OriginaveQQQ vs SCHD: which ETF won each year?
Yearly returns side by side, one winner per year — dividends included, priced as you'd actually buy them.
QQQ
SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trusttracks the S&P 500 Index
VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index
IVViShares Core S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index- VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETFtracks the CRSP US Total Market Index
- QQQInvesco QQQ Trusttracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- QQQMInvesco NASDAQ 100 ETFtracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- VGTVanguard Information Technology ETFtracks the MSCI US IMI Information Technology 25/50 Index
- ACWIiShares MSCI ACWI ETFtracks the MSCI ACWI Index
- VTVanguard Total World Stock ETFtracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index
- URTHiShares MSCI World ETFtracks the MSCI World Index
SCHGSchwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index- SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index
- VTVVanguard Value ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index
- VUGVanguard Growth ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index
- MTUMiShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETFtracks the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant Index
- SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETFtracks the S&P 500 Momentum Index
- SPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETFtracks the S&P 500 Quality Index
SCHD
- SPYSPDR S&P 500 ETF Trusttracks the S&P 500 Index
- VOOVanguard S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index
- IVViShares Core S&P 500 ETFtracks the S&P 500 Index
- VTIVanguard Total Stock Market ETFtracks the CRSP US Total Market Index
- QQQInvesco QQQ Trusttracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- QQQMInvesco NASDAQ 100 ETFtracks the Nasdaq-100 Index
- VGTVanguard Information Technology ETFtracks the MSCI US IMI Information Technology 25/50 Index
- ACWIiShares MSCI ACWI ETFtracks the MSCI ACWI Index
- VTVanguard Total World Stock ETFtracks the FTSE Global All Cap Index
- URTHiShares MSCI World ETFtracks the MSCI World Index
- SCHGSchwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index
- SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETFtracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index
- VTVVanguard Value ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Value Index
- VUGVanguard Growth ETFtracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index
- MTUMiShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETFtracks the MSCI USA Momentum SR Variant Index
- SPMOInvesco S&P 500 Momentum ETFtracks the S&P 500 Momentum Index
- SPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETFtracks the S&P 500 Quality Index
QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100 IndexSCHD tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index
What did the last 10 years do to $10,000?
You invest $10,000 at the start of the window and touch nothing — dividends reinvested, the running year not counted.
QQQ vs SCHD, year by year
Calendar-year total returns (dividends included) side by side, and who took the crown each year. A dash means the fund did not exist yet.
| Year | QQQ | SCHD | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (so far) | +20.83% | +21.51% | SCHD |
| 2025 | +20.77% | +4.34% | QQQ |
| 2024 | +25.58% | +11.66% | QQQ |
| 2023 | +54.86% | +4.54% | QQQ |
| 2022 | -32.58% | -3.26% | SCHD |
| 2021 | +27.42% | +29.88% | SCHD |
| 2020 | +48.41% | +15.03% | QQQ |
| 2019 | +38.96% | +27.29% | QQQ |
| 2018 | -0.13% | -5.56% | QQQ |
| 2017 | +32.66% | +20.85% | QQQ |
| 2016 | +7.10% | +16.45% | SCHD |
| 2015 | +9.44% | -0.30% | QQQ |
| 2014 | +19.18% | +11.68% | QQQ |
| 2013 | +36.63% | +32.88% | QQQ |
| 2012 | +18.11% | +11.39% | QQQ |
| 2011 | +3.48% | +5.31% | SCHD |
| 2010 | +20.14% | — | — |
| 2009 | +54.68% | — | — |
| 2008 | -41.73% | — | — |
| 2007 | +19.03% | — | — |
| 2006 | +7.14% | — | — |
| 2005 | +1.57% | — | — |
| 2004 | +10.54% | — | — |
| 2003 | +49.67% | — | — |
| 2002 | -37.37% | — | — |
| 2001 | -33.34% | — | — |
| 2000 | -36.11% | — | — |
| 1999 | +78.95% | — | — |
QQQ vs SCHD in plain words
QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index while SCHD follows the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, so they own different slices of the market and their years can look very different. QQQ charges 0.18% a year in running costs and SCHD charges 0.06% — SCHD is the cheaper fund to hold.
Both funds distribute: dividends land in your account as cash instead of being reinvested automatically. Across the 16 calendar years both funds were trading, QQQ finished the year ahead 11 times and SCHD 5 times. $10,000 invested at the start of 2016 was worth $59,045 in QQQ versus $29,781 in SCHD by the end of 2025, dividends reinvested.
Fund facts: QQQ vs SCHD
| Fact | QQQ | SCHD |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | Invesco QQQ Trust | Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF |
| Tracks | Nasdaq-100 Index | Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index |
| Yearly cost (TER) | 0.18% | 0.06% |
| Dividends | Distributing — dividends paid out | Distributing — dividends paid out |
| Launched | 10 Mar 1999 | 20 Oct 2011 |
| $10,000 invested | What $10,000 in QQQ became | What $10,000 in SCHD became |
How bumpy the ride was: QQQ vs SCHD
These head-to-head figures use only the 3,761 trading days both funds were listed: 20 Oct 2011 to 6 Oct 2026, roughly 14.9 years.
QQQ swung more than SCHD: annualised volatility of 20.6% for QQQ against 15.3% for SCHD, with QQQ moving 1% or more on 32.8% of trading days and SCHD on 19.9%. QQQ's worst day was -11.98% on 16 Mar 2020; SCHD's was -9.95% on 12 Mar 2020.
QQQ had the deeper drawdown: it fell -35.12% from its peak on 27 Dec 2021 to a low on 3 Nov 2022, then closed back above the old peak on 13 Dec 2023, 13 months after the low; SCHD fell -33.37% from its peak on 23 Jan 2020 to a low on 23 Mar 2020, then closed back above the old peak on 2 Sept 2020, 5 months after the low.
Day to day the two often go their own way: the correlation of their daily returns is 0.71, and they closed in opposite directions on 27.8% of the 3,760 days measured. The widest single-day gap came on 9 Nov 2020, when QQQ moved -2.04% and SCHD +4.76%.
| Measure | QQQ | SCHD |
|---|---|---|
| Annualised volatility | 20.6% | 15.3% |
| Worst day | -11.98% on 16 Mar 2020 | -9.95% on 12 Mar 2020 |
| Best day | +12.00% on 9 Apr 2025 | +8.79% on 13 Mar 2020 |
| Days moving 1% or more | 32.8% of days | 19.9% of days |
| Deepest drawdown | -35.12% | -33.37% |
| Peak to trough | 27 Dec 2021 → 3 Nov 2022 | 23 Jan 2020 → 23 Mar 2020 |
| Back above the old peak | 13 Dec 2023 · 13 months | 2 Sept 2020 · 5 months |
Years QQQ and SCHD parted ways
In 12 of the 15 completed calendar years both funds were trading, the two returns ended more than 5 points apart. The widest split was 2023: QQQ returned +54.86% and SCHD +4.54%, a gap of 50.3 points. They rose together in 12 years, fell together in 2 years and went opposite ways in 1 year.
| Year | QQQ | SCHD | Gap (QQQ − SCHD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +20.77% | +4.34% | +16.4 pts |
| 2024 | +25.58% | +11.66% | +13.9 pts |
| 2023 | +54.86% | +4.54% | +50.3 pts |
| 2022 | -32.58% | -3.26% | -29.3 pts |
| 2020 | +48.41% | +15.03% | +33.4 pts |
| 2019 | +38.96% | +27.29% | +11.7 pts |
| 2018 | -0.13% | -5.56% | +5.4 pts |
| 2017 | +32.66% | +20.85% | +11.8 pts |
| 2016 | +7.10% | +16.45% | -9.4 pts |
| 2015 | +9.44% | -0.30% | +9.7 pts |
| 2014 | +19.18% | +11.68% | +7.5 pts |
| 2012 | +18.11% | +11.39% | +6.7 pts |
How often QQQ beat SCHD over any 12 months
Across the 168 rolling 12-month windows since October 2011, measured month-end to month-end, QQQ finished ahead in 70.8% of them (119) and SCHD in 29.2% (49).
$200 a month into each, 2012–2025
Putting $200 into each fund at the start of every month from January 2012 to December 2025 (168 payments, $33,600 in total) would have grown to $149,596 in QQQ and $76,130 in SCHD, leaving QQQ $73,466 ahead.
| Outcome | QQQ | SCHD |
|---|---|---|
| Paid in | $33,600 | $33,600 |
| Value at the end of 2025 | $149,596 | $76,130 |
| Gain on the money paid in | +$115,996 | +$42,530 |
| Gain in % | +345.23% | +126.58% |
Each payment rides the return of the month it lands in, dividends reinvested. Only calendar years with all twelve months of data for both funds count, so the plan may start later than the shared history.
Frequently asked
Is QQQ or SCHD better?
Across the 16 calendar years both funds were trading, QQQ finished the year ahead 11 times and SCHD 5 times. $10,000 invested at the start of 2016 was worth $59,045 in QQQ versus $29,781 in SCHD by the end of 2025, dividends reinvested. Past returns don't promise future ones — but this is what actually happened.
What is the difference between QQQ and SCHD?
QQQ tracks the Nasdaq-100 Index while SCHD follows the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index, so they own different slices of the market and their years can look very different. QQQ charges 0.18% a year in running costs and SCHD charges 0.06% — SCHD is the cheaper fund to hold. Both funds distribute: dividends land in your account as cash instead of being reinvested automatically.
Which is more volatile, QQQ or SCHD?
QQQ swung more than SCHD: annualised volatility of 20.6% for QQQ against 15.3% for SCHD, with QQQ moving 1% or more on 32.8% of trading days and SCHD on 19.9%. QQQ's worst day was -11.98% on 16 Mar 2020; SCHD's was -9.95% on 12 Mar 2020.
Which had the deeper drawdown, QQQ or SCHD?
QQQ had the deeper drawdown: it fell -35.12% from its peak on 27 Dec 2021 to a low on 3 Nov 2022, then closed back above the old peak on 13 Dec 2023, 13 months after the low; SCHD fell -33.37% from its peak on 23 Jan 2020 to a low on 23 Mar 2020, then closed back above the old peak on 2 Sept 2020, 5 months after the low.
How often did QQQ beat SCHD over a 12-month period?
Across the 168 rolling 12-month windows since October 2011, measured month-end to month-end, QQQ finished ahead in 70.8% of them (119) and SCHD in 29.2% (49).
What would $10,000 in QQQ have become?
$10,000 invested in QQQ at the start of 2016 grew to $59,045 by the end of 2025, with dividends reinvested — an average of 19.4% per year.
Source: Yahoo Finance daily adjusted closes for the US primary listings, dividends reinvested. Prices through · refreshed 7 Oct 2026, 08:49 UTC. How every number is calculated.