Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
IEI vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, IEI returned −1.1% to QQQ's +15.2%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $17.0bn for iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF and $483.0bn for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1.
Pair scorecard
IEI costs 0.03 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.3 points; QQQ is far larger, $483.0bn against $17.0bn.
| Measure | IEI | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −1.1% | +15.2% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index | Nasdaq-100 Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.18% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $17.0bn | $483.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 96% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 46.7% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jan 19, 2007 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,031 weekly returnsQQQ returned more: +1,761.2% to +71.7%. IEI swung less: 3.8% to 20.3%. IEI fell less at its worst: −14.1% to −51.4%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | IEI | QQQ | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +71.7% | +1,761.2% | QQQ | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +2.8% | +15.9% | QQQ | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +14.9% | +1,494.7% | QQQ | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 3.8% | 20.3% | IEI | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 2.6% | 13.8% | IEI | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −14.1% | −51.4% | IEI | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.31 | 0.75 | QQQ | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.45 | 1.10 | QQQ | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.20 | 0.31 | QQQ | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,031 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, IEI and QQQ hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
IEI and QQQ on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
IEI and QQQ do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. IEI follows ICE U.S. Treasury 3-7 Year Bond Index and QQQ follows Nasdaq-100 Index.
- Holdings in common. 0% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 IEI returned −1.1% and QQQ +15.2% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 16.3 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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IEI
IEI tracks an index of 3-7 Year Treasury Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −1.1% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.
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, IEI or QQQ?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, IEI returned −1.1% and QQQ +15.2%.
- Which is cheaper, IEI or QQQ?
- IEI is cheaper, by 0.03 percentage points a year. That is about $3 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, IEI against QQQ, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iei-vs-qqq
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). IEI against QQQ. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iei-vs-qqq
[IEI against QQQ (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/iei-vs-qqq)
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