PLTY vs QQQ ETF Comparison
Compare PLTY and QQQ across fund costs, diversification, holdings, performance, income, risk and current AlgovestIQ evidence.
What is the main difference between PLTY and QQQ?
PLTY is YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF, while QQQ is Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1. PLTY is tied to Alternatives; QQQ is tied to Equity. QQQ is broader by holdings count, with 53 positions versus 0 for PLTY. QQQ has the lower expense ratio in the current fund profile.
| Metric | PLTY | QQQ | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 1.07% | 0.18% | Fund |
| Assets under management | $378M | $485.9B | Fund |
| Holdings | 0 | 53 | Fund |
| Top-10 concentration | - | 35% | Fund |
| Average volume | 101,456 | 48,821,168 | Fund |
| Underlying exposure | Alternatives | Equity | Fund |
| 1Y return | - | +26.1% | Performance |
| YTD return | - | +17% | Performance |
| Annualized volatility | 53.6% | 19.7% | Risk |
| Max drawdown | -60.8% | -12.2% | Risk |
| Beta | 1.75 | 1.43 | Risk |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.82 | 1.04 | Risk |
| Sortino ratio | -1.33 | 1.55 | Risk |
| AIQ Score | 55/100 | 59/100 | AlgovestIQ |
| AIQ Edge Score | 6/10 | 8/10 | AlgovestIQ |
| Momentum | - | 54/100 | AlgovestIQ |
| Risk Resilience | 79/100 | 75/100 | AlgovestIQ |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
QQQ leads
QQQ leads by 4 AIQ points, primarily on Quality.
Fragile: 1 of 2 evidence groups support QQQ, and its current signal state is conflicted.
YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors QQQ over PLTY, 59 versus 55 as of Sep 9, 2026. QQQ's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality, while PLTY holds the stronger risk resilience profile. 1 of 2 covered evidence groups favor QQQ today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points.
Compare YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison for both ETFs using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare PLTY and QQQ against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
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.
- Quality43 vs 83QQQ +40
- Risk Resilience79 vs 75PLTY +4
1 of 2 evidence groups favor QQQ. QQQ’s edge is concentrated in quality; PLTY keeps a meaningful risk resilience edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-09-07, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-06.
Largest factor move: Quality +7
No new signals fired.
No factor moved materially.
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 — PLTY 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.
PLTY (YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy 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
QQQQQQ on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
EvenGrowth figures are not covered for both names.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
EvenThe two are level on Momentum.
Lower downside
PLTYPLTY on Risk Resilience, by 4 points.
Analyst upside
EvenAnalyst targets are level or not covered for both names.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | PLTY | QQQ | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 1.07% | 0.18% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Assets under management | $378M | $485.9B | Larger funds generally carry tighter spreads. |
| Holdings | 0 | 103 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 101,456 | 48,821,168 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 53.6% | 19.7% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown | -60.8% | -12.2% | The worst peak-to-trough loss on record for the fund. |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.82 | 1.04 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 1.75 | 1.43 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
Weighted holdings overlap is not available for this pair. Sector exposure above is a related but different measure — it says how much of each fund sits in the same parts of the market, not how much of the same securities they hold.
ETF comparison questions
Short answers to the fund-specific questions behind this comparison.
Which ETF is more diversified, PLTY or QQQ?
QQQ currently has more reported holdings, with 53 positions versus 0.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
QQQ has the lower reported expense ratio in the current fund profile.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
The current dataset does not show a higher-yield winner.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
PLTY has the higher annualized volatility in the current risk snapshot.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
QQQ has the less severe max drawdown in the current risk snapshot.
Which ETF has the stronger current AlgovestIQ evidence?
QQQ currently leads on supporting AlgovestIQ evidence, 59 to 55.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
1 of 2 covered evidence groups favor QQQ. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | QQQ | 55 vs 59 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | Not covered | Not covered |
| Technicals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Risk Resilience | PLTY | Risk Resilience 79 vs 75 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of PLTY and QQQ and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. (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.
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.
No active signals
3 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (8.12%)
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
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.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 5 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -1.71%, AIQ +5 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.08%, AIQ 0 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.
- 1PLTY closes the Quality gap — currently 40 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge.
- 2PLTY generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover.
- 3QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 3 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 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.
Performance
Split across windows| Metric | PLTY | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | — | 0.4% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | — | -0.6% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | — | 2% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | — | 19.9% |
| Year to date | — | 17% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | — | 26.1% |
Technicals
Split| Metric | PLTY | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | — | 42.1 |
| ADX (14) | — | 10.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | — | 1% |
| Price vs 200-day | — | 9.3% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | — | 12.9% |
Risk
PLTY is the more resilient| Metric | PLTY | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.75 | 1.43 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.82 | 1.04 |
| Sortino ratio | -1.33 | 1.55 |
| Max drawdown | -60.8% | -12.2% |
| Current drawdown | -46.8% | -3.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 53.6% | 19.7% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -5.5% | -1.9% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, PLTY or QQQ?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, QQQ is the stronger of the two as of Sep 9, 2026, scoring 59 against PLTY's 55. The edge comes from quality. PLTY 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 PLTY or QQQ the better buy right now?
QQQ carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 9, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 1 of 2 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor QQQ over PLTY?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. QQQ leads Quality by 40 points; PLTY leads Risk Resilience by 4 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which is better value, PLTY or QQQ?
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, PLTY 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, PLTY or QQQ?
The two are level on Momentum. 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, PLTY or QQQ?
PLTY is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. PLTY 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 PLTY more profitable than QQQ?
Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.
What would change the PLTY vs QQQ verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: PLTY closes the Quality gap — currently 40 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge; PLTY generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover; QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 3 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 PLTY and QQQ?
PLTY: No active signals. QQQ: 3 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. On QQQ it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare PLTY and QQQ with others
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.