First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund (QQEW) Performance
QQEW total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +8.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +7.7% total return
- 5 years
- +6.4% a year
- 10 years
- +13.7% a year
- Since first price
- +11.1% a year since 2006
QQEW trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | QQEW total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −5.5% | −5.5% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.0% | +2.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +13.4% | +13.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +8.9% | +8.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +7.7% | +7.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +55.5%+15.9%/yr | +53.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +36.3%+6.4%/yr | +33.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +260.9%+13.7%/yr | +243.9% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| 15 years | +615.4%+14.0%/yr | +553.5% | +696.0%+14.8%/yr | +1,299.3%+19.2%/yr | +32.2%+1.9%/yr |
| 20 years | +785.0%+11.5%/yr | +700.2% | +696.9%+10.9%/yr | +1,839.9%+16.0%/yr | +79.6%+3.0%/yr |
| Since inceptionApr 25, 2006 | +771.9%+11.1%/yr | +688.4% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: QQEW vs SPY
From Apr 25, 2006: QQEW grew to $87,195, SPY to $84,769.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
QQEW returns by calendar year
15 of 19 full years positive. Best 2009 (+58.8%), worst 2008 (−43.6%). 2026 is year to date.
QQEW annual returns table
| Year | QQEW | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +8.9% | −15.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.2% | −21.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +7.0% | −10.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +33.3% | −12.6% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −24.6% | −30.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +17.7% | −10.3% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +37.3% | −30.8% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +35.9% | −10.1% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −5.3% | −20.1% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +26.0% | −4.5% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +7.1% | −13.8% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | +2.1% | −13.6% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
| 2014 | +19.1% | −8.8% | +13.5% | +19.2% | +6.0% |
| 2013 | +39.9% | −5.7% | +32.3% | +36.6% | −2.0% |
| 2012 | +15.1% | −13.3% | +16.0% | +18.1% | +3.8% |
| 2011 | −2.8% | −21.0% | +1.9% | +3.4% | +7.7% |
| 2010 | +20.8% | −16.4% | +15.1% | +19.9% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | +58.8% | −19.6% | +26.4% | +54.7% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | −43.6% | −53.9% | −36.8% | −41.7% | +7.9% |
| 2007 | +9.6% | −12.5% | +5.1% | +19.0% | +6.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
QQEW largest drawdowns
Now 7.3% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 2007 | −58.2% | Nov 20, 2008 | Jan 5, 2011 | 1.1 years | 3.2 years |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −32.1% | Oct 14, 2022 | Jan 22, 2024 | 11 months | 2.2 years |
| Feb 19, 2020 | −30.8% | Mar 20, 2020 | Jun 5, 2020 | 30 days | 4 months |
| Feb 18, 2025 | −21.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 30, 2025 | 49 days | 4 months |
| May 12, 2011 | −21.0% | Oct 3, 2011 | Feb 16, 2012 | 5 months | 9 months |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −20.1% | Dec 24, 2018 | Mar 19, 2019 | 4 months | 7 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
QQEW risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2006 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +16.6% | +8.4% | +14.1% | +11.4% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 16.2% | 18.4% | 17.5% | 18.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.76 | 0.34 | 0.71 | — |
| Sortino ratio | 1.49 | 0.53 | 1.17 | — |
| Best month | +13.6% | +13.6% | +13.8% | +14.6% |
| Worst month | −6.2% | −10.6% | −10.6% | −22.4% |
| Best 12 months | +25.8% | +33.3% | +66.4% | +74.9% |
| Worst 12 months | −1.9% | −24.6% | −24.6% | −48.3% |
| Positive months | 58% | 53% | 62% | 60% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.14 | 1.08 | 1.06 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.87 | 0.92 | 0.93 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
QQEW rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 235 | −48.3% | +15.1% | +74.9% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 211 | −9.6% | +13.0% | +33.0% | 92% |
| 5-year (a year) | 187 | +1.2% | +13.0% | +28.5% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 127 | +8.2% | +13.5% | +19.5% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2006. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
QQEW performance overview
First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index Fund (QQEW) returned +7.7% over the past year and +13.7% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2006 it has returned +11.1% a year, turning $10,000 into about $87,195. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −58.2%, from Oct 12, 2007 to Nov 20, 2008, and it took 2.1 years to get back to the old high. QQEW finished 15 of its 19 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2009 (+58.8%) and the worst 2008 (−43.6%). Volatility has been 18.4% a year.
Related: QQEW chart, QQEW holdings, QQEW dividends, QQEW valuation. See the QQEW overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
QQEW performance FAQ
What is the QQEW return over the past year?
QQEW returned +7.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 7.5%.
What is the average annual return of QQEW?
QQEW has returned +6.4% a year over 5 years, +13.7% a year over 10 years, +11.1% a year since April 25, 2006 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in QQEW be worth?
$10,000 invested in QQEW at its first recorded close on April 25, 2006 would be worth about $87,195 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for QQEW?
The worst calendar year was 2008, with a total return of −43.6%. The best was 2009 at +58.8%.
What is the biggest drawdown of QQEW?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −58.2% between October 12, 2007 and November 20, 2008. It recovered to the old high on January 5, 2011, 2.1 years after the bottom.
How volatile is QQEW?
Over the past 3 years QQEW had an annualized volatility of 16.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.76 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).