ETF Versus

QQQ vs VNQ

Invesco QQQ Trust vs Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares

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 0.20%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.48%. Launched in 1999, the fund has a 27-year track record.

AUM: $407.7B ER: 0.20% Yield: 0.48% Since: 1999-03-10
VNQ Vanguard

Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF Shares (VNQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Vanguard that provides exposure to U.S. real estate investment trusts (REITs) and real estate companies. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.12%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.89%. Launched in 2004, the fund has a 22-year track record.

AUM: $65.8B ER: 0.12% Yield: 3.89% Since: 2004-09-29

Quick Verdict

VNQ has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.12% vs 0.20%), saving about $158 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, QQQ has significantly outperformed with a 22.5% return vs -1.5%. Income investors may prefer VNQ for its higher yield (3.9% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric QQQ VNQ
Expense Ratio 0.20% 0.12%
Dividend Yield 0.5% 3.9%
Fund Family Invesco Vanguard
Category US Large Cap Growth US Real Estate

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 99 123 147 171 195 2021-04 2022-06 2023-10 2024-12 2026-04
QQQ +76.2%
VNQ -4.4%

Performance Comparison

Period QQQ VNQ Difference
1 Month -3.02% -5.96% +2.94%
3 Months -4.85% +1.37% -6.22%
6 Months -4.00% -0.92% -3.08%
YTD -4.85% +1.37% -6.22%
1 Year +22.53% -1.54% +24.07%
3 Years +82.23% +8.92% +73.31%
5 Years +76.23% -4.43% +80.66%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period QQQ Fees VNQ Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $396 $239 $158
$10,000 20 years $1,696 $1,025 $671
$10,000 30 years $5,443 $3,301 $2,142
$50,000 10 years $1,982 $1,193 $789
$50,000 30 years $27,214 $16,504 $10,710
$100,000 30 years $54,428 $33,007 $21,421

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric QQQ VNQ
Annualized Volatility 22.4% 18.9%
Max Drawdown -35.6% -38.8%
Sharpe Ratio 0.42 -0.19

Dividend Comparison

Metric QQQ VNQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $2.81 $3.49
Dividend Yield 0.48% 3.89%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

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

QQQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA Corp.903.46%
Apple Inc.800.82%
Microsoft Corp.716.56%
Amazon.com, Inc.491.91%
Tesla, Inc.396.59%
Meta Platforms, Inc.386.46%
Alphabet Inc.338.25%
Broadcom Inc.325.82%
Palantir Technologies Inc.223.47%

VNQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Vanguard Real Estate II Index Fund1451.51%
Welltower Inc707.58%
Prologis Inc688.22%
American Tower Corp476.51%
Equinix Inc456.02%
Simon Property Group Inc354.53%
Digital Realty Trust Inc321.26%
Realty Income Corp314.90%
CBRE Group Inc287.69%
Public Storage247.55%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose VNQ 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 VNQ if...

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

Related Comparisons