Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
ITA vs QQQM: how they differ
Over the year QQQM returned more, +23.0% against +10.0%, and QQQM charges 0.15% against 0.37%.
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF and Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, ITA and QQQM hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in ITA | Only in QQQM |
|---|---|
| GE AEROSPACE 21.81% | NVIDIA Corp. 8.16% |
| RTX 17.21% | Apple Inc. 7.29% |
| BOEING 9.36% | Microsoft Corp. 5.32% |
| GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP 4.82% | Micron Technology, Inc. 4.80% |
| LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 4.69% | Amazon.com, Inc. 4.62% |
| NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 4.44% | Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 3.70% |
| TRANSDIGM GROUP 4.31% | Alphabet Inc. 3.52% |
| HOWMET AEROSPACE 4.24% | Tesla, Inc. 3.46% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Sep 10, 2026.
| ITA iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF | QQQM Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Thematic ETF | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Invesco |
| What it is | Defense | Nasdaq-100 |
| Total return, 1 year | +10.0% | +23.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −7.5 pts | +5.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.37% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 79.5% | 96.7% |
| Holdings | 51 | 101 |
ITA in plain words
By weight, 80% of ITA's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 98%. The top ten holdings are 78% of the fund across 51 positions, as published by its issuer for Sep 10, 2026. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 the fund returned +10.0% with distributions reinvested against +17.5% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 7.5 pts. It sits 13.5% below its all-time high of Aug 14, 2026.
QQQM in plain words
QQQM 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 0.15% 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 returned more over the last year, ITA or QQQM?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ITA returned +10.0% and QQQM returned +23.0%, so QQQM returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, ITA or QQQM?
- ITA charges 0.37% a year and QQQM charges 0.15%, so QQQM is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do ITA and QQQM overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 80% of ITA and 97% of QQQM by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
- Are ITA and QQQM the same kind of fund?
- No. ITA is a thematic ETF and QQQM 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, ITA against QQQM, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ITA-QQQM Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources