QMOM vs QQQ: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
QMOM and QQQ are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. QMOM is Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF, while QQQ is Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1. QQQ is broader by holdings count, with 107 positions versus 51 for QMOM. QQQ is more concentrated at the top, based on top-10 holdings weight. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has QQQ ahead on AIQ Score, 48 versus 37.
What is the main difference between QMOM and QQQ?
QQQ puts 59% of its assets in Technology, while QMOM spreads across 8 sectors with none above 25%.
| Metric | QMOM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.28% | 0.18% |
| Holdings | 51 | 107 |
| Top-10 concentration | 22.6% | 47% |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 0.54% | 0.47% |
| Average volume | 20,987 | 38,085,843 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | -0.9% | +5.3% |
| YTD return | +0.9% | +6.8% |
| 5Y annualized returnTotal return, distributions reinvested | +4.3% | +11.2% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 26.9% | 21.2% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -19.9% | -14.8% |
| Max drawdown (5Y)Total return, distributions reinvested | -26.8% | -35.1% |
| Beta | 1.51 | 1.45 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.01 | 0.34 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 37/100 | 48/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 2/10 | 4/10 |
| Momentum | 24/100 | 16/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 57/100 | 55/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
QQQ leads
QQQ leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Quality, but the lead has narrowed from 15 points over 30 sessions.
Fragile: 2 of 4 evidence groups support QQQ, its lead is narrowing, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors QQQ over QMOM, 48 versus 37 as of Nov 7, 2026. QQQ's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality, while QMOM holds the stronger momentum profile. QQQ also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 2 of 4 covered evidence groups favor QQQ today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 15 to 11 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
QMOM vs QQQ: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | QMOM | QQQ | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 0.28% | 0.18% | QQQ |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 51 | 107 | QQQ |
| Lower concentrationWeight of the 10 largest holdings | 22.6% | 47% | QMOM |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 0.54% | 0.47% | Similar |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 5 years | -26.8% | -35.1% | QMOM |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 26.9% | 21.2% | QQQ |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare QMOM 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.
- Quality34 vs 82QQQ +48
- Momentum24 vs 16QMOM +8
- Value41 vs 36QMOM +5
- Risk Resilience57 vs 55Even
2 of 4 evidence groups favor QQQ. QQQ’s edge is concentrated in quality; QMOM keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-11-06, compared against the prior scored session 2026-11-05.
Largest factor move: Value +2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Value +2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 3 active signals are unchanged.
QQQ's lead was unchanged in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — QMOM 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.
QMOM (Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Momentum ETF): the counter-case, on momentum, value, valuation.
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 | QMOM | QQQ | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 0.28% | 0.18% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 51 | 107 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 20,987 | 38,085,843 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 26.9% | 21.2% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -19.9% | -14.8% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.01 | 0.25 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 1.51 | 1.45 | 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.
How much of the same holdings they own
QMOM and QQQ share 2.69% of their weighted exposure across 3 common holdings.
47 holdings are unique to QMOM, and 99 holdings are unique to QQQ. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
QQQ is the more concentrated of the two: its ten largest positions are 46.96% of the fund, against 22.57% for QMOM (107 holdings vs 51). Concentration cuts both ways — it is what drives outperformance when the top names work, and what makes the drawdown deeper when they do not.
Largest shared positions
| Holding | QMOM | QQQ | Shared |
|---|---|---|---|
| PANWPalo Alto Networks Inc | 1.84% | 1.23% | 1.23% |
| CRWDCrowdstrike Holdings Inc | 1.93% | 0.94% | 0.94% |
| FTNTFortinet Inc | 1.93% | 0.52% | 0.52% |
Shared weight is the lower of the two positions — the portion of capital both funds genuinely have in the same security.
What QMOM adds that QQQ doesn’t
| Holding | QMOM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| DELLDell Technologies Inc | 2.62% | Not held |
| HPEHewlett Packard Enterprise Co | 2.45% | Not held |
| ROIVRoivant Sciences Ltd | 2.36% | Not held |
| ARWArrow Electronics Inc | 2.23% | Not held |
| VIAVViavi Solutions Inc | 2.22% | Not held |
| VLOValero Energy Corp | 2.15% | Not held |
What QQQ adds that QMOM doesn’t
| Holding | QQQ | QMOM |
|---|---|---|
| NVDANVIDIA Corp | 8.49% | Not held |
| AAPLApple Inc | 7.71% | Not held |
| MSFTMicrosoft Corp | 5.88% | Not held |
| MUMicron Technology Inc | 4.89% | Not held |
| AMZNAmazon.com Inc | 4.36% | Not held |
| AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc | 3.64% | Not held |
Each list is a fund’s largest positions by weight that the other fund does not hold, or holds at less than half the weight.
QMOM vs QQQ: five-year payout growth
QMOM grew its split-adjusted payout faster over 2020-2025 — 51.47% a year against QQQ's 9.99%. QMOM: The payout jumped 1064.5% in 2022, a single step rather than steady compounding - often an index or mandate change. QMOM: A single payment in an endpoint year was 13.5x the fund's median payment, so one distribution carries much of the result.
| Dividend metric | QMOM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y payout CAGR | 51.47% | 9.99% |
| 2020 annual payout | $0.044 | $1.737 |
| 2025 annual payout | $0.354 | $2.795 |
| Calendar-year declines | 2 | 2 |
| Peer rank | #11 of 138 | #56 of 138 |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
2 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 group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | QQQ | 37 vs 48 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | QMOM | Value 41 vs 36 |
| Technicals | QQQ | Price vs 50-day -9% vs -9%; vs 200-day -10.3% vs -3.2% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 57 vs 55 |
| 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 QMOM 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 moderate at 11 points.
- Only 2 of 4 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- 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
120 daily snapshots · Jul 8 – Nov 6QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 15 to 11 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- QQQ +11
- 37 vs 48
- 7 sessions ago
- QQQ +12
- 39 vs 51
- 30 sessions ago
- QQQ +15
- 42 vs 57
- 90 sessions ago
- QQQ +20
- 39 vs 59
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.
2 bullish / 4 bearish, conflicted
Only QMOM
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (2.05%)
- BB Lower Band Breach — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Oversold - Potential Bounce — bullish, momentum, short horizon
- Downtrend Structure Active — bearish, trend, long horizon
1 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted
Only QQQ
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (5.89%)
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Keltner Channel Breakdown, MACD Bearish Crossover.
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 and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +0.69%, AIQ +1 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved up over the latest session (price +1.4%, 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.
- 1QMOM closes the Quality gap — currently 48 points behind, the largest single contributor to QQQ's edge.
- 2QMOM's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3QQQ's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4The narrowing continues — the lead has already given back 4 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.
Performance
QQQ leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | QMOM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | -7.2% | -5% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -9.6% | -10% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -11% | -9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -13.9% | -6.1% |
| Year to date | 0.9% | 6.8% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -0.9% | 5.3% |
Technicals
QQQ has the stronger structure| Metric | QMOM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 29.4 | 30.5 |
| ADX (14) | 29.4 | 33.1 |
| Price vs 50-day | -9% | -9% |
| Price vs 200-day | -10.3% | -3.2% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 27.7% | 32% |
Risk
Split| Metric | QMOM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.51 | 1.45 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.01 | 0.25 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.01 | 0.34 |
| Max drawdown | -19.9% | -14.8% |
| Current drawdown | -19.4% | -13.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 26.9% | 21.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -3.1% | -2% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
What is the difference between QMOM and QQQ?
QQQ puts 59% of its assets in Technology, while QMOM spreads across 8 sectors with none above 25%.
How much do QMOM and QQQ overlap?
QMOM and QQQ share 2.69% of their weighted exposure across 3 common holdings. 47 holdings are unique to QMOM, and 99 holdings are unique to QQQ. Owning both is genuinely additive — most of the capital sits in different securities.
Which ETF is more diversified, QMOM or QQQ?
QQQ holds more positions: 107 versus 51 for QMOM.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
QQQ has the lower expense ratio, 0.18% a year against 0.28% for QMOM.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
Their trailing 12-month distribution yields are similar: 0.54% for QMOM and 0.47% for QQQ.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
QMOM has been more volatile over the past year, at 26.9% annualized against 21.2% for QQQ.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
QMOM fell less from peak to trough over the past five years: -26.8% against -35.1% for QQQ.
Compare QMOM and QQQ with others
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.