QQQ vs SCHA Stock Comparison

Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 vs Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF

Data as of Sep 2, 2026· market close· Broad Market / Index· Coverage 54/66 fields· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictCompetitiveAIQ Comparison Conviction 5/10

QQQ and SCHA are effectively level

QQQ and SCHA are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Evidence agreement: 4 of 4Comparison trend: Weakening
QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1

AIQ Score
54/100
AIQ Edge Score
6/10
SCHA

Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF

AIQ Score
54/100
AIQ Edge Score
6/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate QQQ and SCHA as of Sep 2, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Compare Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 and Schwab U.S. Small-Cap ETF across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.

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.

QQQ advantage
0
SCHA advantage
  • Value30%30 vs 51
    SCHA +21
  • Quality30%83 vs 63
    QQQ +20
  • Risk Resilience15%74 vs 77
    Even
  • Momentum25%35 vs 33
    Even

Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-01, compared against the prior scored session 2026-08-31.

QQQ-6 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -24

No new signals fired.

SCHA-2 AIQ

Largest factor move: Momentum -8

New signals

  • BB Lower Band Breach bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • Keltner Channel Breakdown bearish, volatility, short horizon

QQQ's lead narrowed by 4 AIQ points in the latest snapshot.

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

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

Even

Neither separates on the overall score.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

SCHA

SCHA on the peer-relative Value factor, by 21 points.

Momentum

Even

The two are level on Momentum.

Lower downside

QQQ

QQQ carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreEven54 vs 54
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationSCHAValue 30 vs 51
TechnicalsQQQPrice vs 50-day -0.3% vs -2.6%; vs 200-day 7.9% vs 6.5%
Risk ResilienceEvenRisk Resilience 74 vs 77
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

AIQ Decision Stability

Competitive

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

  • The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • 4 of 4 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 20 Sep 1

QQQ lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 3 to 0 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 20QQQ leads above the line · SCHA leads belowSep 1
Today
Level
54 vs 54
7 sessions ago
SCHA +2
59 vs 61
30 sessions ago
QQQ +3
63 vs 60
90 sessions ago
SCHA +9
54 vs 63

The lead changed hands once in this window, most recently on Aug 28 when QQQ moved ahead of SCHA.

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.

QQQConflicted

2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (8.37%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • ATR Contraction - Coiling neutral, volatility, short horizon (1.44%)
SCHAConflicted

2 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (9.37%)
  • Bollinger Band Squeeze neutral, volatility, short horizon
  • BB Lower Band Breach bullish, volatility, short horizon

Price vs model alignment

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

QQQDivergence

Price is up while the AIQ Score moved down 6 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.13%, AIQ -6 points).

SCHAConfirmed weakness

Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -1.26%, AIQ -2 points).

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.

Technicals

QQQ has the stronger structure
MetricQQQSCHA
RSI (14)38.231.6
ADX (14)11.916.6
Price vs 50-day-0.3%-2.6%
Price vs 200-day7.9%6.5%
Volatility (1M, annualized)13.2%14.7%

Risk

Split
MetricQQQSCHA
Beta1.431.22
Sharpe ratio11
Sortino ratio1.51.71
Max drawdown-12.2%-9.6%
Current drawdown-5.2%-6.6%
Annualized volatility19.7%19%
Value at risk (95%)-1.9%-1.8%

Straight answers

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

Which is better value, QQQ or SCHA?

SCHA is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. SCHA on the peer-relative Value factor, by 21 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, QQQ or SCHA?

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, QQQ or SCHA?

The two are level on Momentum. Momentum carries 25% of 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, QQQ or SCHA?

QQQ is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. QQQ carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is QQQ more profitable than SCHA?

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

What do the current signals say about QQQ and SCHA?

QQQ: 2 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. SCHA: 2 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 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 QQQ is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On SCHA it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

Compare QQQ and SCHA with others

How this comparison is scored

The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). 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.