HLIO vs QQQ Stock Comparison

Compare HLIO and QQQ across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.

Market data as of Sep 11, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 7 points
HLIO
Industrials
vs
QQQ
Equity
HLIO
Helios Technologies, Inc.
Price
$70.66
Day move
+3.82%
AIQ Score
49/100
Best edge
Value
Sector
Industrials
QQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Leads
Price
$715
Day move
+0.87%
AIQ Score
56/100
Best edge
Quality
Sector
Equity

What is the main difference between HLIO 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

Helios Technologies, Inc. vs Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

Data as of Sep 11, 2026· market close· HLIO (stock) vs QQQ (ETF)· Coverage 66/66 fields· 42/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 5/10

QQQ leads

QQQ leads by 7 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Momentum, but the lead has narrowed from 12 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
HLIO

Helios Technologies, Inc.

AIQ Score
49/100
AIQ Edge Score
6/10
QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

Leads
AIQ Score
56/100
AIQ Edge Score
8/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors QQQ over HLIO, 56 versus 49 as of Sep 11, 2026. QQQ's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and momentum, while HLIO holds the stronger value profile. QQQ also shows the stronger 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 12 to 7 points over 30 sessions.

Compare Helios Technologies, 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

Price-return comparison using available daily close history.

HLIO
-20.3%
QQQ
+88.3%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000

HLIO $7,970 · QQQ $18,832

Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.

Compare HLIO 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.

HLIO advantage
0
QQQ advantage
  • Quality52 vs 83
    QQQ +31
  • Value56 vs 30
    HLIO +26
  • Momentum24 vs 45
    QQQ +21
  • Risk Resilience69 vs 75
    QQQ +6

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

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-10, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-09.

HLIO0 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum +1

New signals

  • ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.63%)
  • Keltner Channel Breakdown bearish, volatility, short horizon
QQQ-5 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -17

No new signals fired.

QQQ's lead narrowed by 5 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — HLIO 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 momentum.

HLIO (Helios Technologies, Inc.): the counter-case, on value, valuation — but at materially higher volatility, 28.1% against 13%.

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

HLIO

HLIO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 26 points.

Momentum

QQQ

QQQ on the Momentum factor, by 21 points.

Lower downside

QQQ

QQQ on Risk Resilience, by 6 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.

MeasureHLIOQQQNote
Implied upside to target+26.7%Level
Target dispersion+16.8%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering3Higher 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 ScoreQQQ49 vs 56
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationHLIOValue 56 vs 30
TechnicalsQQQPrice vs 50-day -9.6% vs 0.6%; vs 200-day -0.4% vs 7.5%
Risk ResilienceQQQRisk Resilience 69 vs 75
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of HLIO 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 7 points.
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The lead has been steady session to session. (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 QQQ.

How the comparison changed

119 daily snapshots · May 4 Sep 10

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 12 to 7 points over 30 sessions.

May 4HLIO leads above the line · QQQ leads belowSep 10
Today
QQQ +7
49 vs 56
7 sessions ago
QQQ +9
50 vs 59
30 sessions ago
QQQ +12
52 vs 64
90 sessions ago
HLIO +2
52 vs 50

The lead changed hands 4 times in this window, most recently on Jul 8 when QQQ moved ahead of HLIO.

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.

HLIOConflicted

2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (9.83%)
  • Keltner Channel Breakdown bearish, volatility, short horizon
  • RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce bullish, momentum, short horizon
QQQConflicted

2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (7.75%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • ATR Contraction - Coiling neutral, volatility, short horizon (1.27%)

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.

HLIONo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +3.82%, AIQ 0 points).

QQQDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 5 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.87%, 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. 1HLIO closes the Quality gap — currently 31 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge.
  2. 2HLIO's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility 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 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 7-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
MetricHLIOQQQ
Revenue growth (YoY)1.5%
EPS growth (YoY)10%
Gross margin32.7%
Operating margin10%
Return on equity (TTM)7.6%
Debt to equity0.02

Performance

QQQ leads 4 of 6 windows
MetricHLIOQQQ
1 week (5 sessions)-3.5%-0.1%
1 month (20 sessions)-15.2%-2.1%
3 months (63 sessions)-14.9%2.2%
6 months (126 sessions)0.6%16.6%
Year to date27.2%15.4%
1 year (252 sessions)25.5%22.4%

Technicals

QQQ has the stronger structure
MetricHLIOQQQ
RSI (14)19.448.1
ADX (14)31.39.8
Price vs 50-day-9.6%0.6%
Price vs 200-day-0.4%7.5%
Volatility (1M, annualized)28.1%13%

Risk

QQQ is the more resilient
MetricHLIOQQQ
Beta1.521.42
Sharpe ratio0.690.92
Sortino ratio1.331.38
Max drawdown-26.7%-12.2%
Current drawdown-26.7%-5%
Annualized volatility39.4%19.7%
Value at risk (95%)-3.4%-1.9%

Straight answers

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

Which is better, HLIO or QQQ?

On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, QQQ is the stronger of the two as of Sep 11, 2026, scoring 56 against HLIO's 49. The edge comes from quality and momentum. HLIO is not without a case — it holds the better value 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 HLIO or QQQ the better buy right now?

QQQ carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 11, 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 HLIO?

The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. QQQ leads Quality by 31 points; HLIO leads Value by 26 points; QQQ leads Momentum by 21 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.

Which has more analyst upside, HLIO or QQQ?

Analyst price targets imply +26.7% upside for HLIO 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, HLIO or QQQ?

HLIO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. HLIO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 26 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, HLIO 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, HLIO or QQQ?

QQQ on the Momentum factor, by 21 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, HLIO or QQQ?

QQQ is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. QQQ on Risk Resilience, by 6 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 HLIO more profitable than QQQ?

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

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

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 12 to 7 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 119 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-05-04 and 2026-09-10. The lead has changed hands 4 times in that window, most recently on 2026-07-08, when QQQ moved ahead of HLIO.

What would change the HLIO vs QQQ verdict?

The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: HLIO closes the Quality gap — currently 31 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge; HLIO's Keltner Channel Breakdown resolves — a bearish volatility 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 5 points over 30 sessions, and a further 7-point move would eliminate QQQ's advantage entirely.

What do the current signals say about HLIO and QQQ?

HLIO: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. QQQ: 2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, 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 HLIO 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.