Over the trailing five-year window, QQQ and VGT moved almost in lockstep (daily-return correlation 0.97), so holding both adds little diversification.

VGT delivered the higher five-year annualized total return (22.5% vs 16.5% for QQQ), though it is only one window and says nothing about the future.

VGT was the more volatile of the two (25.7% vs 22.8% annualized).

On cost, VGT is cheaper — 0.09% versus 0.18% for QQQ.

The numbers, side by side

Per-fund metrics. Returns are total return (dividends reinvested, net of fees); volatility, drawdown and correlation are computed from daily closing prices over the trailing five-year window ending Jul 17, 2026.

Metric QQQ VGT
5-yr annualized returntotal return, incl. dividends & fees 16.5% 22.5%
5-yr annualized volatilitystandard deviation of daily returns 22.8% 25.7%
Max drawdown (5-yr window)worst peak-to-trough decline -35.6% -35.5%
Return per unit of riskSharpe-style, 4.7% risk-free 0.52 0.69
Expense ratioannual fund cost 0.18% 0.09%

How similar are they?

Relationship metricQQQ & VGT
Correlation of daily returns5-yr; 1.00 = moves identically 0.97
Sector overlapΣ min(weight) across sectors 52.6%

Where each fund is concentrated

QQQ — top sectors

  • Technology51.05%
  • Communication Services16.73%
  • Consumer Cyclical12.87%

VGT — top sectors

  • Technology97.87%
  • Industrials0.81%
  • Financial Services0.45%

Related comparisons

QQQ vs VOO All comparisons →

Own QQQ, VGT, or both?

See how they fit your actual portfolio — MinMaxDoc gives you a free, tax-aware second opinion on what to buy, hold, or trim.

Get your free analysis
Disclaimer: This content is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or tax advice. The information presented reflects the author's opinions and analysis at the time of writing and may not be suitable for your individual circumstances. Always consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. MinMaxDoc and its authors are not registered investment advisors.
Figures computed by MinMaxDoc from historical market data as of Jul 17, 2026; they will drift as markets move.