QQQ vs ARKK ETF Comparison

Set your investment period and amount to compare the returns, growth and risk of two ETFs.

•••
A QQQ
QQQ 100%
B ARKK
ARKK 100%
Start date:, End date: $10,000 Dividends reinvested

Data as of 2026-10-23

Key comparison

Compare growth, loss risk, and cost in the same rows first.

6 essential metrics
Portfolio overview and core performance comparison
Portfolio A · QQQ 100%Portfolio B · ARKK 100%
CAGR +19.4%
CAGR +14.6%
Final Balance $68,031
Final Balance $43,460
Volatility +18.8%
Volatility +37.6%
MDD · daily -35.1%
MDD · daily -80.9%
Sharpe Ratio 0.95
Sharpe Ratio 0.51
Weighted expense ratio 0.18%
Weighted expense ratio 0.75%

Result summary

QQQ had the higher CAGR. QQQ had the smaller maximum drawdown.

  • QQQ: CAGR 19.40%, daily maximum drawdown -35.12%.
  • ARKK: CAGR 14.56%, daily maximum drawdown -80.91%.

Key points in this comparison

  • Maximum drawdown was -35.1% for QQQ and -80.9% for ARKK; ARKK fell further. After its deepest decline, ARKK has not yet recovered its previous peak.
  • In 2020, returns were ARKK +152.8% and QQQ +48.6%, a gap of 104.2 percentage points.
  • Across 10 complete calendar years, QQQ had the higher return in 5 and ARKK in 5.
Period & basis

2016-01-04 – 2026-10-23

Historical results for this period.

Cumulative performance

Compare growth paths and cumulative returns over the same period.

Portfolio value

Compare portfolio value and cumulative contributions on the same dates.

A vs B Cumulative Return Comparison
ETFTotal ReturnCAGRTotal invested
A+580.3%+19.4%10000
B+334.6%+14.6%10000
Hover over the chart to compare every value on the same date.

Risk and recovery

Compare the volatility taken for return with the loss path investors actually experienced.

Risk vs Return

Lower-left is safer, upper-right is higher risk/reward. Ideal: upper-left.

Hover over a point to review CAGR, volatility, Sharpe, and maximum drawdown together.
Risk vs Return
Compared portfoliosCAGRVolatility (Ann.)Sharpe RatioMDD · daily
A19.4%18.79%0.95-35.12%
B14.56%37.65%0.51-80.91%

Drawdown paths

Compare how far each portfolio's daily closing value fell from its prior peak over the same period.

Drawdown paths
Compared portfoliosMDD · daily
A-35.12
B-80.91
Hover over the chart to compare every value on the same date.

Returns and major declines

Compare annual returns and daily peak, trough, and recovery dates.

Annual Returns Comparison

Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.

Annual Returns Comparison · Annual
MetricAB
2026· Partial year+20.8%+15.8%
2025+20.8%+35.5%
2024+25.6%+8.4%
2023+54.9%+69.0%
2022-32.6%-67.0%
2021+27.4%-23.4%
2020+48.6%+152.8%
2019+39.0%+35.1%
2018-0.1%+3.5%
2017+32.7%+87.3%
2016+7.1%-2.0%

Worst Drawdown Periods

A · Worst Drawdown Periods
Peak dateTrough dateRecovery dateDrawdown
2021-12-272022-11-032023-12-13-35.1%
2020-02-192020-03-162020-06-03-28.6%
2018-08-292018-12-242019-04-12-22.8%
B · Worst Drawdown Periods
Peak dateTrough dateRecovery dateDrawdown
2021-02-122022-12-28Ongoing-80.9%
2020-02-192020-03-182020-05-20-42.5%
2018-08-312018-12-242019-04-03-28.9%

Stress Test: Market Crashes

Return of each ETF during major historical market drawdown events
Event A B
Q4 2018 Selloff-21.9%-26.9%
COVID-19 Crash-27.9%-36.5%
2022 Rate Hike Bear Market-34.3%-62.8%

Questions about these results

How did the same initial investment grow?

From 2016-01-04 to 2026-10-23, an initial $10,000 ended at $68,031 for QQQ and $43,460 for ARKK. Annualized returns were 19.40% and 14.56%, respectively.

How did the results differ during market crises?

During 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market, returns were -34.3% for QQQ and -62.8% for ARKK. During COVID-19 Crash, returns were -27.9% for QQQ and -36.5% for ARKK.

What are the expense ratios and annual costs?

Weighted expense ratios are 0.18% for QQQ and 0.75% for ARKK. Applied to the initial $10,000, estimated annual costs are $18 and $75.

What are the dividend yields and their basis?

The yields are 0.44% for QQQ and 0.00% for ARKK. They use distributions from the last 365 days divided by the last closing price and do not predict future distributions.

How similarly do the two portfolios move?

The correlation of shared monthly returns is 0.80: they mostly moved in the same direction.

About the ETFs & sources

QQQ An ETF tracking the Nasdaq-100 Index.

ARKK An actively managed equity ETF focused on disruptive innovation.

Shared calculation settings

Comparison settings

Trading cost: 0 bps per side · personal taxes excluded · see the methodology for dividend calculation Calculation Methodology