iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF
$227.09−0.63 (−0.28%)
- 0.15%
- $49.0B
- +20.3%
- 0.83%
- 1.1M sh
- $227.09
- low $185.89high $228.18
The ETF.net QUAL Grade
A
Score 81 out of 100
- 1 of 26
Score 81 of 100 falls in the A 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.A86 out of 100Rank 3 of 26Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A95 out of 100Rank 1 of 19Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.B65 out of 100Rank 7 of 26Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A94 out of 100Rank 2 of 26Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.D36 out of 100Rank 23 of 26Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.A96 out of 100Rank 1 of 26
Our read on QUAL
AQUAL screens US large and mid caps for high return on equity, low debt and steady earnings, then does it sector by sector, so the portfolio stays spread across the market instead of piling into whichever sector looks healthiest.
The fund tracks an index of U.S. large- and mid-capitalization stocks selected for quality characteristics, including high return on equity, stable earnings, and low debt.
Why people hold it
- At 0.15%, it undercuts the typical quality-factor fund, where the cohort median sits at 0.29%.
- Sector neutral by design: companies are ranked on return on equity, leverage and earnings variability against rivals in their own GICS sector.msci.comishares.com
- Running since 2013, now a $25B-$100B fund that trades actively, with returns that stay close to its index.
Worth knowing
- About 120 large and mid caps, leaning on the same familiar giants as a broad US index fund. This is a tilt on core equity, not new ground.
- Sector neutrality cuts both ways: it keeps a foot in every sector rather than stepping away from ones with weak fundamentals.msci.com
- Cheap, not cheapest. JQUA (0.12%) and VFQY (0.13%) shave a basis point or three off the fee.
QUAL Holdings
- Stocks
- 122
- 46%
- MSFT
Sectors
- Information Technology38.8%
- Financials11.5%
- Communication10.4%
- Health Care9.2%
- Consumer Discretionary9.0%
- Industrials8.4%
- Consumer Staples4.3%
- Energy3.4%
- Utilities1.9%
- Materials1.7%
- Real Estate1.5%
Geography
- United States95.96%
- Ireland1.64%
- Switzerland1.13%
- United Kingdom1.07%
- Cayman Islands0.10%
- Bermuda0.09%
QUAL Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
QUAL$12,031
Returns run to the Oct 12, 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.
| Period | QUAL |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +15.3% |
| 1 month | +3.6% |
| 3 months | +3.9% |
| 1 year | +20.3% |
| 3 years | +20.1% |
| 5 years | +12.7% |
| 10 years | +14.7% |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | QUAL |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +15.3% | |
| 2025 | +12.7% | |
| 2024 | +22.3% | |
| 2023 | +30.9% | |
| 2022 | −20.5% | |
| 2021 | +26.9% | |
| 2020 | +17.0% |
QUAL in the news
QUAL Dividends
- 0.83%
- $1.89
- $0.47 per share
- Quarterly
Distribution history
QUAL Risk
- 11.8%
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.
- 1.26
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.
- −28.2%
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.
- 0.90
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
QUAL Cost
0.15%
QUAL0.15%
- The middle half of US Quality Index funds
- Median 0.39%
2 of the 26 US Quality Index funds charge less.
Other funds in US Quality Index
- AJQUAJPMorgan U.S. Quality Factor ETFExpense ratio 0.12%1 year return +24.8%
- AFQALFidelity Quality Factor ETFExpense ratio 0.15%1 year return +18.0%
- ASPHQInvesco S&P 500 Quality ETFExpense ratio 0.20%1 year return +19.7%
- AVFQYVanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETFExpense ratio 0.13%1 year return +20.5%
- BSEIQSEI QiM U.S. Large Cap Quality Active ETFExpense ratio 0.15%1 year return +13.4%