ETF Versus

QQQ vs SCHD

Invesco QQQ Trust vs Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-02

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
SCHD Schwab

Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Schwab that provides exposure to U.S. dividend-paying stocks selected for yield or dividend growth. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.46%. Launched in 2011, the fund has a 15-year track record.

AUM: $83.9B ER: 0.06% Yield: 3.46% Since: Oct 20, 2011

Quick Verdict

SCHD is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $237 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, QQQ has significantly outperformed with a 23.6% return vs 9.5%. Income investors may prefer SCHD for its higher yield (3.5% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric QQQ SCHD
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.06%
Dividend Yield 0.5% 3.5%
Fund Family Invesco Schwab
Category US Large Cap Growth US Dividend

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
QQQ +76.5%
SCHD +23.3%

Performance Comparison

Period QQQ SCHD Difference
1 Month -3.91% -4.24% +0.33%
3 Months -4.70% +10.03% -14.73%
6 Months -3.13% +11.31% -14.44%
YTD -4.70% +10.03% -14.73%
1 Year +23.61% +9.47% +14.14%
3 Years +82.51% +24.43% +58.08%
5 Years +76.50% +23.27% +53.23%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period QQQ Fees SCHD Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $120 $237
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $515 $1.014
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $1.664 $3.248
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $598 $1.187
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $8.318 $16.240
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $16.637 $32.479

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric QQQ SCHD
Annualized Volatility 22.4% 14.6%
Max Drawdown -35.6% -18.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.05

Dividend Comparison

Metric QQQ SCHD
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.81 $1.06
Dividend Yield 0.48% 3.46%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

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%

SCHD Top Holdings

NameWeight
Chevron CorporationCVX4.66%
ConocoPhillipsCOP4.33%
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK4.08%
Verizon Communications Inc.VZ4.03%
The Coca-Cola CompanyKO3.98%
Texas Instruments IncorporatedTXN3.86%
PepsiCo, Inc.PEP3.83%
Amgen Inc.AMGN3.78%
Abbott LaboratoriesABT3.78%
The Procter & Gamble CompanyPG3.70%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose SCHD 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 SCHD if...

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

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