If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, look no further than the Invesco QQQ (QQQ), a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 03/10/1999.
The fund is sponsored by Invesco. It has amassed assets over $323.52 billion, making it the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. Overall, they are usually a stable option, with less risk and more sure-fire cash flows than mid and small cap companies.
While growth stocks do boast higher than average sales and earnings growth rates, and they are expected to grow faster than the wider market, investors should note these kinds of stocks have higher valuations. Also, growth stocks are a type of equity that carries more risk compared to others. They are likely to outperform value stocks in strong bull markets but over the longer-term, value stocks have delivered better returns than growth stocks in almost all markets.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.20%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.58%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Information Technology sector--about 51.30% of the portfolio. Telecom and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apple Inc (AAPL) accounts for about 8.49% of total assets, followed by Microsoft Corp (MSFT) and Nvidia Corp (NVDA).
The top 10 holdings account for about 48.47% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
QQQ seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index before fees and expenses. The Nasdaq-100 Index includes 100 of the largest domestic and international nonfinancial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market based on market capitalization.
The ETF has gained about 1.60% so far this year and is up about 16.98% in the last one year (as of 05/15/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $416.06 and $539.52.
The ETF has a beta of 1.17 and standard deviation of 23.44% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 101 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Invesco QQQ carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, QQQ is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF) and the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF has $106.03 billion in assets, Vanguard Growth ETF has $163.72 billion. IWF has an expense ratio of 0.19% and VUG charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
While an excellent vehicle for long term investors, passively managed ETFs are a popular choice among institutional and retail investors due to their low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency.
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (IWF): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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