Leveraged ETFs

As of 2026-04-21, TQQQ’s five-year total return was 120.40%, with a CAGR of 16.57%.As of 2026-03-31, TQQQ’s five-year maximum drawdown was 81.65%, versus 35.12% for QQQ, or 2.33x deeper.Five-year annualized monthly volatility came in at 61.28% for TQQQ, 20.23% for QQQ, and 40.61% for QLD.Over the same five-year window, QLD outpaced TQQQ with a 137.48% total return and an 18.77% CAGR.Dividend yield was roughly 0.53% for TQQQ, 0.15% for QLD, and 0.43% for QQQ, which is why the real story in leveraged ETFs is path dependence, not cash flow. The Two Charts Say It First Monthly investment 20-year compound growth simulation Comparison of how ETF fee differences affect long-term wealth The first chart shows the 20-year wealth gap between a 0.05% ETF fee and a 1.0% fee. The second shows how monthly investing of $300 compounds very differently at 4%, 7%, and 10% over time. In a TQQQ discussion, those charts are not background material. For leveraged ETFs, costs and path shape the capital curve faster than the return table suggests. Even when TQQQ rallies hard between 2020 and 2026, the first question is how much damage a single 2022-style crash can do to the long-term line. ...

As of 2026-04-21, TQQQ’s 5-year total return was 120.40%, with a CAGR of 16.57%.As of 2026-03-31, TQQQ’s 5-year maximum drawdown was 81.65%, compared with 35.12% for QQQ.5-year annualized monthly volatility was 61.28% for TQQQ, 20.23% for QQQ, and 40.61% for QLD.Over the same 5-year window, QLD outperformed TQQQ with a total return of 137.48% and a CAGR of 18.77%.Dividend yield sat at 0.53% for TQQQ, 0.15% for QLD, and 0.43% for QQQ. For leveraged ETFs, the core driver is not cash flow but path dependency. The Two Charts Say the First Thing Comparison of how ETF fee differences affect long-term returns The first chart shows the long-run asset gap between 0.05% and 1.0% ETF fees over 20 years. The second shows how monthly $300 contributions diverge over time at 4%, 7%, and 10% annual returns. In the TQQQ discussion, those two charts are not background noise. For leveraged ETFs, cost and path shape the equity curve faster than the headline return table suggests. Even if TQQQ posts a strong 2020-2026 run, a single 2022-style collapse can damage the long-run profile in ways that are hard to reverse. ...