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Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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DQSE vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees

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DQSE and QQQ are measured over different days, and QQQ charges 0.18% to DQSE's 0.90%.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $24m for FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Dual Directional Buffer ETF - September and $464.6bn for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1.

DQSE on its own →QQQ on its own →
At a glance
−3.2%
DQSE total return, since launch, Sep 21, 2026
+12.3%
QQQ total return, 1 year
0.90%
DQSE expense ratio
0.18%
QQQ expense ratio

Pair scorecard

QQQ costs 0.72 points a year less; QQQ is far larger, $464.6bn against $24m.

DQSE vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasureDQSEQQQ
Return
Total return, 1 yearnot published+12.3%
Drawdown
Below its high8.9%, high on Oct 6, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksQQQNasdaq-100 Index
The outcome period
Room to the cap19.8%
Buffer left, in index points5.9% of 10.0%
Days left in the period317
Period endsSep 17, 2027
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.90%0.18%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$24m$464.6bn
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
In the S&P 500, by weight94%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund46.7%

Method

Side by side

DQSE FT Vest Nasdaq-100 Dual Directional Buffer ETF - September QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF
Issuer First Trust Invesco
What it is Defined outcome, 0% to 10% on QQQ Tracks the Nasdaq-100
Total return, 1 year −3.2% (since launch, Sep 21, 2026) +12.3%
Its benchmark over the same days −6.7% (QQQ) (since launch, Sep 21, 2026) +12.3% (QQQM)
Gap to its benchmark +3.5 pts vs QQQ (since launch, Sep 21, 2026) 0.0 pts vs QQQM
Expense ratio 0.90% 0.18%
Holdings not read by ETFIQ 103
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $24m $464.6bn

DQSE and QQQ on the fields both publish, as of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

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About each fund
DQSE

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 19.8% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 5.9% of the 10.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 317 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Sep 17, 2027 the period ends and a new cap is set.

QQQ

QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026 it returned +12.3% with distributions reinvested, against +12.3% for its benchmark, the Nasdaq-100 Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.18% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Nov 3, 2026, 94% 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 8.9% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Nov 4, 2026.

Questions people ask

Are DQSE and QQQ in the same category?
DQSE 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 is cheaper, DQSE or QQQ?
QQQ is cheaper, by 0.72 percentage points a year. That is about $72 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
DQSE vs QQQMQDEC vs QQQQQQ vs QSPTQJUN vs QQQPQJL vs QQQPQOC vs QQQPQAP vs QQQPQJA vs QQQ
Where to next
DQSE on its own →QQQ on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →QQQ dividend history →QQQ holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
DQSE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
First Trust page for DQSE ↗
QQQ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
QQQ prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
Invesco page for QQQ ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

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ETFIQ, DQSE against QQQ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/dqse-vs-qqq

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