Data as of Sep 4, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
QQQ vs SHLD
Invesco QQQ Trust and Global X Defense Tech ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, QQQ and SHLD hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | QQQ | SHLD |
|---|---|---|
| Palantir Technologies Inc. | 1.58% | 7.09% |
| Only in QQQ | Only in SHLD |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp. 8.16% | LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION 8.45% |
| Apple Inc. 7.29% | RTX CORPORATION 7.78% |
| Microsoft Corp. 5.32% | GENERAL DYNAMICS CORPORATION 7.70% |
| Micron Technology, Inc. 4.80% | Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft 5.78% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. 4.62% | BAE SYSTEMS PLC 4.90% |
| Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. 3.70% | L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES, INC. 4.71% |
| Alphabet Inc. 3.52% | HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD. 4.41% |
| Tesla, Inc. 3.46% | LEONARDO - SOCIETA PER AZIONI 4.36% |
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 as filed for May 31, 2026.
| QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust | SHLD Global X Defense Tech ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core fund | Themes desk |
| Issuer | Invesco | Global X |
| What it is | Nasdaq-100, book from QQQM | Defense |
| Total return, 1 year | +25.6% | +2.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +20.0% | +20.0% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.6 pts | −17.7 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 0.50% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 96.7% | 44.8% |
| Holdings | 101 | 48 |
QQQ in plain words
QQQ is a index equity fund tracking Nasdaq-100, book from QQQM. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 it returned +25.6% with distributions reinvested, against +20.0% for the S&P 500 and +25.6% 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 3.5% below its high of Jun 2, 2026 on Sep 4, 2026.
SHLD in plain words
By weight, 45% of SHLD's portfolio is stocks that are also in the S&P 500; its active share against the S&P 500 is 99%. The top ten holdings are 60% of the fund across 48 positions, as filed for May 31, 2026. Over the year to Sep 4, 2026 the fund returned +2.3% with distributions reinvested against +20.0% for the S&P 500, so a holder was behind by 17.7 pts. It sits 19.0% below its all-time high of Mar 9, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QQQ or SHLD?
- In the year to Sep 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QQQ returned +25.6% and SHLD returned +2.3%, so QQQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, QQQ or SHLD?
- QQQ charges 0.18% a year and SHLD charges 0.50%, so QQQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do QQQ and SHLD overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 97% of QQQ and 45% of SHLD by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 2% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
- Are QQQ and SHLD the same kind of fund?
- No. QQQ is an index ETF and SHLD is a thematic 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, QQQ against SHLD, data as of Sep 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/QQQ-SHLD.html Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources