At a glance
QQLV charges 0.25% a year, below the 0.33% average of the 6 funds most like it (the 5th cheapest of 7). It has $2.3M in assets, the 7th largest of that group; it paid 1.89% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned +6.8% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 6th of those 7 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 45.6% of the fund, out of 26 in all.
The short version
Invesco QQQ Low Volatility ETF (QQLV) tracks the Nasdaq-100 Low Volatility Index: the roughly 25 Nasdaq-100 stocks whose prices swung least over the past year. That tilts it toward steadier names such as Cintas, Linde and utility companies, aiming for a smoother ride than the full Nasdaq-100. It charges 0.25% a year, below the 0.33% average of similar funds, but held only about $2.3 million in assets as of August 31, 2026.
Price history
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QQLV +6.8% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QQLV price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +9.3% | +6.8% | — | — | — | +3.9% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, QQLV returned +6.8%, 6th of 7 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+4.2%); its best was 2025 (+4.2%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 9.6% (Feb 25, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by May 19, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +9.3% |
| 2025 | +4.2% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.4000 | |
| 2025 | $0.4500 |
What's inside
As of Aug 31, 2026, the fund held 26 securities; the ten largest made up 45.57% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Cintas Corp. | 5.12% | |
| Linde PLC | 4.92% | |
| Automatic Data Processing, Inc. | 4.63% | |
| American Electric Power Co., Inc. | 4.56% | |
| Roper Technologies, Inc. | 4.53% | |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners PLC | 4.51% | |
| Exelon Corp. | 4.45% | |
| Xcel Energy Inc. | 4.32% | |
| Costco Wholesale Corp. | 4.29% | |
| Paychex, Inc. | 4.24% | |
| CSX Corp. | 4.22% | |
| Apple Inc. | 3.89% | |
| Microsoft Corp. | 3.88% | |
| Mondelez International, Inc. | 3.87% | |
| Fastenal Co. | 3.82% |
By country
United States 87.26%Ireland 4.92%United Kingdom 4.51%Netherlands 3.1%By asset type
Stocks 99.79%By sector
Sectors of the companies held, for the 86% of the fund in companies that have a stock page here; other holdings and cash aren't classified. Source: N-PORT holdings report as of Aug 31, 2026. Cash, money-market funds and derivatives are shown separately from the securities list.What changed recently
- Over the three months to Aug 31, 2026, investors added a net $8K (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -0.46%, +5.27%, -0.20%.
How it works
QQLV follows the Nasdaq-100 Low Volatility Index, run by Nasdaq, Inc. Its starting pool is the Nasdaq-100 Index: 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. It may include foreign firms through American Depositary Receipts (ADRs, US-listed certificates representing overseas shares), but not real estate investment trusts or blank-check companies (SPACs).
Nasdaq scores each stock on realized volatility: how widely its daily returns swung over the trailing 12 months (their standard deviation). The 25 stocks with the lowest readings make the cut. Nasdaq weights them by the inverse of their volatility, so the steadiest stocks get the biggest slices. As of October 31, 2025, the index had 26 members worth $7.2 billion to $3.8 trillion. As of August 31, 2026, Cintas (5.1%), Linde (4.9%) and Automatic Data Processing (4.6%) led, and the top 10 holdings totaled about 46%.
The fund uses full replication, holding every index stock at its index weight, with no derivatives as of August 31, 2026. It generally trades only to match index changes, so a lagging stock stays until Nasdaq drops it. It is legally non-diversified, so it can hold larger stakes in fewer companies, and it concentrates in an industry only when the index does; as of August 31, 2025, that meant significant consumer staples exposure.
What it really costs
- QQLV charges 0.25% a year, versus an average of 0.33% for the similar funds below (5th of 7, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $26 in the first year and $318 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QQLV | $26 | $80 | $141 | $318 |
In a retirement portfolio
It holds the roughly 25 least volatile Nasdaq-100 stocks, aiming for smaller swings than the full index, though it remains an all-stock fund.
QQLV could add a calmer stock holding built largely from consumer, industrial and utility stocks such as Cintas and Costco. But it launched December 4, 2024, so it has no record in the 2008, 2020 or 2022 downturns, and its only full calendar year, 2025, gained 4.2%. It fell 9.6% from February 25 to April 8, 2025, its deepest drop, and recovered by May 19, 2025. A longer slump could hurt more, and anyone drawing on shares then would be cashing out at lower prices.
Income is modest: a 1.89% trailing 12-month yield as of October 27, 2026, paid monthly. The 0.25% expense ratio means $26 in year one and $318 over 10 years in the SEC's $10,000 example. Assets were only about $2.3 million as of August 31, 2026. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting a calmer slice of the Nasdaq-100, tilted toward Cintas, Linde and utilities; its deepest drop through October 27, 2026, was 9.6%.
- Index investors who value a clear rule, the Nasdaq-100's 25 steadiest stocks, steadiest weighted most, for 0.25% a year, below similar funds' 0.33% average.
- Retirees who like monthly payouts and can accept a modest 1.89% trailing yield (as of October 27, 2026).
Look elsewhere if
- Investors focused on returns or cost: Fidelity's FDLO charges 0.16% and returned 13.2% over one year to October 27, 2026, versus QQLV's 6.8%.
- Anyone wanting a long record or a larger fund: it launched December 4, 2024, and held about $2.3 million as of August 31, 2026.
- Those wanting broad diversification: it held only 26 stocks as of August 31, 2026, excludes financials and REITs, and is legally non-diversified.
Close alternatives
Matched by closest holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports (no similar fund shares 20% or more of its holdings).
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QQLV this fund | — | 0.25% | $2.3M | +6.8% | — |
| QQXT First Trust Nasdaq-100 Ex-Technology Sector… | 41% | 0.6% | $165.9M | +0.6% | +10.8% |
| TUG STF Tactical Growth ETF | 19% | 0.65% | $34.3M | +16.4% | +25.0% |
| QQQ Invesco QQQ Trust Series I | 19% | 0.2% | $490.10B | +8.8% | +24.0% |
| QQMG Invesco ESG NASDAQ 100 ETF | 18% | 0.2% | $200.0M | +16.4% | +29.5% |
| QTOP iShares Nasdaq Top 30 Stocks ETF | 17% | 0.2% | $300.0M | +16.1% | — |
| FDLO Fidelity Low Volatility Factor ETF | 16% | 0.16% | $1.42B | +13.2% | +17.7% |
Questions investors ask
What stocks are in QQLV?
QQLV holds about 25 of the Nasdaq-100's least volatile stocks; it had 26 holdings as of August 31, 2026. The largest were Cintas (5.1%), Linde (4.9%), Automatic Data Processing (4.6%), American Electric Power (4.6%) and Roper Technologies (4.5%). Apple and Microsoft were each under 4%. The top 10 made up about 46% of the fund, and about 87% was in US companies, with the rest in firms based in Ireland, the UK and the Netherlands.
What's the difference between QQLV and QQQ?
QQLV owns only about 25 Nasdaq-100 stocks, those with the smallest price swings over the past 12 months, weighted so the steadiest get the most money. Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is far larger, with about $490 billion in assets as of June 30, 2026, and cheaper, at 0.20% a year versus 0.25%. Their holdings overlap only modestly. QQQ returned 10.8% over the year to October 30, 2026, against QQLV's 6.8% to October 27, 2026. QQLV aims for a smoother ride but has a much shorter record.
Does QQLV pay monthly dividends?
Yes. QQLV pays distributions monthly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.49 a share, a trailing yield of 1.89%. That income comes from dividends paid by its holdings, including utilities such as American Electric Power, Exelon and Xcel Energy. Payments can vary from month to month, and the fund is built to reduce volatility, not to maximize income.
What is QQLV's expense ratio?
QQLV's expense ratio, the yearly fee taken from fund assets, is 0.25%, per its prospectus filed December 18, 2025. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 earning 5% a year would cost about $26 after one year, $141 after five and $318 after 10. That is below the 0.33% average of similar funds and well under the 0.60% of First Trust Nasdaq-100 Ex-Technology Sector Index Fund (QQXT), its closest match by holdings, though a loose one. Fidelity Low Volatility Factor ETF (FDLO) charges 0.16%.
Is QQLV good for retirement?
It may suit retirees who want a calmer stock holding, but its record is thin. QQLV launched on December 4, 2024, so it has no history in the 2020 or 2022 downturns. Its deepest drop was 9.6%, from February 25 to April 8, 2025, recovered by May 19, 2025. It pays monthly, yielding 1.89% as of October 27, 2026. With about $2.3 million in assets as of August 31, 2026, it is very small, and small funds are sometimes closed.