Is First Trust NASDAQ-100 Select Equal Weight ETF (QQEW) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Core Insights - The First Trust NASDAQ-100 Select Equal Weight ETF (QQEW) debuted on April 19, 2006, and provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth category of the market [1] Fund Overview - QQEW is sponsored by First Trust Advisors and has accumulated assets over $1.87 billion, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in its category [5] - The ETF aims to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index, which tracks the 50 companies from the Nasdaq-100 Index with the highest combined Blended Quality and Growth scores [5] Cost Structure - QQEW has an annual operating expense ratio of 0.55%, which is competitive within its peer group [6] - The ETF offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.41% [6] Sector Exposure and Holdings - The ETF has a significant allocation in the Information Technology sector, comprising approximately 40.3% of the portfolio [7] - Micron Technology, Inc. (MU) represents about 1.4% of the fund's total assets, with its top 10 holdings accounting for roughly 12.97% of QQEW's total assets under management [8] Performance Metrics - Year-to-date, QQEW has experienced a loss of about -0.8%, while it has gained approximately 12.92% over the last 12 months as of January 15, 2026 [10] - The ETF has traded between $106.81 and $146.24 in the past 52 weeks, with a beta of 1.06 and a standard deviation of 17.50% over the trailing three-year period, indicating medium risk [10] Alternatives - Other ETFs in the large-cap growth space include Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) and Invesco QQQ (QQQ), with VUG having $202.35 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.04%, while QQQ has $407.22 billion in assets and an expense ratio of 0.20% [11]