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XQQ.TO vs. ITA
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

XQQ.TO vs. ITA

Last updated Jun 16, 2026

XQQ.TO (iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)) and ITA (iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - XQQ.TO is a Nasdaq-100 fund tracking the Morningstar US Market TR CAD, while ITA is a Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, XQQ.TO returned 20.19%/yr vs 16.45%/yr for ITA. At a 0.46 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. XQQ.TO charges 0.39%/yr vs 0.38%/yr for ITA.

Performance

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.TO) and iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Different Trading Currencies

XQQ.TO is traded in CAD, while ITA is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the ITA values have been converted to CAD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, XQQ.TO achieves a 19.59% return, which is significantly higher than ITA's 12.90% return. Over the past 10 years, XQQ.TO has outperformed ITA with an annualized return of 20.19%, while ITA has yielded a comparatively lower 16.45% annualized return.

XQQ.TO

1D
3.04%
1M
4.80%
YTD
19.59%
6M
17.73%
1Y
35.57%
3Y*
24.45%
5Y*
14.91%
10Y*
20.19%

ITA

1D
1.55%
1M
11.25%
YTD
12.90%
6M
15.01%
1Y
36.10%
3Y*
30.29%
5Y*
20.65%
10Y*
16.45%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)202520242023202220212020201920182017
XQQ.TO
iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)		19.59%15.77%24.69%53.25%-33.13%22.76%46.12%38.92%-1.32%33.41%
ITA
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF		12.90%41.86%25.62%11.61%16.93%9.34%-15.62%25.13%0.58%26.09%

Correlation

The correlation between XQQ.TO and ITA is 0.40, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.40

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.36

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.45

Correlation (10Y)
Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.43

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since May 10, 2011

0.46

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
XQQ.TO
ITA

Technology

53.7%
0.1%

Communication Services

15.8%

-

Consumer Cyclical

12.2%

-

Consumer Defensive

7.7%

-

Healthcare

4.2%

-

Industrials

3.1%
99.8%

Utilities

1.4%

-

Basic Materials

1.1%

-

Energy

0.6%

-

Financial Services

0.2%

-

Real Estate

0.1%

-

Technology

XQQ.TO
53.7%
ITA
0.1%

Communication Services

XQQ.TO
15.8%
ITA

-

Consumer Cyclical

XQQ.TO
12.2%
ITA

-

Consumer Defensive

XQQ.TO
7.7%
ITA

-

Healthcare

XQQ.TO
4.2%
ITA

-

Industrials

XQQ.TO
3.1%
ITA
99.8%

Utilities

XQQ.TO
1.4%
ITA

-

Basic Materials

XQQ.TO
1.1%
ITA

-

Energy

XQQ.TO
0.6%
ITA

-

Financial Services

XQQ.TO
0.2%
ITA

-

Real Estate

XQQ.TO
0.1%
ITA

-

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)

iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF

Often compared with XQQ.TO:
XQQ.TO vs. QQC.TOXQQ.TO vs. VFV.TOXQQ.TO vs. HXQ.TOXQQ.TO vs. XQQU.TOXQQ.TO vs. QQQXQQ.TO vs. ZQQ.TOXQQ.TO vs. TEC.TO
Often compared with ITA:
ITA vs. XARITA vs. PPAITA vs. SHLDITA vs. ARKXITA vs. VOOITA vs. FSDAXITA vs. DFEN

Return for Risk

XQQ.TO vs. ITA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
XQQ.TO
XQQ.TO Risk / Return Rank: 6262
Overall Rank
XQQ.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7171
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XQQ.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 6565
Sortino Ratio Rank
XQQ.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 6868
Omega Ratio Rank
XQQ.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 5454
Calmar Ratio Rank
XQQ.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 5151
Martin Ratio Rank
ITA
ITA Risk / Return Rank: 4545
Overall Rank
ITA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4848
Sharpe Ratio Rank
ITA Sortino Ratio Rank: 4949
Sortino Ratio Rank
ITA Omega Ratio Rank: 4444
Omega Ratio Rank
ITA Calmar Ratio Rank: 4646
Calmar Ratio Rank
ITA Martin Ratio Rank: 3838
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.TO) and iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA). 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.

XQQ.TOITADifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.05
1.62

+0.43

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.68
2.34

+0.34

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.36

1.28

+0.08

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.43

2.43

0.00

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

8.08

6.14

+1.93

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XQQ.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.05, which is comparable to the ITA Sharpe Ratio of 1.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XQQ.TO and ITA, 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

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XQQ.TO drawdown since its inception was -38.25%, smaller than the maximum ITA drawdown of -47.26%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XQQ.TO and ITA.

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Drawdown Indicators

XQQ.TOITADifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-38.25%

-47.26%

+9.01%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-14.68%

-14.91%

+0.23%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-22.72%

-17.29%

-5.43%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-38.25%

-17.29%

-20.96%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-38.25%

-46.69%

+8.44%

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-0.45%

-3.08%

+2.63%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-5.96%

-8.88%

+2.92%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

4.42%

5.89%

-1.47%

Volatility

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XQQ.TO) is 7.98%, while iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) has a volatility of 9.26%. This indicates that XQQ.TO experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ITA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

XQQ.TOITADifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

7.98%

9.26%

-1.28%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

14.18%

19.10%

-4.92%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

17.42%

22.39%

-4.97%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

22.77%

21.34%

+1.43%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

22.53%

24.04%

-1.51%

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Expense Ratio Comparison

XQQ.TO has a 0.39% expense ratio, which is higher than ITA's 0.38% expense ratio.

Dividends

XQQ.TO vs. ITA - Dividend Comparison

XQQ.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.21%, less than ITA's 0.52% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
ITA
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF		0.52%0.55%0.85%0.93%0.95%0.82%1.07%1.54%1.13%0.91%1.07%1.04%
XQQ.TO
iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)		0.21%0.25%0.67%0.93%1.27%0.52%0.80%1.44%1.61%1.64%2.35%1.93%

Frequently Asked Questions

XQQ.TO and ITA have a correlation of 0.40, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, ITA is cheaper at 0.38% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

ITA is cheaper with a 0.38% expense ratio, compared with 0.39% for XQQ.TO.

XQQ.TO is categorized as Nasdaq-100, while ITA is Aerospace & Defense. XQQ.TO tracks Morningstar US Market TR CAD, while ITA tracks Dow Jones U.S. Select Aerospace & Defense Index. Their fees differ too: 0.39% for XQQ.TO and 0.38% for ITA.

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