Behind the Index
The S&P 500 fell on chips. The average stock in it rose
First Trust Nasdaq-100 Select Equal Weight ETF
$161.30−0.75 (−0.47%)
- 0.55%
- $1.9B
- +17.2%
- 0.13%
- 0M sh
- $163.86
- low $122.38high $167.27
The ETF.net QQEW Grade
C
Score 45 out of 100
- 75 of 99
Score 45 of 100 falls in the C band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.F22 out of 100Rank 77 of 99Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.B62 out of 100Rank 76 of 86Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.F20 out of 100Rank 92 of 97Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A81 out of 100Rank 12 of 99Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C45 out of 100Rank 67 of 98Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A75 out of 100Rank 19 of 99
Our read on QQEW
CSame Nasdaq-100 neighborhood, very different math: QQEW screens the names on a blended quality and growth score, then weights them roughly evenly, so a handful of megacaps don't run the whole portfolio.
The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance of the Nasdaq-100 Select Equal WeightTM Index before fees and expenses, normally investing at least 80% of net assets in index securities.
Why people hold it
- Equal weighting is the whole point. Each of the roughly 100 holdings gets a similar slice at rebalance, so the fund's path leans on the broad Nasdaq-100 field rather than its four or five biggest names.
- Not a blind equal-weight sleeve. The index picks its lineup using a Blended Quality and Growth Score, so the equal weighting is applied to a screened list, not the raw membership roll.ftportfolios.com
- Live since 2006, with billions in assets and quarterly distributions. This is a long-tenured fund that has traded through several full market cycles, not a recent thematic launch.
- The mandate is tight and testable: at least 80% of net assets in the securities of its named index, so what you see in the index rulebook is what drives the portfolio.
Worth knowing
- Fees are the trade-off. At 0.55%, QQEW costs meaningfully more than the typical fund in its multifactor peer group, where broad names like VYM and IUSG run at a fraction of that.
- It trades lightly next to the household-name Nasdaq trackers, so bid-ask spreads can be wider, especially in fast markets or on large orders.
- Still a concentrated slice: roughly 100 companies from one exchange's large-cap index. Equal weighting spreads the bets inside that pool, it doesn't broaden the pool.
QQEW Holdings
- Other
- 51
- 24%
- MRVL
Sectors
- Technology70.2%
- Health Care13.7%
- Consumer Discretionary6.7%
- Communication6.1%
- Consumer Staples1.8%
- Industrials1.5%
Geography
- United States89.46%
- United Kingdom2.45%
- Canada2.18%
- Netherlands2.12%
- Singapore1.90%
- Uruguay1.88%
QQEW Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
QQEW$11,716
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | QQEW |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +14.0% |
| 1 month | +3.0% |
| 3 months | +1.9% |
| 1 year | +17.2% |
| 3 years | +16.0% |
| 5 years | +8.4% |
| 10 years | +14.3% |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | QQEW |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +14.0% | |
| 2025 | +14.2% | |
| 2024 | +7.0% | |
| 2023 | +33.3% | |
| 2022 | −24.6% | |
| 2021 | +17.7% | |
| 2020 | +37.3% |
QQEW in the news
QQEW Dividends
- 0.13%
- $0.21
- $0.02 per share
- Quarterly
Distribution history
QQEW Risk
- 16.2%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 0.75
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −32.1%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 1.09
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
QQEW Cost
0.55%
QQEW0.55%
- The middle half of US Multifactor funds
- Median 0.30%
76 of the 99 US Multifactor funds charge less.
Other funds in US Multifactor
- CCAFGPacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETFExpense ratio 0.59%1 year return +32.6%
- CFTCFirst Trust Large Cap Growth AlphaDEX FundExpense ratio 0.58%1 year return +14.8%
- CDVLUFirst Trust Dorsey Wright Momentum & Value ETFExpense ratio 0.60%1 year return +21.6%
- CSMOTVanEck Morningstar SMID Moat ETFExpense ratio 0.49%1 year return +10.1%
- CTMFEMotley Fool Capital Efficiency 100 Index ETFExpense ratio 0.50%1 year return +9.5%