Should First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW) Be on Your Investing Radar?

Core Viewpoint - The First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW) offers broad exposure to the Large Cap Growth segment of the US equity market, with assets exceeding $1.85 billion, making it a significant player in this category [1]. Group 1: Large Cap Growth Overview - Large cap companies typically have a market capitalization above $10 billion, providing a stable investment option with less risk and more reliable cash flows compared to mid and small cap companies [2]. - Growth stocks are characterized by higher sales and earnings growth rates, expected to outperform the wider market, but they come with higher valuations and volatility [3]. Group 2: Costs and Performance - The ETF has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.55% and a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.41%, which is competitive within its peer group [4]. - QQEW aims to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index, having gained approximately 8.24% year-to-date and 8.72% over the past year, with a trading range of $106.81 to $139.57 in the last 52 weeks [7]. Group 3: Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation to the Information Technology sector, comprising about 39% of the portfolio, followed by Consumer Discretionary and Telecom [5]. - Datadog, Inc. (DDOG) represents about 1.15% of total assets, with the top 10 holdings accounting for approximately 10.69% of total assets under management [6]. Group 4: Risk Assessment - QQEW has a beta of 1.06 and a standard deviation of 19.68% over the trailing three-year period, categorizing it as a medium risk investment with effective diversification across 102 holdings [8]. Group 5: Alternatives - Other ETFs in the same space include the Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) with $181.63 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.04%, and Invesco QQQ (QQQ) with $362.77 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.2% [11].