QUAL — iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

Overview

The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) operates within the US Quality / Factor category, where it is one of five funds tracked by ETFValuer. Issued by iShares, the fund manages $45.9 billion in assets and trades at a price of $216.92. It holds an overall rank of #45 out of 120 tracked ETFs across all categories and has received an ETFValuer grade of B with a score of 68.1 out of 100. The fund charges an expense ratio of 0.15% and offers a dividend yield of 0.86%. The substantial asset under management figure suggests significant investor adoption relative to the fund's cost structure and income profile. This combination of a large asset base and a mid-tier ranking indicates a widely held vehicle that balances cost efficiency with a moderate income return.

Over the most recent trading day, the fund declined by 0.38%, following a weekly drop of 1.14%. However, the momentum shifted positively over the month with a gain of 1.95%, which accelerated significantly to a 12.37% return over the three-month period. The six-month return stands at 8.25%, while the year-to-date performance is recorded at 9.33%. The one-year return reached 19.27%, and the three-year cumulative return is notably higher at 63.23%. This trajectory shows a divergence where short-term fluctuations were negative before the fund entered a sustained period of growth that has continued to expand over the longer horizons.

QUAL carries a volatility label of Low and a beta of 0.90, indicating that the fund generally experiences less price fluctuation than the broader market. The Sharpe ratio of 1.18 suggests the fund has generated a favorable amount of excess return for each unit of risk taken over the measured period. Despite the low volatility classification, the fund experienced a maximum drawdown of -18.00%, representing the largest peak-to-trough decline recorded. This combination of a low beta and a Sharpe ratio above 1.0 implies the fund has managed downside risk effectively relative to its returns, even though the maximum drawdown figure confirms that significant losses can still occur during market stress. The data points to a profile that seeks to limit volatility while delivering returns that outpace the risk-free rate.

AI-generated summary based on the data on this page.

QUAL Top Holdings

Holdings as of 2026-04-30 per the fund's most recent SEC N-PORT-P filing.

Market Backdrop

10-Year Treasury Yield: 4.55% (as of 2026-07-07) — The yield on 10-year US Treasury bonds — the standard "risk-free rate" benchmark used to contextualize this fund’s Sharpe ratio and returns.

CBOE Volatility Index (VIX): 16.13 (as of 2026-07-07) — A real-time gauge of expected S&P 500 volatility over the next 30 days — useful context for this fund’s own volatility label.

Federal Funds Rate: 3.63% (as of 2026-06-01) — The Federal Reserve’s target policy rate, which anchors short-term borrowing costs across the economy.

QUAL Performance History

How QUAL Compares to Other US Quality / Factor ETFs