ETF Versus

QQQ vs SOXX

Invesco QQQ Trust vs iShares Semiconductor 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

iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to thematic - semiconductors securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.34%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.49%. Launched in 2001, the fund has a 25-year track record.

AUM: $20.3B ER: 0.34% Yield: 0.49% Since: Jul 10, 2001

Quick Verdict

QQQ is significantly cheaper at 0.18% vs 0.34% expense ratio, saving you approximately $313 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, SOXX has significantly outperformed with a 79.8% return vs 23.6%.

Key Metrics

Metric QQQ SOXX
Expense Ratio 0.18% 0.34%
Dividend Yield 0.5% 0.5%
Fund Family Invesco N/A
Category US Large Cap Growth Thematic - Semiconductors

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 100 135 170 205 240 2021-04 2022-06 2023-09 2024-12 2026-04
QQQ +76.5%
SOXX +126.5%

Performance Comparison

Period QQQ SOXX Difference
1 Month -3.91% -3.84% -0.07%
3 Months -4.70% +7.92% -12.62%
6 Months -3.13% +20.92% -24.05%
YTD -4.70% +7.92% -12.62%
1 Year +23.61% +79.82% -56.21%
3 Years +82.51% +130.39% -47.88%
5 Years +76.50% +126.47% -49.97%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period QQQ Fees SOXX Fees You Save
$10.000 10 years $357 $670 $313
$10.000 20 years $1.529 $2.849 $1.319
$10.000 30 years $4.912 $9.082 $4.171
$50.000 10 years $1.786 $3.351 $1.565
$50.000 30 years $24.558 $45.411 $20.853
$100.000 30 years $49.116 $90.823 $41.707

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric QQQ SOXX
Annualized Volatility 22.4% 35.5%
Max Drawdown -35.6% -46.2%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 0.51

Dividend Comparison

Metric QQQ SOXX
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.81 $1.67
Dividend Yield 0.48% 0.49%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

2 of top 9 holdings overlap (22% 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%

SOXX Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.20%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO8.17%
Micron Technology, Inc.MU7.52%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.AMD6.53%
Applied Materials, Inc.AMAT5.86%
Marvell Technology, Inc.MRVL5.04%
KLA CorporationKLAC4.11%
Intel CorporationINTC4.10%
Teradyne, Inc.TER4.01%
Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.MPWR4.00%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose QQQ if...

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

Choose SOXX if...

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

Related Comparisons