ETF Versus

IJR vs QQQ

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF vs Invesco QQQ Trust

Last updated: 2026-04-10

IJR iShares

iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to small-cap U.S. equities with higher growth potential and volatility. It charges a low expense ratio of 0.06%. The fund offers a moderate dividend yield of 1.23%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $96.3B ER: 0.06% Yield: 1.23% Since: May 22, 2000
QQQ Invesco

Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by Invesco that provides exposure to large-cap U.S. growth stocks with above-average earnings potential. It charges a moderate expense ratio of 0.18%. The fund offers a modest dividend yield of 0.46%. Launched in 1999, the fund has a 27-year track record.

AUM: $389.6B ER: 0.18% Yield: 0.46% Since: Mar 10, 1999

Quick Verdict

IJR is significantly cheaper at 0.06% vs 0.18% expense ratio, saving you approximately $237 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. IJR has edged ahead over the past year (38.1% vs 37.0%). Income investors may prefer IJR for its higher yield (1.2% vs 0.5%).

Key Metrics

Metric IJR QQQ
Expense Ratio 0.06% 0.18%
Dividend Yield 1.2% 0.5%
Fund Family iShares Invesco
Category US Small Cap US Large Cap Growth

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 98 121 144 167 190 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
IJR +18.7%
QQQ +81.6%

Performance Comparison

Period IJR QQQ Difference
1 Month +4.49% +0.58% +3.91%
3 Months +2.82% -2.54% +5.36%
6 Months +11.61% +1.53% +10.08%
YTD +7.20% -0.31% +7.51%
1 Year +38.09% +36.99% +1.10%
3 Years +35.49% +93.53% -58.04%
5 Years +18.67% +81.55% -62.88%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period IJR Fees QQQ Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $120 $357 $237
$10,000 20 years $515 $1,529 $1,014
$10,000 30 years $1,664 $4,912 $3,248
$50,000 10 years $598 $1,786 $1,187
$50,000 30 years $8,318 $24,558 $16,240
$100,000 30 years $16,637 $49,116 $32,479

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric IJR QQQ
Annualized Volatility 21.6% 22.4%
Max Drawdown -28.9% -35.6%
Sharpe Ratio 0.06 0.45

Dividend Comparison

Metric IJR QQQ
Annual Dividend (per share) $1.60 $2.81
Dividend Yield 1.23% 0.46%
Distribution Frequency Quarterly Quarterly

Top Holdings

0 of top 9 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

IJR Top Holdings

NameWeight
BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCYXTSLA1.29%
Viavi Solutions Inc.VIAV0.60%
FormFactor, Inc.FORM0.57%
Eastman Chemical CompanyEMN0.53%
Primoris Services CorporationPRIM0.53%
Element Solutions IncESI0.53%
Argan, Inc.AGX0.51%
Semtech CorporationSMTC0.50%
ESCO Technologies Inc.ESE0.50%
Match Group, Inc.MTCH0.48%

QQQ Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA8.69%
Apple Inc.AAPL7.47%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.55%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN4.61%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA3.47%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META3.41%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG3.32%
Walmart Inc.WMT3.32%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO3.18%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose IJR if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose IJR if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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