Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
QQQ vs YMAX: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, QQQ returned +15.2% to YMAX's −4.0%, and QQQ charges 0.18% to YMAX's 1.33%.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $483.0bn for Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 and $352m for YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs.
Pair scorecard
QQQ costs 1.15 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 19.2 points; QQQ is far larger, $483.0bn against $352m.
| Measure | QQQ | YMAX |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +15.2% | −4.0% |
| Price change, 1 year | rose 14.6% | fell 42.4% |
| Latest payout, annualized | 39.9% | |
| Return of capital, issuer estimate | 35% of the Oct 29, 2026 payment | |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.5%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Against its benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | Nasdaq-100 Index | Benchmark: its own holdings |
| Against its benchmark, same days | behind by 14.9 pts | |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | 1.33% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $483.0bn | $352m |
| 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 and Oct 28, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, QQQ and YMAX hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Oct 28, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
QQQ and YMAX 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.
YMAX's own holdings, without the options (from its filed holdings, rebalanced at each filing; latest Oct 26, 2026) returned +10.9% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 14.9 pts.
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, YMAX paid 36.1% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 42.4%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −4.0%. At its price on Oct 28, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 39.9%, paid weekly. YieldMax estimates that 35% of the distribution paid Oct 29, 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 YMAX in the same category?
- QQQ is a stock ETF and YMAX 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 YMAX?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QQQ returned +15.2% and YMAX −4.0%.
- Which is cheaper, QQQ or YMAX?
- QQQ is cheaper, by 1.15 percentage points a year. That is about $115 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 YMAX, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-ymax
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). QQQ against YMAX. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-ymax
[QQQ against YMAX (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qqq-vs-ymax)
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