Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
QQQ vs RYLD: how they differ
Over the year QQQ returned more, +23.0% against +18.1%, and QQQ charges 0.18% against 0.60%.
Invesco QQQ Trust and Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, QQQ and RYLD hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in QQQ | Only in RYLD |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA Corp 8.52% | GLOBAL X RUSSELL 2000 ETF 99.96% |
| Apple Inc 7.72% | CASH 0.04% |
| Microsoft Corp 5.89% | |
| Micron Technology Inc 4.90% | |
| Amazon.com Inc 4.36% | |
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc 3.65% | |
| Alphabet Inc 3.12% | |
| Meta Platforms Inc 3.07% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Sep 10, 2026 and Sep 11, 2026.
| QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust | RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Income ETF |
| Issuer | Invesco | Global X |
| What it is | Nasdaq-100 | covered call, vs IWM |
| Total return, 1 year | +23.0% | +18.1% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +21.2% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +5.5 pts | −3.1 pts |
| Cash paid, 1 year | not an income fund | 12.3% |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 0.60% |
| Holdings | 105 | not filed |
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.
RYLD in plain words
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, RYLD paid 12.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 4.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +18.1%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +21.2% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 3.1 pts. At its price on Sep 11, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 12.4%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Aug 27, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QQQ or RYLD?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QQQ returned +23.0% and RYLD returned +18.1%, so QQQ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, QQQ or RYLD?
- QQQ charges 0.18% a year and RYLD charges 0.60%, so QQQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- Are QQQ and RYLD the same kind of fund?
- No. QQQ is an index ETF and RYLD is an option-income ETF, so they are built for different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and what each actually holds.
Other comparisons
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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.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, QQQ against RYLD, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-ryld Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources