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

The First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW) was launched on 04/19/2006, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Growth category of the market.What Are Smart Beta ETFs?The ETF industry has long been dominated by products based on market cap weighted indexes, a strategy created to reflect the market or a particular market segment.Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.There are some investors, though, who think it's possible to beat the market with great stock selection; this group likely invests in another class of funds known as smart beta, which track non-cap weighted strategies.Non-cap weighted indexes try to choose stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, which is based on specific fundamental characteristics, or a mix of other such characteristics.The smart beta space gives investors many different choices, from equal-weighting, one of the simplest strategies, to more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting. However, not all of these methodologies have been able to deliver remarkable returns.Fund Sponsor & IndexThe fund is sponsored by First Trust Advisors. It has amassed assets over $1.84 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Growth. QQEW, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index.The NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted Index is the equal-weighted version of the NASDAQ-100 Index which includes 100 of the largest non-financial securities listed on NASDAQ based on market capitalization.Cost & Other ExpensesSince cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.Annual operating expenses for QQEW are 0.57%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.56%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsEven though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.QQEW's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 39.60% of the portfolio. Its Consumer Discretionary and Healthcare round out the top three.When you look at individual holdings, Palantir Technologies Inc. (class A) (PLTR) accounts for about 1.32% of the fund's total assets, followed by Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG) and Starbucks Corporation (SBUX).Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 11.86% of QQEW's total assets under management.Performance and RiskSo far this year, QQEW return is roughly 1.90%, and is up about 3.18% in the last one year (as of 03/04/2025). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $114.52 and $136.11.The ETF has a beta of 1.05 and standard deviation of 20.86% for the trailing three-year period, making it a medium risk choice in the space. With about 102 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.AlternativesFirst Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Growth Index and the Invesco QQQ (QQQ) tracks NASDAQ-100 Index. Vanguard Growth ETF has $150.46 billion in assets, Invesco QQQ has $316.62 billion. VUG has an expense ratio of 0.04% and QQQ charges 0.20%.Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Growth.Bottom LineTo learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox?Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Trust NASDAQ-100 Equal Weighted ETF (QQEW): ETF Research Reports Constellation Energy Corporation (CEG): Free Stock Analysis Report Starbucks Corporation (SBUX): Free Stock Analysis Report Invesco QQQ (QQQ): ETF Research Reports Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG): ETF Research Reports Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks