Which returned more over the last year, CPNS or QQQ?

In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CPNS returned +5.5% and QQQ returned +23.0%, so QQQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.

Which is cheaper, CPNS or QQQ?

CPNS charges 0.69% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%, so QQQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Are CPNS and QQQ the same kind of fund?

No. CPNS 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.

Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

CPNS vs QQQ: how they differ

Over the year QQQ returned more, +23.0% against +5.5%, and QQQ charges 0.18% against 0.69%.

Calamos Nasdaq-100 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - September and Invesco QQQ Trust.

CPNS and QQQ on the fields both publish, as of Sep 13, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
	CPNS Calamos Nasdaq-100 ® Structured Alt Protection ETF - September	QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust
Where it sits	Buffer ETF	Core index fund
Issuer	Calamos	Invesco
What it is	Defined outcome, 100% on QQQ	Nasdaq-100
Total return, 1 year	+5.5%	+23.0%
S&P 500 over the same days	+23.0%	+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500	−17.5 pts	+5.5 pts
Expense ratio	0.69%	0.18%
Holdings	not filed	105

CPNS in plain words

Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 354 days remained on Sep 13, 2026. On Sep 2, 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 Sep 10, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 105 positions, with the top ten at 47.0%. 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, CPNS or QQQ?: In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CPNS returned +5.5% and QQQ returned +23.0%, so QQQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, CPNS or QQQ?: CPNS charges 0.69% a year and QQQ charges 0.18%, so QQQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Are CPNS and QQQ the same kind of fund?: No. CPNS 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.

CPNS against QQQ, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, CPNS against QQQ, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cpns-vs-qqq Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources