ETF Comparison

EWY vs QQQ: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and Invesco QQQ Trust covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Data updated September 21, 2026

Best for

EWYInvestors who want higher current income (1.08% vs 0.41% for QQQ).
QQQInvestors who want a growth tilt and can accept bigger swings for higher upside.

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings.

EWY has outpaced QQQ over the trailing twelve months, posting a 137.14% total return against 23.71%. The picture flips over 10 years, though — QQQ has compounded at 21.11% a year, ahead of EWY at 15.05%. QQQ has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 20.4% against 38.5% for EWY. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
Symbol	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y	10Y	Since May 2000	Volatility	Sharpe	Sortino	Max drawdown
EWY	85.05%	137.14%	49.74%	20.97%	15.05%	10.34%	38.5%	0.94	1.35	-34.2%
QQQ	21.35%	23.71%	28.20%	15.87%	21.11%	9.29%	20.4%	1.00	1.45	-22.8%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of September 21, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; windows of one year or longer are annualized. “Since May 2000” measures every fund from May 12, 2000 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
Metric	EWY	QQQ
Full name	iShares MSCI South Korea ETF	Invesco QQQ Trust
Issuer	iShares	Invesco
Underlying index	MSCI Korea 25/50 Index	Nasdaq-100 Index
Last Close	$189.16 as of September 21, 2026	$741.47 as of September 21, 2026
Distribution rate	1.08%	0.41%
Distribution Safety Score™	63	97
Safety-Adjusted Yield	0.68%	0.40%
Expense ratio	0.59%	0.18%
AUM	$26.3B	$484B
Distribution frequency	Annual	Quarterly
Objective	Seeks to track the investment results of the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index, providing exposure to large- and mid-capitalization Korean equities.	Track the Nasdaq-100 Index, which includes 100 of the largest non-financial Nasdaq stocks.
Asset class	Equity	Equity
Inception date	05/09/2000	03/10/1999
Beta	2.5	1.26
Last dividend	$2.037	$0.7514 declared, pays 10/08/2026
Ex-dividend date	12/16/2025	09/21/2026

Bottom lineChoose EWY if you want higher current income (1.08% vs 0.41% for QQQ). Choose QQQ if you want a growth tilt and can accept bigger swings for higher upside.

Model this comparison:

Compare in my portfolio Forecast income Save to watchlist

Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each ETF at current yields.

iShares

ETFs466

Total AUM$4615B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

iShares is one of the largest ETF providers globally, known for offering a broad, diversified lineup of exchange-traded funds across multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The company operates 215 funds spanning 15 distinct families, including popular offerings in dividend income, covered call strategies, bonds, equities, ESG-focused investments, and factor-based approaches, with widely-held tickers like AGG (bond), ACWI (global equity), and AOA (allocation). iShares is characterized by its comprehensive fund ecosystem that serves both core portfolio holdings and specialized investment strategies, making it a prominent player for investors seeking both traditional and alternative income-generating ETF solutions.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on EWY.

See all iShares ETFs

Invesco

ETFs246

Total AUM$1000B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

Invesco is a major ETF provider known for offering a comprehensive lineup spanning multiple asset classes and investment strategies. The company specializes in income-focused products including dividend, covered call, and bond strategies, while also maintaining broad exposure across equity, factor-based, thematic, and ESG investing themes. Invesco's portfolio ranges from index-tracking funds to alternatives and specialized offerings like digital assets and BulletShares, making it one of the more expansive ETF families available to investors.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on QQQ.

See all Invesco ETFs

Want to go deeper?

Add these ETFs to a sample portfolio and forecast your dividend income over 5+ years — free to start, no credit card.

Compare in my portfolio Forecast income Save to watchlist

Quick verdict

EWY (iShares MSCI South Korea ETF) and QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) are both dividend ETFs, but they take different approaches.

EWY offers the higher yield at 1.08% vs 0.41% for QQQ. A higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, though it may come with different risk characteristics.

QQQ is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.18% compared to 0.59%.

They have different reference exposures: EWY is linked to MSCI Korea 25/50 Index while QQQ is linked to Nasdaq-100 Index, which means their performance drivers differ.

QQQ is the larger fund by assets ($484B), but assets alone do not establish trading costs or liquidity.

Who should choose each?

Choose EWY

iShares MSCI South Korea ETF

Want higher current income — EWY yields 1.08% vs 0.41% for QQQ.
Want broad equity exposure.

Choose QQQ

Invesco QQQ Trust

Want a growth tilt and can accept larger swings for more upside.
Want to keep costs low — a 0.18% expense ratio vs 0.59% for EWY.
Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 1.3 vs 2.5 for EWY.

Not sure? Use the income calculator and snapshot above to weigh these trade-offs against your own goals.

Still deciding? Track EWY & QQQ for free

Create a free Dividend Vision account to keep them on a watchlist, get notified when they declare dividends, and see how much income they would add to your portfolio.

Add to my watchlist See what a free account includes

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, EWY would generate roughly $108.00 cash per distribution, while QQQ would produce $10.25 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates.

EWY yield1.08%

QQQ yield0.41%

Cash diff on $10K$97.75

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, EWY would cost approximately $590 in fees vs $180 for QQQ (simplified, not compounded). The $410.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.

EWY ER0.59%

QQQ ER0.18%

Strategy & risk

EWY tracks MSCI Korea 25/50 Index with an international approach, while QQQ tracks Nasdaq-100 Index with a growth approach. Beta is 2.5 for EWY and 1.26 for QQQ, making QQQ the less volatile of the two by this measure.

EWY beta2.5

QQQ beta1.26

Fund details

EWY is managed by iShares (launched 05/09/2000) with $26.3B in assets. QQQ is managed by Invesco (launched 03/10/1999) with $484B in assets.

EWY AUM$26.3B

QQQ AUM$484B

Ready to act?

Open in Comparator Model in portfolio See pricing

Frequently asked questions

What is the current distribution rate for EWY and QQQ?

EWY currently distributes 1.08% and QQQ 0.41%, based on fund data updated September 2026. Distribution rate moves with both the payout and the share price, so check the as-of date before relying on either figure.

Is EWY or QQQ better for dividend income?

It depends on your goals. EWY currently offers the higher distribution yield, which means more income per dollar invested. However, a lower-yield fund may offer better total return or lower volatility. Consider your time horizon and risk tolerance.

What is the difference between EWY and QQQ?

EWY (iShares MSCI South Korea ETF) tracks MSCI Korea 25/50 Index with an international approach, while QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) tracks Nasdaq-100 Index with a growth approach. They are issued by iShares and Invesco respectively.

Can I hold both EWY and QQQ?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Is EWY or QQQ safer?

By Dividend Vision's Distribution Safety Score — a rules-based 0–100 estimate of how resilient a distribution looks, where higher is safer — QQQ scores 97, EWY scores 63, so QQQ's payout currently looks the more resilient of the two. QQQ has also shown lower price volatility (beta 1.26 vs 2.50 for EWY). No score makes an investment risk-free — treat this as a screening signal, not a guarantee.

Which has lower fees, EWY or QQQ?

EWY has an expense ratio of 0.59% while QQQ charges 0.18%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.

How much income does $10,000 in EWY vs QQQ generate?

At current rates, $10,000 in EWY would generate roughly $108.00 cash per distribution ($108.00 annually). The same in QQQ would produce about $10.25 cash per distribution ($41.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, EWY or QQQ?

More comparisons to explore

People also compare EWY with

People also compare QQQ with

Popular comparisons

EWY vs QQQ — at a glance

Generated September 19, 2026.

The core distinction is geography and sector tilt: EWY concentrates on a single emerging market with heavy exposure to semiconductors and financials, whereas QQQ captures U.S. mega-cap technology and growth stocks with global revenue streams.

How they differ

EWY and QQQ differ most fundamentally in geographic exposure: EWY is a pure-play on South Korea's economy, while QQQ is weighted toward U.S. tech giants and innovation-driven sectors. tech's capital-appreciation focus. Perhaps most important: EWY carries a 2.5 beta—nearly double QQQ's 1.26—indicating meaningfully higher sensitivity to market swings.

Who each is best for

EWY: Fits investors seeking concentrated exposure to Korean equities as a satellite allocation, with tolerance for emerging-market volatility and currency fluctuation tied to Korean won strength or weakness.

QQQ: Designed for investors building a core U.S. equity position with a technology and growth tilt, preferring lower fees, quarterly income, and the liquidity of a $475 billion fund with minimal tracking error.

Key risks to know

Emerging-market currency exposure: EWY's Korean won holdings carry foreign-exchange risk; depreciation of the won relative to the dollar reduces returns for U.S.-based investors, a drag not present in QQQ.

Single-country concentration: EWY's exposure to one economy—vulnerable to Korean policy changes, geopolitical tension on the peninsula, or cyclical downturns in semiconductors and shipbuilding—creates idiosyncratic risk absent from QQQ's U.S.-diversified 100-stock basket.

Volatility disparity: EWY's 2.5 beta means a 10% market decline typically produces a larger loss in EWY than QQQ's 1.26 beta would in QQQ, a meaningful difference for investors with limited risk capacity.

Low current yield amid growth demand: EWY's 1.08% distribution rate reflects Korean companies' reinvestment bias; investors seeking income may find EWY underperforms relative to volatility exposure.

Sector concentration within Korea: Korean market leadership from semiconductors and financials means EWY's upside depends on cyclical demand in chips and banking; diversification within the holding reduces but does not eliminate this dependency.

Bottom line

If you want U.S. large-cap growth exposure with low fees and quarterly distributions, QQQ's size and fee structure stand out. If you're comfortable with emerging-market volatility and view South Korea as a strategic allocation within a broader portfolio, EWY offers concentrated country access—but its higher beta and single-country risk demand a different risk tolerance. Past performance does not predict future results.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

Learn the method

The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

Still deciding? Compare them against your own portfolio

See how each ETF fits alongside your real holdings — forecast future income, analyze overlap, and gauge risk. Start a free 7-day Dividend Vision trial and make the call with your full portfolio in view.

Start Free Open in Comparator Browse Screener