Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
ACWX vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, ACWX returned +14.3% to QQQ's +15.2%; 2% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $17.9bn for iShares MSCI ACWI ex U.S. ETF and $483.0bn for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1.
Pair scorecard
QQQ costs 0.14 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.9 points; QQQ is far larger, $483.0bn against $17.9bn.
| Measure | ACWX | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +14.3% | +15.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.9%, high on Sep 4, 2026 | 4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI ACWI ex USA Index | Nasdaq-100 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.18% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $17.9bn | $483.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 2% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 15.6% | 46.7% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Apr 11, 2008 to Oct 23, 2026 · 967 weekly returnsQQQ returned more: +1,749.8% to +129.8%. ACWX swung slightly less: 19.8% to 20.4%. QQQ fell less at its worst: −47.3% to −59.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | ACWX | QQQ | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +129.8% | +1,749.8% | QQQ | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +4.6% | +17.0% | QQQ | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +42.8% | +1,490.8% | QQQ | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 19.8% | 20.4% | ACWX (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.4% | 13.8% | QQQ (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −59.4% | −47.3% | QQQ | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.25 | 0.80 | QQQ | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.35 | 1.19 | QQQ | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.08 | 0.36 | QQQ | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 967 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, ACWX and QQQ hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
2% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
ACWX and QQQ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
ACWX and QQQ do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. ACWX follows MSCI ACWI ex USA Index and QQQ follows Nasdaq-100 Index.
- Holdings in common. 2% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- Number of holdings. ACWX holds 1,939 positions and QQQ holds 103.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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ACWX
ACWX tracks the MSCI ACWI ex U.S.. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +14.3% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1,939 positions, with the top ten at 15.6%. It sat 4.9% below its high of Sep 4, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
QQQ
QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +15.2% with distributions reinvested, against +15.2% for its benchmark, the Nasdaq-100 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 96% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 103 positions, with the top ten at 46.7%. It sat 4.5% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, ACWX or QQQ?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, ACWX returned +14.3% and QQQ +15.2%.
- Which is cheaper, ACWX or QQQ?
- QQQ is cheaper, by 0.14 percentage points a year. That is about $14 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, ACWX against QQQ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/acwx-vs-qqq
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). ACWX against QQQ. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/acwx-vs-qqq
[ACWX against QQQ (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/acwx-vs-qqq)
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