EL vs QQQ Stock Comparison

QQQ currently leads EL in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 57 vs 46. The clearest difference is quality, while EL has the stronger momentum profile.

Market data as of Oct 31, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 11 points
EL
Consumer Defensive
vs
QQQ
Equity
EL
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Price
$109
Day move
+0.39%
AIQ Score
46/100
Best edge
Momentum
Sector
Consumer Defensive
QQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Leads
Price
$690
Day move
-3.47%
AIQ Score
57/100
Best edge
Quality
Sector
Equity

What is the main difference between EL and QQQ?

QQQ leads the current stock comparison as Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. vs Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

Data as of Oct 31, 2026· market close· EL (stock) vs QQQ (ETF)· Coverage 65/66 fields· 42/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 5/10

QQQ leads

QQQ leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Risk Resilience, but the lead has narrowed from 26 points over 30 sessions.

Fragile: 3 of 4 evidence groups support QQQ, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.

Evidence agreement: 3 of 4Comparison trend: Weakening
EL

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

AIQ Score
46/100
AIQ Edge Score
3/10
QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

Leads
AIQ Score
57/100
AIQ Edge Score
6/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors QQQ over EL, 57 versus 46 as of Oct 31, 2026. QQQ's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and risk resilience, while EL holds the stronger momentum profile. QQQ also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 4 covered evidence groups favor QQQ today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 26 to 11 points over 30 sessions.

Compare The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 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.

EL
-63.7%
QQQ
+92.9%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested

EL $3,631 · QQQ $19,294

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

Compare EL and QQQ against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

Basic: 2 symbols·Explorer: 3 symbols·Pro and Premium: 5 symbols·Your limit: 2

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.

EL advantage
0
QQQ advantage
  • Quality35 vs 82
    QQQ +47
  • Momentum81 vs 46
    EL +35
  • Risk Resilience50 vs 69
    QQQ +19
  • Value25 vs 35
    QQQ +10

3 of 4 evidence groups favor QQQ. QQQ’s edge is concentrated in quality and risk resilience; EL keeps a meaningful momentum edge.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.

EL0 AIQ

Largest factor move: Risk Resilience +1, not enough on its own to move the overall score.

No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.

QQQ+5 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +22

New signals

  • Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon

QQQ's lead widened by 5 AIQ points in the latest session.

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

The central trade-off

QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and risk resilience.

EL (The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.): the counter-case, on momentum, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 33.5% against 19.5%.

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

QQQ

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

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

QQQ

QQQ on the peer-relative Value factor, by 10 points.

Momentum

EL

EL on the Momentum factor, by 35 points.

Lower downside

QQQ

QQQ on Risk Resilience, by 19 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.

MeasureELQQQNote
Implied upside to target-7.6%—Level
Target dispersion+49.5%—Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuy—Context, not a primary driver
Analysts covering16—Higher coverage generally improves confidence

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

AIQ Agreement Matrix

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

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreQQQ46 vs 57
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationQQQValue 25 vs 35
TechnicalsELPrice vs 50-day 9.4% vs -4.8%; vs 200-day 18.7% vs 6.9%
Risk ResilienceQQQRisk Resilience 50 vs 69
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

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

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is moderate at 11 points.
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has swung materially session to session. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • 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 QQQ.

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 26 to 11 points over 30 sessions.

Jun 29EL leads above the line · QQQ leads belowOct 28
Today
QQQ +11
46 vs 57
7 sessions ago
QQQ +4
46 vs 50
30 sessions ago
QQQ +26
41 vs 67
90 sessions ago
QQQ +11
44 vs 55

The lead has not changed hands in this window.

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.

ELConflicted

5 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted

Only EL

  • Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
QQQConflicted

2 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted

Only QQQ

  • MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon

Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, Uptrend Structure Active.

QQQ 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.

ELNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.39%, AIQ 0 points).

QQQDivergence

Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 5 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -3.47%, AIQ +5 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. 1EL closes the Quality gap — currently 47 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge.
  2. 2EL's RSI Overbought resolves — a bearish momentum rule currently active against it.
  3. 3QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
  4. 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 15 points over 30 sessions, and a further 11-point move would eliminate QQQ's advantage entirely.

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
MetricELQQQ
Revenue growth (YoY)-2.5%—
EPS growth (YoY)-232%—
Gross margin75.5%—
Operating margin5.2%—
Return on equity (TTM)4.6%—
Debt to equity2.43—

Performance

EL leads 4 of 6 windows
MetricELQQQ
1 week (5 sessions)5.5%0.1%
1 month (20 sessions)17.8%-1.9%
3 months (63 sessions)28.8%6.2%
6 months (126 sessions)42.2%9.7%
Year to date4.4%18.1%
1 year (252 sessions)7%17.6%

Technicals

EL has the stronger structure
MetricELQQQ
RSI (14)7839.4
ADX (14)29.125.5
Price vs 50-day9.4%-4.8%
Price vs 200-day18.7%6.9%
Volatility (1M, annualized)33.5%19.5%

Risk

QQQ is the more resilient
MetricELQQQ
Beta1.291.45
Sharpe ratio0.370.59
Sortino ratio0.490.9
Max drawdown-43.8%-12.2%
Current drawdown-8.6%-4.5%
Annualized volatility47.7%20%
Value at risk (95%)-3.5%-2%

Straight answers

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

Which is better, EL or QQQ?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, QQQ is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 57 against EL's 46. The edge comes from quality and risk resilience. EL is not without a case — it holds the better momentum 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 EL or QQQ the better buy right now?

QQQ carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the leader's advantage has been narrowing. Treat the lead as provisional.

Why does the AIQ Score favor QQQ over EL?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. QQQ leads Quality by 47 points; EL leads Momentum by 35 points; QQQ leads Risk Resilience by 19 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, EL or QQQ?

Analyst price targets imply -7.6% upside for EL and not covered for QQQ. 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, EL or QQQ?

QQQ is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. QQQ on the peer-relative Value factor, by 10 points. 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, EL or QQQ?

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, EL or QQQ?

EL on the Momentum factor, by 35 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, EL or QQQ?

QQQ is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. QQQ on Risk Resilience, by 19 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 EL more profitable than QQQ?

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

Is QQQ's lead over EL getting stronger or weaker?

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 26 to 11 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has not changed hands in that window.

What would change the EL vs QQQ verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: EL closes the Quality gap — currently 47 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge; EL's RSI Overbought resolves — a bearish momentum rule currently active against it; QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 2 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; the narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 15 points over 30 sessions, and a further 11-point move would eliminate QQQ's advantage entirely.

What do the current signals say about EL and QQQ?

EL: 5 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. QQQ: 2 bullish / 1 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 EL is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On QQQ 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.