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Launched · SEC filings

Northern Trust US Quality Large Cap ETF

QLCCboeFlexSharesB

$88.86−0.53 (−0.59%)

As of Nov 2, 2026, 3:59 PM ET

B69/ 100

Rank 25 of 99 in US Multifactor

B69/100Rank 25 of 99inUS Multifactor
Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 89.39 to 88.86. Range 88.86 to 90.08. Use the arrow keys to read each point.89.0089.2589.7590.0010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.25%*
Fund size
$1.13B
1Y total return
+13.0%
Yield · Last 12 months
0.97%
Holdings
159
Avg volume · 30D
43.3K sh
52W range
low $75.75high $94.07
Launched
Filings
SEC EDGAR

*After a fee waiver that ends Mar 1, 2027. Without it: 0.26%.

The ETF.net QLC Grade

B

Score 69 out of 100

Category
US Multifactor⁠
Rank
25 of 99
Six-pillar profile for QLC. Scores out of 100: Cost 63, Risk 62, Mission 94, Tradability 68, Holdings 39, Durability 70. Strongest: Mission (94). Weakest: Holdings (39). Leans toward Mission.

Score 69 of 100 falls in the B band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.

  • Cost

    The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.
    B63 out of 100
    Rank 36 of 99

  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    A94 out of 100
    Rank 16 of 87

  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    B62 out of 100
    Rank 31 of 99

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    B68 out of 100
    Rank 21 of 99

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    D39 out of 100
    Rank 73 of 98

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    A70 out of 100
    Rank 23 of 99

Our read on QLC

ETF.net Research

In short

BOne optimizer, three factors. QLC chases quality, value and momentum together, then boxes its sector, industry and beta bets close to the large-cap universe. Running since 2015 on Northern Trust's in-house quality model.

Stated mandate

The Fund seeks to track the price and yield performance of the Northern Trust Quality Large Cap Index before fees and expenses.

Why people hold it

  • Quality has a definition here: a proprietary Northern Trust model scores profitability, management efficiency and cash flow, then an optimizer blends it with value and momentum.northerntrust.com
  • Guardrails are written into the index rules: sector and industry weights within 3 points of the eligible universe, beta within 5%, turnover capped. The tilt stays a tilt.northerntrust.com
  • 0.25% net of a waiver through March 1, 2027 (0.26% gross) sits near the category median, and the fund has hugged its index closely rather than drifting from it.
  • Live since 2015, a multi-billion-dollar fund paying quarterly, and one of the stronger builds in a crowded multifactor field.

Worth knowing

  • Plain-vanilla factor rivals cost far less: VYM at 0.04%, VONV at 0.06%, LRGF at 0.08%. The spread is what the quality model costs.
  • Not one of the heavily traded names in its category, so spreads can run wider than the giants'. Order type matters more here.
  • About 160 stocks is a slimmer roster than a broad large-cap index, so individual names and the optimizer's choices carry more weight.northerntrust.com

QLC Performance

Launched Sep 23, 2015

Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.

QLC$11,304
SPY tracks large US stocks. It provides market context, rather than representing this fund’s strategy, asset class or investment benchmark.$11,199
Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. QLC $11,304. SPY $11,199. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$10,000$11,000$12,000Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.

Trailing total return for QLC. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodQLC
Year to date+11.1%
1 month−1.7%
3 months−0.9%
1 year+13.0%
3 yearsper year+25.6%
5 yearsper year+13.6%
10 yearsper year+14.7%

With distributions reinvested.

Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.

Annual total returns for QLC
YearReturn barQLC
2026 YTD+11.1%
2025+23.3%
2024+26.7%
2023+26.0%
2022−17.2%
2021+28.5%
2020+13.7%

QLC in the news

QLC Dividends

Adds up every distribution paid per share over the last 12 months, divided by the last completed close. Distributions are counted by ex-date. Data through Oct 30, 2026.
0.97%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$0.87Last 12 months
Last payment
$0.22 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Quarterly

Distribution history

2017–2026

One bar per payment. 39 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Mar 20, 2017 $0.04; Jun 19, 2017 $0.13; Sep 18, 2017 $0.13; Dec 21, 2017 $0.14; Mar 19, 2018 $0.10; Jun 18, 2018 $0.13; Sep 24, 2018 $0.15; Dec 21, 2018 $0.17; Mar 15, 2019 $0.11; Jun 21, 2019 $0.28; Sep 20, 2019 $0.15; Dec 20, 2019 $0.16; Mar 20, 2020 $0.14; Jun 19, 2020 $0.14; Sep 18, 2020 $0.15; Dec 18, 2020 $0.15; Mar 19, 2021 $0.11; Jun 18, 2021 $0.13; Sep 17, 2021 $0.11; Dec 17, 2021 $0.16; Mar 18, 2022 $0.12; Jun 17, 2022 $0.14; Sep 16, 2022 $0.16; Dec 16, 2022 $0.20; Mar 17, 2023 $0.15; Jun 16, 2023 $0.17; Sep 15, 2023 $0.16; Dec 15, 2023 $0.20; Mar 15, 2024 $0.13; Jun 21, 2024 $0.17; Sep 20, 2024 $0.13; Dec 20, 2024 $0.25; Mar 21, 2025 $0.12; Jun 20, 2025 $0.17; Sep 19, 2025 $0.20; Dec 19, 2025 $0.28; Mar 20, 2026 $0.14; Jun 18, 2026 $0.22; Sep 18, 2026 $0.22. Use the arrow keys to read each point.2017201820192020202120222023202420252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Sep 18, 2026Sep 24, 2026$0.22
Jun 18, 2026Jun 25, 2026$0.22
Mar 20, 2026Mar 26, 2026$0.14
Dec 19, 2025Dec 26, 2025$0.28
Sep 19, 2025Sep 25, 2025$0.20
Jun 20, 2025Jun 26, 2025$0.17
Mar 21, 2025Mar 27, 2025$0.12
Dec 20, 2024Dec 27, 2024$0.25
Sep 20, 2024Sep 26, 2024$0.13
Jun 21, 2024Jun 27, 2024$0.17
Mar 15, 2024Mar 21, 2024$0.13
Dec 15, 2023Dec 21, 2023$0.20

See all 44 payments⁠

$10,000 in QLC 10 years ago paid $2,426 in dividends.⁠

QLC Risk

Risk pillarB62 out of 100Rank 31 of 99 in US Multifactor
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
12.1%
Annualised · 36 months to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: standard deviation

The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.

Return above 3-month US Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
1.59
vs 3-month T-bills · to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio

Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.

Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.

The largest fall from a peak to the low that followed.
−23.8%
Trough Sep 2022
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown

The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.

Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.

How strongly the fund’s returns move with its asset-class index.
0.99
vs its asset-class index
How it’s calculated: beta

The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.

FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.

QLC Cost

Compare QLC and VYM

Overpaying vs VYM, tied cheapest in US Multifactor

$4,310

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • QLC 0.25%

    $5,159

  • VYM 0.04% Tied cheapest

    $849

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • QLC 0.25%
  • VYM 0.04%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K051015202530QLC $5,159VYM $849

Year by year

YearQLCVYMOverpaying
10$455$73$382
20$1,769$288$1,481
30$5,159$849$4,310
How the 0.25% is worked out

Full fee 0.26%− waiver 0.01%= you pay 0.25%

The waiver ends Mar 1, 2027. After that the fee is 0.26% unless FlexShares renews it. Source: prospectus, Aug 2026.

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