{
  "id": 16617701,
  "title": "VOO vs. QQQ: Here's the ETF I'd Personally Buy and Hold for Decades",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/26/voo-vs-qqq-heres-the-etf-id-personally-buy-and-hold-for-decades",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-26T15:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Motley Fool",
    "slug": "motley-fool",
    "url": "https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/10/26/voo-vs-qqq-heres-the-etf-id-personally-buy-and-hol/?source=iedfolrf0000001"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Vanguard’s S&P 500 ETF (VOO) and Invesco’s QQQ Trust (QQQ) are both favored exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for long-term investors. VOO mirrors the S&P 500 (^GSPC), while QQQ mirrors the Nasdaq-100. Vanguard introduced VOO in 2010, based on the Vanguard S&P 500 Index Fund launched in 1976. Invesco rolled out QQQ in 1999. Over the past decade, VOO yielded a total return of 318% with reinvested dividends, while QQQ generated an even greater total return of 533%.\n\nDespite their similar compositions, QQQ outperformed VOO by a significant margin. This disparity can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, QQQ’s expense ratio (0.18%) is substantially higher than VOO’s (0.03%). However, QQQ’s smaller expense ratio is offset by its enhanced performance.\n\nSecondly, VOO is more broadly diversified due to its tracking of the S&P 500, which includes the top 500 companies by market capitalization. The S&P 500 undergoes quarterly rebalancing to incorporate high-performing companies and retire underperformers, ensuring continuous exposure to market leaders. Conversely, QQQ, which tracks the Nasdaq-100, encompasses only the 100 largest non-financial stocks in the Nasdaq Composite Index, thereby excluding financial stocks that comprise about 3% of the index and are more sensitive to interest rate cycles than innovation and organic growth. Furthermore, QQQ employs a modified market-cap weighting system to curb the influence of the largest companies, resulting in Nvidia (NVDA) holding 8.39% of VOO compared to only 8.10% in QQQ.\n\nDespite holding many of the same stocks, QQQ maintains a lower exposure to VOO due to its modified market-cap weighting system. This allows QQQ to capture the top performers without being overly concentrated in the slower-growing stocks found within the S&P 500. For investors who prefer a hands-off approach, VOO and QQQ serve as reliable investments. However, for those who seek the potential for greater long-term gains, despite the inherent volatility during market downturns, QQQ is the preferable choice.",
  "summary": "Which of these diversified ETFs has more upside potential?",
  "key_points": [
    "VOO tracks S&P 500, QQQ tracks Nasdaq-100",
    "VOO total return 318% over past decade, QQQ 533%",
    "QQQ higher expense ratio, better performance"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}