ALL TIME*: 10.70%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	$31.40B	$28.17B	$31.69B
UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc.	$101.27M	$108.87M	$136.27M

UPST vs. QQQ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc.	-32.70%	-28.98%	50.69%	209.08%	-91.26%	271.29%	56.73%
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	14.23%	20.77%	25.58%	54.86%	-32.58%	27.42%	2.28%

Correlation

The correlation between UPST and QQQ is 0.49, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.49
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.49
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.54
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 16, 2020	0.51

The correlation between UPST and QQQ has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.49 to 0.54 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

UPST vs. QQQ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

UPST

UPST Risk / Return Rank: 9
UPST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6
UPST Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
UPST Omega Ratio Rank: 9
UPST Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
UPST Martin Ratio Rank: 15

QQQ

QQQ Risk / Return Rank: 58
QQQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
QQQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
QQQ Omega Ratio Rank: 55
QQQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
QQQ Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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.

UPST vs. QQQ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) and Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ). 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.

	UPST	QQQ	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.91	1.40	-2.31
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-1.40	1.95	-3.35
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.84	1.25	-0.41
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.89	2.27	-3.16
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.20	7.21	-8.41

UPST vs. QQQ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current UPST Sharpe Ratio is -0.91, which is lower than the QQQ Sharpe Ratio of 1.40. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of UPST and QQQ, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

UPST vs. QQQ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum UPST drawdown since its inception was -96.90%, which is greater than QQQ's maximum drawdown of -82.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for UPST and QQQ.

Drawdown Indicators

	UPST	QQQ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-96.90%	-82.97%	-13.93%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-70.76%	-11.96%	-58.80%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-72.72%	-22.77%	-49.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-96.90%	-35.12%	-61.78%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-35.12%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-92.45%	-6.07%	-86.38%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-76.56%	-32.61%	-43.95%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	52.48%	3.76%	+48.72%

Volatility

UPST vs. QQQ - Volatility Comparison

Upstart Holdings, Inc. (UPST) has a higher volatility of 14.25% compared to Invesco QQQ ETF (QQQ) at 6.96%. This indicates that UPST's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QQQ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	UPST	QQQ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	14.25%	6.96%	+7.29%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	49.16%	16.12%	+33.04%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	69.74%	19.37%	+50.37%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	103.57%	22.92%	+80.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	112.88%	22.51%	+90.37%

Dividends

UPST vs. QQQ - Dividend Comparison

UPST has not paid dividends to shareholders, while QQQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.43%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
QQQ Invesco QQQ ETF	0.43%	0.45%	0.56%	0.62%	0.80%	0.43%	0.55%	0.74%	0.91%	0.84%	1.06%	0.99%
UPST Upstart Holdings, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both UPST and QQQ in my portfolio?

UPST and QQQ have a correlation of 0.49, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, UPST or QQQ?

UPST has higher volatility (14.25%) compared to QQQ (6.96%). In terms of maximum drawdown, UPST dropped -96.90% vs QQQ's -82.97%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

QQQ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.40 vs -0.91), 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.