ARKK vs QQQM Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
ARKK (ARK Innovation ETF) and QQQM (Invesco Nasdaq-100 ETF) are both technology-focused ETFs but with fundamentally different philosophies — ARK's active concentrated bets on early-stage disruptive companies versus QQQM's passive exposure to the 100 largest Nasdaq companies dominated by proven mega-cap technology giants. QQQM offers lower cost and more established companies; ARKK offers higher risk/reward with smaller, earlier-stage innovation companies.
ARKK vs QQQM is active disruptive innovation concentration (ARK's high-conviction early-stage technology bets) versus passive mega-cap technology indexing (Nasdaq-100's 100 largest non-financial Nasdaq companies dominated by established technology giants) — fundamentally different risk profiles with very different cost structures and historical return patterns.
QQQM holds the edge across 5 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. QQQM has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+26.07% vs +11.20% for ARKK).
- Want concentrated exposure to ARK Invest's active research in disruptive innovation across AI, genomics, robotics, and fintech — willing to accept higher fees and volatility for early-stage technology bets
- Value Cathie Wood's public investment thesis and transparency into ARK's research as a way to understand the specific companies and technologies being backed
- Accept that ARKK has significantly underperformed passive indexes since its 2020 peak and believe in mean reversion if disruptive technology innovation enters another bull cycle
- Want low-cost (0.15% expense ratio) passive exposure to the 100 largest Nasdaq-listed companies — primarily mega-cap technology like Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon
- Value the simplicity and long track record of Nasdaq-100 indexing as a proven technology-growth investment approach over multiple decades
- Prefer established profitable mega-cap technology leadership over speculative early-stage innovation bets at significantly lower cost than active management
| Metric | ARKK | QQQM |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 42.0 | 86.0 |
| Latest closei | $90.77 | $306.54 |
| 1M returni | +5.82% | +4.77% |
| 6M returni | +40.45% | +32.64% |
| 1Y returni | +11.20% | +26.07% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | ARKK | QQQM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.12K (+11.2%) started 2025-09-25 | $12.67K (+26.7%) started 2025-09-25 |
| 5Y ago | $8.02K (-19.8%) started 2021-09-27 | $21.46K (+114.6%) started 2021-09-27 |
| 10Y ago | $49.32K (+393.2%) started 2016-09-26 | $27.27K (+172.7%) started 2020-10-13 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | ARKK | QQQM |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.75% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $6.44B | $104.38B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.44% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 58.58 | 30.34 |
| Betai | 2.03 | 1.24 |
| 52-week change | 11.20% | 26.07% |
| Metric | ARKK | QQQM |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +11.20% | +26.07% |
| 6M returni | +40.45% | +32.64% |
| 1M returni | +5.82% | +4.77% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 0.35 | 1.05 |
| Betai | 2.03 | 1.24 |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.44% |
| 5Y CAGR | -4.65% | +15.78% |
Over the past year, ARKK and QQQM have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.76), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | ARKK | QQQM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +11.20% | +26.07% |
| CAGRi | +11.20% | +26.09% | |
| Volatilityi | 37.98% | 19.75% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.35 | 1.05 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.51 | 1.53 | |
| Max drawdowni | 31.35% | 11.96% | |
| Current drawdowni | 1.90% | 0.40% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 14.58% | 3.14% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 16.06% | 4.00% | |
| Max daily dropi | 6.97% | 4.78% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 14.57% | 6.75% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -21.15% | +107.84% |
| CAGRi | -4.65% | +15.78% | |
| Volatilityi | 46.80% | 22.86% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.04 | 0.56 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.05 | 0.80 | |
| Max drawdowni | 76.12% | 35.04% | |
| Current drawdowni | 26.24% | 0.40% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 52.43% | 9.14% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 54.96% | 13.55% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.10% | 6.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.56% | 11.92% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +353.60% | +162.72% |
| CAGRi | +16.33% | +17.63% | |
| Volatilityi | 40.69% | 22.20% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.47 | 0.64 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.67 | 0.92 | |
| Max drawdowni | 80.91% | 35.04% | |
| Current drawdowni | 41.06% | 0.40% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 34.89% | 8.02% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 45.54% | 12.49% | |
| Max daily dropi | 15.57% | 6.11% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 29.56% | 11.92% |
| Category | ARKK | QQQM |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | ARK Innovation ETF | Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.75% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $6.44B | $104.38B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.00% | 0.44% |
- Unique concentrated disruptive innovation portfolio that provides exposure to early-stage disruptive companies not well-represented in passive indexes like the Nasdaq-100
- Cathie Wood and ARK's public research (published investment theses, target prices) creates transparency into the investment rationale beyond typical active fund opacity
- High-beta exposure to technology innovation cycle — in bull markets for growth technology, ARKK can dramatically outperform passive indexes
- Ultra-low cost (0.15% expense ratio) passive access to the world's most successful technology companies in a single ETF with decades of track record (original QQQ launched 1999)
- Mega-cap technology weighting provides concentration in the highest-quality, most profitable technology companies globally — Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Alphabet, and Meta have exceptional competitive moats
- Nasdaq-100's technology weighting means QQQM has historically outperformed the broader S&P 500 over long periods as technology companies have grown earnings faster than the market average
- ARKK's 2020 peak return was extraordinary, but subsequent performance has been poor — the concentrated growth portfolio declined severely in the 2022 rate-rise environment
- High expense ratio (0.75%) versus near-zero costs of passive Nasdaq-100 ETFs (QQQ, QQQM) is a significant long-term performance headwind
- Concentrated position risk — ARKK holds a relatively small number of positions (typically 35-55) heavily weighted to a few companies like Tesla, which creates idiosyncratic risk
- Nasdaq-100 is heavily concentrated in mega-cap technology — top 10 holdings typically represent 50%+ of the index, concentrating risk in a few large companies
- QQQM underperforms in value/cyclical market rotations — when investors favor financials, energy, or consumer staples, the technology-heavy Nasdaq-100 can meaningfully underperform broader indexes
- Passive indexing amplifies both gains and losses from mega-cap technology — if Apple, Microsoft, or NVIDIA underperform, QQQM underperforms proportionally
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