If you're interested in broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, look no further than the First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW Quick QuoteQQEW - Free Report) , a passively managed exchange traded fund launched on April 19, 2006.

The fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.85 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

Companies that find themselves in the large cap category typically 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. 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 0.55%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.41%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. 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 39% of the portfolio. Consumer Discretionary and Telecom round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Datadog, Inc. (class A) (DDOG) accounts for about 1.15% of total assets, followed by Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS) and Applied Materials, Inc. (AMAT).

The top 10 holdings account for about 10.69% 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 8.24% so far this year and is up about 8.72% in the last one year (as of 08/22/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $106.81 and $139.57.

The ETF has a beta of 1.06 and standard deviation of 19.68% 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 carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, QQEW is a good 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 Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) track a similar index. While Vanguard Growth ETF has $181.63 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $362.77 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.2%.

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.