ARKW vs QQQ Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
ARKW and QQQ sit in related but distinct corners of the ETF landscape — ARKW centers on concentrated, actively managed exposure to next-gen internet and AI disruption themes, while QQQ focuses on the standard, most liquid way to hold the Nasdaq-100's mega-cap tech leaders. Investors choosing between them should weigh how each fund's strategy lines up with their own goals rather than assuming they're interchangeable.
Choosing between ARKW and QQQ comes down to which specific exposure — concentrated, actively managed exposure to next-gen internet and AI disruption themes or the standard, most liquid way to hold the Nasdaq-100's mega-cap tech leaders — better matches the role you want this holding to play in a diversified portfolio.
QQQ holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. QQQ has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+12.27% vs -10.34% for ARKW).
- want concentrated, actively managed exposure to next-gen internet and AI disruption themes
- prefer ARK Invest's approach and fund lineup
- value high-conviction, actively managed exposure to disruptive internet trends
- are comfortable with extremely volatile with deep historical drawdowns
- want the standard, most liquid way to hold the Nasdaq-100's mega-cap tech leaders
- prefer Invesco's approach and fund lineup
- value extremely deep liquidity and one of the most active options markets
- are comfortable with heavy concentration in a handful of mega-cap tech names
| Metric | ARKW | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 28.8 | 29.2 |
| Latest closei | $147.00 | $691.95 |
| 1M returni | -11.39% | -8.50% |
| 3M returni | +1.17% | -3.43% |
| 6M returni | +0.73% | -0.34% |
| 1Y returni | -10.34% | +12.27% |
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 | ARKW | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $9.1K (-9.0%) started 2025-11-04 | $11.28K (+12.8%) started 2025-11-04 |
| 5Y ago | $10.16K (+1.6%) started 2021-11-05 | $18.43K (+84.3%) started 2021-11-05 |
| 10Y ago | $89.68K (+796.8%) started 2016-11-07 | $68.25K (+582.5%) started 2016-11-07 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | ARKW | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.76% | 0.18% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $1.68B | $463.83B |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.60% | 0.45% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 32.76 | 28.50 |
| Betai | 2.06 | 1.26 |
| 52-week change | -10.34% | 12.27% |
| Metric | ARKW | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | -10.34% | +12.27% |
| 6M returni | +0.73% | -0.34% |
| 3M returni | +1.17% | -3.43% |
| 1M returni | -11.39% | -8.50% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | -0.29 | 0.45 |
| Betai | 2.06 | 1.26 |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.60% | 0.45% |
| 5Y CAGR | -0.55% | +12.34% |
Over the past year, ARKW and QQQ have moved strongly in the same direction (correlation of 0.80), 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 | ARKW | QQQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -10.34% | +12.27% |
| CAGRi | -10.35% | +12.27% | |
| Volatilityi | 33.46% | 20.20% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.29 | 0.45 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.40 | 0.64 | |
| Max drawdowni | 31.15% | 11.72% | |
| Current drawdowni | 12.15% | 8.91% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 12.96% | 3.13% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 14.87% | 4.10% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.82% | 4.80% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 17.03% | 6.79% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | -2.72% | +78.86% |
| CAGRi | -0.55% | +12.34% | |
| Volatilityi | 43.96% | 23.10% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.10 | 0.43 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.15 | 0.61 | |
| Max drawdowni | 76.50% | 35.12% | |
| Current drawdowni | 18.07% | 8.91% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 41.27% | 9.24% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 46.83% | 13.61% | |
| Max daily dropi | 11.07% | 6.21% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 31.57% | 11.98% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +626.08% | +536.40% |
| CAGRi | +21.95% | +20.35% | |
| Volatilityi | 38.07% | 22.63% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.60 | 0.74 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.85 | 1.04 | |
| Max drawdowni | 80.01% | 35.12% | |
| Current drawdowni | 18.17% | 8.91% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 26.98% | 6.25% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 37.67% | 10.39% | |
| Max daily dropi | 15.11% | 11.98% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 31.57% | 16.20% |
| Category | ARKW | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | ARK Next Generation Technology ETF | Invesco QQQ Trust |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.76% | 0.18% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $1.68B | $463.83B |
| Dividend yieldi | 1.60% | 0.45% |
- High-conviction, actively managed exposure to disruptive internet trends
- Can capture outsized gains from breakthrough technology adoption
- Diversified across cloud, AI, and blockchain sub-themes
- Extremely deep liquidity and one of the most active options markets
- Direct exposure to the dominant AI, cloud, and mega-cap tech leaders
- Long, strong track record through multiple tech cycles
- Extremely volatile with deep historical drawdowns
- Concentrated, high-conviction bets increase single-stock risk
- Active management style can badly lag during growth-stock corrections
- Heavy concentration in a handful of mega-cap tech names
- Excludes financials entirely by index rule
- More volatile than the broad S&P 500 given its growth/tech tilt
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