Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
QQQ vs XLC: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, QQQ returned +15.2% to XLC's −10.4%; 11% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $483.0bn for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 and $22.1bn for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLC costs 0.10 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 25.6 points; QQQ is far larger, $483.0bn against $22.1bn.
| Measure | QQQ | XLC |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +15.2% | −10.4% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | 13.3%, high on Jan 30, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Nasdaq-100 Index | Communication Services Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $483.0bn | $22.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 11% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 46.7% | 75.3% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Jun 29, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 434 weekly returnsQQQ returned more: +332.8% to +131.1%. XLC swung slightly less: 20.0% to 21.6%. QQQ fell less at its worst: −35.1% to −45.9%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | QQQ | XLC | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +332.8% | +131.1% | QQQ | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +19.2% | +10.6% | QQQ | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +310.4% | +113.0% | QQQ | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 21.6% | 20.0% | XLC (slight) | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 14.3% | 14.0% | XLC (slight) | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −35.1% | −45.9% | QQQ | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.79 | 0.46 | QQQ | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 1.20 | 0.66 | QQQ | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.55 | 0.23 | QQQ | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 434 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, QQQ and XLC hold 11% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
11% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
QQQ and XLC on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
QQQ and XLC do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. QQQ follows Nasdaq-100 Index and XLC follows Communication Services Select Sector Index.
- Holdings in common. 11% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 QQQ returned +15.2% and XLC −10.4% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 25.6 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
XLC
XLC tracks an index of Communication services. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −10.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 23 positions, with the top ten at 75.3%. It sat 13.3% below its high of Jan 30, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QQQ or XLC?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QQQ returned +15.2% and XLC −10.4%.
- Which is cheaper, QQQ or XLC?
- XLC is cheaper, by 0.10 percentage points a year. That is about $10 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, QQQ against XLC, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-xlc
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). QQQ against XLC. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-xlc
[QQQ against XLC (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-xlc)
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