ETF Versus

IJH vs QQQ

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-02

IJH iShares

iShares Core S&P Mid-Cap ETF (IJH) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to mid-cap U.S. companies balancing growth potential and stability. It charges a very low expense ratio of 0.05%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.31%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $104.0B ER: 0.05% Yield: 1.31% Since: May 22, 2000
QQQ Invesco

Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.48%. Launched in 1999, the fund has a 27-year track record.

AUM: $363.1B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.48% Since: Mar 10, 1999

Quick Verdict

IJH is significantly cheaper at 0.05% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $257 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, QQQ has significantly outperformed with a 23.6% return vs 16.1%. Income investors may prefer IJH for its higher yield (1.3% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJH QQQ
Expense Ratio 0.05% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 1.3% 0.5%
Fund Family iShares Invesco
Category US Mid Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 99 123 147 171 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
IJH +28.1%
QQQ +76.5%

Performance Comparison

Period IJH QQQ Difference
1 Month -5.55% -3.91% -1.64%
3 Months +1.78% -4.70% +6.48%
6 Months +3.54% -3.13% +6.67%
YTD +1.78% -4.70% +6.48%
1 Year +16.09% +23.61% -7.52%
3 Years +36.14% +82.51% -46.37%
5 Years +28.09% +76.50% -48.41%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJH Fees QQQ Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $100 $357 $257
$10.000 20 years $430 $1.529 $1.100
$10.000 30 years $1.388 $4.912 $3.523
$50.000 10 years $499 $1.786 $1.287
$50.000 30 years $6.941 $24.558 $17.617
$100.000 30 years $13.882 $49.116 $35.234

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJH QQQ
Annualized Volatility 19.8% 22.4%
Max Drawdown -24.6% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.12 0.42

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJH QQQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $0.89 $2.81
Dividend Yield 1.31% 0.48%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJH Top Holdings

NameWeight
TechnipFMC plcFTI0.92%
Casey's General Stores, Inc.CASY0.84%
Curtiss-Wright CorporationCW0.78%
Flex Ltd.FLEX0.76%
United Therapeutics CorporationUTHR0.72%
XPO, Inc.XPO0.70%
Woodward, Inc.WWD0.67%
US Foods Holding Corp.USFD0.64%
FabrinetFN0.63%
Burlington Stores, Inc.BURL0.62%

QQQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.55%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.67%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.56%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.49%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.79%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.48%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.26%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.13%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.99%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJH if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose QQQ if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose IJH if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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