Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
CPNS vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, CPNS returned +5.3% to QQQ's +15.2%, and QQQ charges 0.18% to CPNS's 0.69%.
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Net assets: $29m on Oct 28, 2026 for Calamos Nasdaq-100 Structured Alt Protection ETF - September, and $483.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1.
Pair scorecard
QQQ costs 0.51 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.9 points; QQQ is far larger, $483.0bn against $29m.
| Measure | CPNS | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +5.3% | +15.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Index fall to the buffer | 2.5% | |
| Fund price fall to the buffer | 0.7% | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | QQQ | Nasdaq-100 Index |
| The outcome period | ||
| Buffer left, in index points | 100.0% of 100.0% | |
| Days left in the period | 307 | |
| Period ends | Aug 31, 2027 | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.69% | 0.18% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $29m | $483.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | not published | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 96% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 46.7% | |
Side by side
CPNS and QQQ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
CPNS
The fund's price can fall 0.7% from here before the buffer starts absorbing losses, by the issuer's number. In index terms, QQQ can fall 2.5% from today's level to the point where the buffer begins. Protection left, in index points: 100.0% of the 100.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 307 days remained on Oct 28, 2026. On Aug 31, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.
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
- Are CPNS and QQQ in the same category?
- CPNS is a buffer ETF and QQQ is a stock ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, CPNS or QQQ?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CPNS returned +5.3% and QQQ +15.2%.
- Which is cheaper, CPNS or QQQ?
- QQQ is cheaper, by 0.51 percentage points a year. That is about $51 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, CPNS against QQQ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cpns-vs-qqq
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). CPNS against QQQ. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cpns-vs-qqq
[CPNS against QQQ (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/cpns-vs-qqq)
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