NASDAQ 100 Index
Historical returns and performance of the tech-heavy NASDAQ benchmark
What is the NASDAQ 100?
The NASDAQ 100 is a stock market index that includes the 100 largest non-financial companies listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. It is heavily weighted toward technology companies, making it a popular benchmark for tech-focused investors.
The index is market-cap weighted and includes major technology giants like Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon, and Meta. Unlike the S&P 500, it excludes financial companies like banks and investment firms.
On StocksBio, we use QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) as our NASDAQ 100 benchmark. QQQ is one of the most heavily traded ETFs in the world, with an expense ratio of 0.20%.
NASDAQ 100 Historical Returns
Based on QQQ ETF data. $1,000 invested at the start of each period.
NASDAQ 100 CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate)
The NASDAQ 100 has historically outperformed the S&P 500 due to its heavy weighting in high-growth technology stocks. However, this also means higher volatility - the NASDAQ 100 tends to fall more during market downturns and rise more during bull markets.
NASDAQ 100 Monthly Statistics
Top NASDAQ 100 Stocks
Explore the largest components of the NASDAQ 100 index
Understanding the NASDAQ 100
How is the NASDAQ 100 Different from S&P 500?
The main differences between the NASDAQ 100 and S&P 500:
- Company count: NASDAQ 100 has 100 companies vs 500 in the S&P 500
- Sector focus: NASDAQ 100 is ~50% technology vs ~30% for S&P 500
- No financials: NASDAQ 100 excludes banks and financial companies
- Growth bias: NASDAQ 100 skews toward growth stocks
NASDAQ 100 Top Holdings (as of 2026)
The index is dominated by technology giants, with the top 10 holdings typically making up over 50% of the index. This includes Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, NVIDIA, Meta, Alphabet (Google), and other major tech companies.
QQQ vs the NASDAQ 100 Index
On StocksBio, we use QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) data for our NASDAQ 100 calculations. QQQ tracks the NASDAQ 100 index closely but has an expense ratio of 0.20% per year, slightly higher than S&P 500 ETFs like SPY (0.09%).