ITA vs QQQ: which was the better investment?
iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF against Invesco QQQ Trust on real daily total-return data — every dividend reinvested, from May 5, 2006 to Jul 15, 2026.
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Frequently asked questions
Did ITA beat QQQ?
No — measured from May 5, 2006 to Jul 15, 2026 with dividends reinvested, QQQ came out ahead: $199,007 versus $112,721 from a $10,000 start. That gap compounds from a 16.0% annual return against 12.7%.
What would $10,000 in ITA be worth today?
$10,000 invested in iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) on May 5, 2006 would be worth about $112,721 as of Jul 15, 2026, a total return of 1027.2% (12.7% per year). The same $10,000 in QQQ would be worth $199,007.
Which was riskier — ITA or QQQ?
ITA swung with an annualized volatility of 22.8% and a worst peak-to-trough drop of -59.7%; QQQ ran at 22.1% volatility with a -53.4% maximum drawdown. Risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio), that is 0.47 for ITA vs 0.63 for QQQ.
What data is this comparison based on?
Daily adjusted closing prices covering May 5, 2006 through Jul 15, 2026 — the full period where both assets have price history. Adjusted prices include dividends and splits, so these are total returns. The page refreshes with new market data every day.
Can I change the dates, amounts, or add monthly investing?
Yes — the interactive tool on this page is pre-loaded with ITA vs QQQ. You can set any start and end date, change the starting amount, add monthly contributions, or build a multi-asset portfolio and compare it against any benchmark.