QQQ vs JEPQ ETF Comparison
Set your investment period and amount to compare the returns, growth and risk of two ETFs.
Data as of 2026-10-23
Key comparison
Compare growth, loss risk, and cost in the same rows first.
| Portfolio A · QQQ 100% | Portfolio B · JEPQ 100% |
|---|---|
CAGR +21.4% | CAGR +16.4% |
Final Balance $23,480 | Final Balance $19,490 |
Volatility +20.0% | Volatility +13.7% |
MDD · daily -22.8% | MDD · daily -20.1% |
Sharpe Ratio 0.93 | Sharpe Ratio 0.95 |
Weighted expense ratio 0.18% | Weighted expense ratio 0.35% |
Result summary
QQQ had the higher CAGR. JEPQ had the smaller maximum drawdown.
- QQQ: CAGR 21.42%, daily maximum drawdown -22.77%.
- JEPQ: CAGR 16.39%, daily maximum drawdown -20.06%.
Key points in this comparison
- In 2023, returns were QQQ +54.9% and JEPQ +36.2%, a gap of 18.7 percentage points.
- The monthly-return correlation is 0.95: the two portfolios moved almost in step.
- Maximum drawdown was -22.8% for QQQ and -20.1% for JEPQ; QQQ fell further. After its deepest decline, QQQ took 125 days to get back to its previous peak.
Period & basis
2022-06-01 – 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.
| ETF | Total Return | CAGR | Total invested |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | +134.8% | +21.4% | 10000 |
| B | +94.9% | +16.4% | 10000 |
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.
| Compared portfolios | CAGR | Volatility (Ann.) | Sharpe Ratio | MDD · daily |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 21.42% | 20.02% | 0.93 | -22.77% |
| B | 16.39% | 13.72% | 0.95 | -20.06% |
Drawdown paths
Compare how far each portfolio's daily closing value fell from its prior peak over the same period.
| Compared portfolios | MDD · daily |
|---|---|
| A | -22.77 |
| B | -20.06 |
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.
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2026· Partial year | +20.8% | +14.2% |
| 2025 | +20.8% | +15.2% |
| 2024 | +25.6% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +54.9% | +36.2% |
| 2022· Partial year | -13.1% | -9.5% |
Worst Drawdown Periods
| Peak date | Trough date | Recovery date | Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-19 | 2025-04-08 | 2025-06-24 | -22.8% |
| 2022-08-15 | 2022-11-03 | 2023-05-18 | -21.6% |
| 2022-06-02 | 2022-06-16 | 2022-07-29 | -13.7% |
| Peak date | Trough date | Recovery date | Drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-19 | 2025-04-08 | 2025-08-08 | -20.1% |
| 2022-08-15 | 2022-10-14 | 2023-04-27 | -16.8% |
| 2022-06-02 | 2022-06-16 | 2022-08-03 | -11.1% |
Stress Test: Market Crashes
Return of each ETF during major historical market drawdown events| Event | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market | -14.5% | -13.3% |
Risk and recovery
Review drawdowns, downside risk, volatility regimes, and recovery speed.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Holdings 1 | Holdings 1 |
Effective holdings 1.00 | Effective holdings 1.00 |
Largest weight +100.0% | Largest weight +100.0% |
Weighted dividend yield 0.44% | Weighted dividend yield 11.79% |
Monthly observations 52 | Monthly observations 52 |
MDD · month-end -15.2% | MDD · month-end -13.5% |
Downside deviation +3.1% | Downside deviation +2.4% |
Worst Year +20.8% | Worst Year +15.2% |
Longest drawdown 276 days | Longest drawdown 255 days |
Average recovery 62 days | Average recovery 51 days |
Ulcer Index +4.9% | Ulcer Index +3.9% |
Pain Index +2.8% | Pain Index +2.1% |
Historical VaR 95% +8.2% | Historical VaR 95% +6.2% |
CVaR 95% +9.5% | CVaR 95% +7.3% |
Effective holdings measures weight concentration. It does not represent overlap among the ETFs' underlying holdings.
Risk-adjusted and benchmark
Compare excess return, sensitivity, and tracking behavior against the same benchmark.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Sortino 1.67 | Sortino 1.51 |
Calmar · 3Y month-end 2.78 | Calmar · 3Y month-end 2.61 |
Omega ratio 2.31 | Omega ratio 2.37 |
Martin ratio 4.33 | Martin ratio 4.21 |
Excess Return +5.0% | Excess Return -0.1% |
Alpha +3.7% | Alpha +2.8% |
Information ratio 0.70 | Information ratio 0.09 |
Beta 1.19 | Beta 0.82 |
Tracking error +8.8% | Tracking error +6.2% |
Benchmark correlation 0.91 | Benchmark correlation 0.91 |
Up Capture +123.3% | Up Capture +86.1% |
Down Capture +100.5% | Down Capture +75.3% |
Period consistency
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Total Return +134.8% | Total Return +94.9% |
Win Rate +63.5% | Win Rate +71.2% |
Best Year +54.9% | Best Year +36.2% |
Gain/Loss Ratio 1.33 | Gain/Loss Ratio 0.96 |
1-year rolling minimum +6.3% | 1-year rolling minimum +5.9% |
1-year positive windows +100.0% | 1-year positive windows +100.0% |
3-year rolling minimum +19.8% | 3-year rolling minimum +14.3% |
3-year positive windows +100.0% | 3-year positive windows +100.0% |
1-year rolling Sharpe minimum 0.15 | 1-year rolling Sharpe minimum 0.13 |
1-year rolling Sharpe average 1.25 | 1-year rolling Sharpe average 1.36 |
1-year rolling Sharpe maximum 2.22 | 1-year rolling Sharpe maximum 2.67 |
Period return comparison
Check consistency across annual, quarterly, decade, and rolling windows.
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Q4 | -4.8% | -3.7% |
| 2026 Q3 | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| 2026 Q2 | +27.7% | +14.0% |
| 2026 Q1 | -5.9% | -2.9% |
| 2025 Q4 | +2.5% | +4.7% |
| 2025 Q3 | +9.0% | +8.5% |
| 2025 Q2 | +17.8% | +8.7% |
| 2025 Q1 | -8.1% | -6.6% |
| 2024 Q4 | +4.9% | +6.4% |
| 2024 Q3 | +2.0% | +1.6% |
| 2024 Q2 | +8.1% | +4.9% |
| 2024 Q1 | +8.6% | +10.1% |
| 2023 Q4 | +14.6% | +10.1% |
| 2023 Q3 | -2.9% | -0.6% |
| 2023 Q2 | +15.3% | +10.4% |
| 2023 Q1 | +20.7% | +12.8% |
| 2022 Q4 | -0.1% | +3.1% |
| 2022 Q3 | -4.5% | -6.4% |
| 2022 Q2 | -8.9% | -6.3% |
| Metric | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | +21.3% | +16.3% |
Return characteristics
Compare monthly distributions, momentum, asymmetry, and seasonality.
| Portfolio A | Portfolio B |
|---|---|
Skewness -0.02 | Skewness -0.65 |
Excess kurtosis -0.18 | Excess kurtosis -0.01 |
Longest winning streak 7 | Longest winning streak 10 |
Longest losing streak 3 | Longest losing streak 3 |
Average monthly return +1.9% | Average monthly return +1.4% |
Monthly return autocorrelation -0.09 | Monthly return autocorrelation -0.14 |
1M momentum +3.3% | 1M momentum +2.9% |
3M momentum +0.6% | 3M momentum +3.1% |
6M momentum +28.4% | 6M momentum +17.6% |
12M momentum +23.8% | 12M momentum +19.5% |
Worst 5% -8.1% | Worst 5% -6.2% |
Median +1.4% | Median +2.3% |
Best 5% +10.7% | Best 5% +7.3% |
- ETF2 Up / ETF1 Down
- 4
- Both Up
- 33
- Both Down
- 16
- ETF1 Up / ETF2 Down
- 0
- Total
- 53 months
Questions about these results
How did the same initial investment grow?
From 2022-06-01 to 2026-10-23, an initial $10,000 ended at $23,480 for QQQ and $19,490 for JEPQ. Annualized returns were 21.42% and 16.39%, respectively.
How did the results differ during market crises?
During 2022 Rate Hike Bear Market, returns were -14.5% for QQQ and -13.3% for JEPQ.
What are the expense ratios and annual costs?
Weighted expense ratios are 0.18% for QQQ and 0.35% for JEPQ. Applied to the initial $10,000, estimated annual costs are $18 and $35.
What are the dividend yields and their basis?
The yields are 0.44% for QQQ and 11.79% for JEPQ. They use distributions from the last 365 days divided by the last closing price and do not predict future distributions.