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Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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PQJL vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, PQJL returned +6.3% to QQQ's +12.3%, and QQQ charges 0.18% to PQJL's 0.50%.

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Net assets: $28m on Nov 4, 2026 for PGIM Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF - July, and $464.6bn on Nov 3, 2026 for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1.

PQJL on its own →QQQ on its own →
At a glance
+6.3%
PQJL total return, 1 year
+12.3%
QQQ total return, 1 year
0.50%
PQJL expense ratio
0.18%
QQQ expense ratio

Pair scorecard

QQQ costs 0.32 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.0 points; QQQ is far larger, $464.6bn against $28m.

PQJL vs QQQ: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasurePQJLQQQ
Return
Total return, 1 year+6.3%+12.3%
Drawdown
Below its high8.9%, high on Oct 6, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksQQQNasdaq-100 Index
The outcome period
Room to the cap25.6%
Buffer left, in index points6.0% of 12.0%
Days left in the period238
Period endsJun 30, 2027
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.50%0.18%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$28m$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

PQJL PGIM Nasdaq-100 Buffer 12 ETF - July QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Where it sits Buffer ETF Stock ETF
Issuer PGIM Invesco
What it is Defined outcome, 12% on QQQ Tracks the Nasdaq-100
Total return, 1 year +6.3% +12.3%
Its benchmark over the same days +11.7% (QQQ) +12.3% (QQQM)
Gap to its benchmark −5.4 pts vs QQQ 0.0 pts vs QQQM
Expense ratio 0.50% 0.18%
Holdings not read by ETFIQ 103
Net assets, PQJL as of Nov 4, 2026 and QQQ as of Nov 3, 2026 $28m $464.6bn

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

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About each fund
PQJL

From its price on Nov 4, 2026, the fund can gain about 25.6% more before it reaches its cap. Protection left, in index points: 6.0% of the 12.0% buffer still sits below today's QQQ level. 238 days remained on Nov 4, 2026. On Jun 30, 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 PQJL and QQQ in the same category?
PQJL 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, PQJL or QQQ?
In the year to Nov 4, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PQJL returned +6.3% and QQQ +12.3%.
Which is cheaper, PQJL or QQQ?
QQQ is cheaper, by 0.32 percentage points a year. That is about $32 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
PQJL vs QQQMDQJN vs QQQCPNM vs QQQQBQF vs QQQQCOC vs QQQQBUF vs QQQNAPR vs QQQNJUL vs QQQ
Where to next
PQJL on its own →QQQ on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →PQJL dividend history →QQQ dividend history →QQQ holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
PQJL filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
PGIM website ↗
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, PQJL against QQQ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pqjl-vs-qqq

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