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Should First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW) Be on Your Investing Radar?
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Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market? You should consider the First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 04/19/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.93 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Large cap companies usually 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. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.
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 0.57%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.54%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, 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 40.90% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG - Free Report) accounts for about 1.07% of total assets, followed by Broadcom Inc. (AVGO - Free Report) and Biogen Inc. (BIIB - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 10.45% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
QQEW seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index is the equal-weighted version of the NASDAQ-100 Index which includes 100 of the largest non-financial securities listed on NASDAQ based on market capitalization.
The ETF has added roughly 5.55% so far this year and was up about 9.91% in the last one year (as of 02/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $114.52 and $133.68.
The ETF has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 21.16% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 102 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, QQEW is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG - Free Report) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $160.10 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $328.48 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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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Should First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW) Be on Your Investing Radar?
Looking for broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market? You should consider the First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on 04/19/2006.
The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.93 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Growth
Large cap companies usually 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. Something to keep in mind is the higher level of volatility that is affiliated with growth stocks. Even though growth stocks are more likely to outperform their value counterparts in strong bull markets, value stocks have a record of delivering better returns in almost all markets than growth stocks.
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 0.57%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.54%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, 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 40.90% of the portfolio. Industrials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Diamondback Energy, Inc. (FANG - Free Report) accounts for about 1.07% of total assets, followed by Broadcom Inc. (AVGO - Free Report) and Biogen Inc. (BIIB - Free Report) .
The top 10 holdings account for about 10.45% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
QQEW seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index before fees and expenses. The NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index is the equal-weighted version of the NASDAQ-100 Index which includes 100 of the largest non-financial securities listed on NASDAQ based on market capitalization.
The ETF has added roughly 5.55% so far this year and was up about 9.91% in the last one year (as of 02/10/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $114.52 and $133.68.
The ETF has a beta of 1.03 and standard deviation of 21.16% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 102 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, QQEW is a great option for investors seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.
The Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG - Free Report) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ - Free Report) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $160.10 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $328.48 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.20%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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.