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Nasdaq Tops 15K for First Time: 5 Best Stocks in the ETF

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The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index topped 15,000 for the first time ever driven by continued strength in tech stocks like Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , Nvidia (NVDA - Free Report) and Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) .

In particular, renewed optimism over the global economic recovery after the first full U.S. approval of a COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer (PFE - Free Report) and BioNTech bolstered risk-on trade. This is because the full approval will help squash the ongoing surge in the COVID-19 Delta variant and lead to a continued reopening of the economy. Additionally, strong corporate profit growth and ultra-easy monetary policies remain the major catalysts.

According to research firm Bespoke Investment Group, this is the sixth time the Nasdaq has crossed a 1,000-point threshold since the pandemic began (read: Buy These 7 Amazing ETFs Trading at Low P/E Ratios).

As a result, Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) , which serves as a proxy to the index, has also hit new highs, gaining 19.6% so far this year. Let’s take a closer look at the fundamentals of QQQ.

QQQ in Focus

This ETF provides exposure to the 102 largest domestic and international non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq by tracking the Nasdaq 100 Index. Information technology accounts for 49.2% of the assets, while communication services and consumer discretionary make up for 19.5% and 16.1% share, respectively.

QQQ is one of the largest and most-popular ETFs in the large-cap space with AUM of $184.7 billion and average daily volume of around 32.7 million shares. It charges investors 20 bps in annual fees. The fund has a Zacks ETF Rank #2 (Buy) with a Medium risk outlook. Though most of the stocks in the fund’s portfolio have delivered strong returns so far this year, a few have gained more than 50%.

Below we have highlighted those five best-performing stocks in the ETF with their respective positions in the fund’s basket:

Top-Performing Stocks in QQQ

Moderna Inc. (MRNA - Free Report) : It is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, primarily focused on discovering and developing messenger RNA-based therapies. The stock has skyrocketed about 278% this year and has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 1000%. Moderna currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and VGM Score of B. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA - Free Report) : This company is the worldwide leader in visual computing technologies and the inventor of the graphic processing unit, or GPU. The stock has gained about 67% and has an estimated earnings growth rate of 68% for fiscal year (ending Jan 22). It has a Zacks Rank #2 and Growth Score of B (read: Nvidia ETFs to Buy on Blockbuster Q2 Earnings).

ASML Holding N.V. (ASML - Free Report) : It is a world leader in the manufacture of advanced technology systems for the semiconductor industry. The stock has climbed nearly 65% so far this year and has an estimated earnings growth rate of 65.5% for this year. It has a Zacks Rank #2 and Growth Score of A.

Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL - Free Report) : It is one of the most innovative companies in the modern technological age. The stock has surged more than 61% and has an estimated earnings growth of 73.8% for this year. It has a Zacks Rank #3 and Growth Score of A (read: 5 Bargain ETFs to Tap Renewed Tech Strengthh).

Applied Materials Inc. (AMAT - Free Report) : It is one of the world’s largest suppliers of equipment for the fabrication of semiconductor, flat panel liquid crystal displays, and solar photovoltaic cells and modules. The stock has climbed nearly 52% so far this year and has an estimated earnings growth rate of 64% for the fiscal year (ending October 2021). It has a Zacks Rank #2 and VGM Score of B.

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