Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
CPNJ vs QQQ: how they differ
CPNJ and QQQ are measured over different days, and QQQ charges 0.18% against 0.69%.
Calamos Nasdaq-100 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - June and Invesco QQQ Trust.
| CPNJ Calamos Nasdaq-100 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - June | QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Buffer ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | Calamos | Invesco |
| What it is | Defined outcome, 0% to 100% on QQQ | Nasdaq-100, book from QQQM |
| Total return, 1 year | not published | +23.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | not published | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | not available | +5.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.18% |
| Holdings | not filed | 101 |
CPNJ in plain words
Protection left, in index points: 96.3% of the 99.9% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 259 days remained on Sep 12, 2026. On May 29, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
QQQ in plain words
QQQ is an index equity fund tracking the Nasdaq-100. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +23.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 101 positions, with the top ten at 47.5%. It sat 4.1% below its high of Jun 2, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, CPNJ or QQQ?
- CPNJ charges 0.69% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%, so QQQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are CPNJ and QQQ the same kind of fund?
- No. CPNJ is a buffer ETF and QQQ is an index ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, CPNJ against QQQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CPNJ-QQQ Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources