Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
QQQ vs XYLD: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, QQQ returned +15.2% to XYLD's +15.8%, and QQQ charges 0.18% to XYLD's 0.60%.
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Net assets: $483.0bn on Oct 27, 2026 for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1, and $3.4bn on Oct 12, 2026 for Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF.
Pair scorecard
QQQ costs 0.42 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.6 points; QQQ is far larger, $501.3bn against $3.4bn.
| Measure | QQQ | XYLD |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +15.2% | +15.8% |
| Price change, 1 year | rose 14.6% | rose 4.3% |
| Latest payout, annualized | 9.1% | |
| Return of capital, issuer estimate | 93% of the Sep 24, 2026 payment | |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Nasdaq-100 Index | Benchmark: S&P 500, measured through SPY |
| Against its benchmark, same days | ahead by 2.2 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 0.60% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026 | $501.3bn | $3.4bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 53% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 96% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 46.7% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, QQQ and XYLD hold 53% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
53% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
QQQ and XYLD on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. Cash paid: distributions over the window, as a share of the starting price.
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.
XYLD
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, XYLD paid 10.6% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 4.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +15.8%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +13.6% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 2.2 pts. At its price on Oct 28, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 9.1%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 93% of the distribution paid Sep 24, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.
Questions people ask
- Are QQQ and XYLD in the same category?
- QQQ is a stock ETF and XYLD is an option-income ETF, so they do different jobs. The table compares what both publish: return, cost and holdings.
- Which returned more over the last year, QQQ or XYLD?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QQQ returned +15.2% and XYLD +15.8%.
- Which is cheaper, QQQ or XYLD?
- QQQ is cheaper, by 0.42 percentage points a year. That is about $42 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, QQQ against XYLD, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-xyld
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). QQQ against XYLD. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-xyld
[QQQ against XYLD (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-xyld)
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