AAPL vs QQQM Stock Comparison

AAPL currently leads QQQM in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 63 vs 49. The clearest difference is momentum, while QQQM has the stronger risk resilience profile.

Market data as of Oct 21, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 14 points
AAPL
Technology
vs
QQQM
Equity
AAPL
Apple Inc.
Leads
Price
$344
Day move
+1.32%
AIQ Score
63/100
Best edge
Momentum
Sector
Technology
QQQM
Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF
Price
$299
Day move
+1.03%
AIQ Score
49/100
Best edge
Risk Resilience
Sector
Equity

What is the main difference between AAPL and QQQM?

AAPL leads the current stock comparison as Apple Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

Apple Inc. vs Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF

Data as of Oct 21, 2026· market close· AAPL (stock) vs QQQM (ETF)· Coverage 65/66 fields· 42/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictCompetitiveAIQ Comparison Conviction 6/10

AAPL leads

AAPL leads by 14 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality, and the lead has widened from 3 points over 30 sessions.

Competitive: 2 of 4 evidence groups support AAPL, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 2 of 4Comparison trend: Strengthening
AAPL

Apple Inc.

Leads
AIQ Score
63/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10
QQQM

Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF

AIQ Score
49/100
AIQ Edge Score
4/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors AAPL over QQQM, 63 versus 49 as of Oct 21, 2026. AAPL's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality, while QQQM holds the stronger risk resilience profile. AAPL also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor AAPL today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. AAPL lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 14 points over 30 sessions.

Compare Apple Inc. and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

Currently unavailable

Performance over time

Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.

AAPL
+134.1%
QQQM
+98.4%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

AAPL $23,407 · QQQM $19,838

Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.

Compare AAPL and QQQM against another ticker

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AIQ Factor Divergence

Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.

AAPL advantage
0
QQQM advantage
  • Momentum70 vs 31
    AAPL +39
  • Quality80 vs 68
    AAPL +12
  • Risk Resilience68 vs 72
    QQQM +4
  • Value38 vs 35
    Even

2 of 4 evidence groups favor AAPL. AAPL’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality; QQQM keeps a meaningful risk resilience edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.

AAPL-2 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -9

New signals

  • MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
QQQM-1 AIQ

Largest factor move: Value -1

No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.

AAPL's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AAPL and QQQM both carry a full feed there.

The central trade-off

AAPL (Apple Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and quality.

QQQM (Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF): the counter-case, on risk resilience.

Which one fits your objective

The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.

Balanced

AAPL

AAPL on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

Even

The two are level on Value.

Momentum

AAPL

AAPL on the Momentum factor, by 39 points.

Lower downside

QQQM

QQQM on Risk Resilience, by 4 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasureAAPLQQQMNote
Implied upside to target-3.3%—Level
Target dispersion+46.6%—Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuy—Context, not a primary driver
Analysts covering19—Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor AAPL. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreAAPL63 vs 49
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationEvenValue 38 vs 35
TechnicalsAAPLPrice vs 50-day 5.2% vs -0.2%; vs 200-day 15.8% vs 6.2%
Risk ResilienceQQQMRisk Resilience 68 vs 72
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AAPL and QQQM and are excluded from the count.

AIQ Decision Stability

Competitive

The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.

  • The AIQ gap is wide at 14 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on AAPL.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20

AAPL lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 14 points over 30 sessions.

Jun 21AAPL leads above the line · QQQM leads belowOct 20
Today
AAPL +14
63 vs 49
7 sessions ago
AAPL +7
61 vs 54
30 sessions ago
AAPL +3
63 vs 60
90 sessions ago
QQQM +10
51 vs 61

The lead changed hands 5 times in this window, most recently on Oct 8 when AAPL moved ahead of QQQM.

AIQ Signal Divergence

Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.

AAPLConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted

Only AAPL

  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (1.5%)
  • Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
QQQMConflicted

1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted

Only QQQM

  • Keltner Channel Breakdown — bearish, volatility, short horizon

Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, MACD Bearish Crossover.

AAPL leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

AAPLDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +1.32%, AIQ -2 points).

QQQMDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +1.03%, AIQ -1 points).

What would flip this result

A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.

  1. 1QQQM closes the Momentum gap — currently 39 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge.
  2. 2QQQM's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it.
  3. 3AAPL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

The full evidence

Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.

Fundamentals

Split
MetricAAPLQQQM
Revenue growth (YoY)-1.6%—
EPS growth (YoY)1%—
Gross margin48.7%—
Operating margin33.2%—
Return on equity (TTM)137.2%—
Debt to equity0.78—

Performance

AAPL leads 6 of 6 windows
MetricAAPLQQQM
1 week (5 sessions)-0.5%-3.5%
1 month (20 sessions)-0.1%-4%
3 months (63 sessions)4.2%1.8%
6 months (126 sessions)27.6%11.4%
Year to date24.9%16.9%
1 year (252 sessions)37.2%19.7%

Technicals

AAPL has the stronger structure
MetricAAPLQQQM
RSI (14)60.537.2
ADX (14)17.920.3
Price vs 50-day5.2%-0.2%
Price vs 200-day15.8%6.2%
Volatility (1M, annualized)16.4%15.4%

Risk

QQQM is the more resilient
MetricAAPLQQQM
Beta0.621.44
Sharpe ratio1.180.78
Sortino ratio1.61.21
Max drawdown-13.8%-12.2%
Current drawdown-1.1%-5.5%
Annualized volatility24.4%19.8%
Value at risk (95%)-2%-1.9%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which is better, AAPL or QQQM?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, AAPL is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 63 against QQQM's 49. The edge comes from momentum and quality. QQQM is not without a case — it holds the better risk resilience profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.

Is AAPL or QQQM the better buy right now?

AAPL carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.

Why does the AIQ Score favor AAPL over QQQM?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. AAPL leads Momentum by 39 points; AAPL leads Quality by 12 points; QQQM leads Risk Resilience by 4 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, AAPL or QQQM?

Analyst price targets imply -3.3% upside for AAPL and not covered for QQQM. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, AAPL or QQQM?

Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.

Which has stronger growth, AAPL or QQQM?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.

Which has stronger momentum, AAPL or QQQM?

AAPL on the Momentum factor, by 39 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.

Which is riskier, AAPL or QQQM?

QQQM is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. QQQM on Risk Resilience, by 4 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is AAPL more profitable than QQQM?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

Is AAPL's lead over QQQM getting stronger or weaker?

AAPL lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 14 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has changed hands 5 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-08, when AAPL moved ahead of QQQM.

What would change the AAPL vs QQQM verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: QQQM closes the Momentum gap — currently 39 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge; QQQM's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility rule currently active against it; AAPL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.

What do the current signals say about AAPL and QQQM?

AAPL: 4 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. QQQM: 1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AAPL is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On QQQM it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Continue your research

This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.

The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.

How to use side-by-side comparison →

This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.