QUAL vs USMV Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
QUAL and USMV sit in related but distinct corners of the ETF landscape — QUAL centers on systematic exposure to financially strong, high-quality companies, while USMV focuses on systematically minimizing portfolio volatility versus the broad market. Investors choosing between them should weigh how each fund's strategy lines up with their own goals rather than assuming they're interchangeable.
Choosing between QUAL and USMV comes down to which specific exposure — systematic exposure to financially strong, high-quality companies or systematically minimizing portfolio volatility versus the broad market — better matches the role you want this holding to play in a diversified portfolio.
QUAL holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. QUAL has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+18.11% vs +9.37% for USMV).
- want systematic exposure to financially strong, high-quality companies
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value tilts toward companies with strong balance sheets and stable earnings
- are comfortable with can underperform during speculative, low-quality-stock-led rallies
- want systematically minimizing portfolio volatility versus the broad market
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value historically smoother ride with smaller drawdowns in downturns
- are comfortable with tends to lag significantly during strong bull-market rallies
| Metric | QUAL | USMV |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 27.1 | 26.7 |
| Latest closei | $226.72 | $101.58 |
| 1M returni | +3.68% | +2.42% |
| 3M returni | +2.97% | +4.92% |
| 6M returni | +11.40% | +8.31% |
| 1Y returni | +18.11% | +9.37% |
The ETF score weights long-term returns and risk-adjusted performance most heavily, but still rewards low expense ratios, larger fund size, and broader diversification — so it can favor low-cost, broad, mega-cap funds over smaller thematic or actively-managed funds even when the latter have delivered stronger returns.
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | QUAL | USMV |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.92K (+19.2%) started 2025-10-15 | $11.1K (+11.0%) started 2025-10-15 |
| 5Y ago | $18.61K (+86.1%) started 2021-10-15 | $15.83K (+58.3%) started 2021-10-15 |
| 10Y ago | $46.15K (+361.5%) started 2016-10-17 | $33.27K (+232.7%) started 2016-10-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | QUAL | USMV |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $47.68B | $23.16B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.85% | 1.45% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 27.26 | 23.54 |
| Betai | 1.01 | 0.65 |
| 52-week change | 18.11% | 9.37% |
| Metric | QUAL | USMV |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +18.11% | +9.37% |
| 6M returni | +11.40% | +8.31% |
| 3M returni | +2.97% | +4.92% |
| 1M returni | +3.68% | +2.42% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 1.08 | 0.56 |
| Betai | 1.01 | 0.65 |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.85% | 1.45% |
| 5Y CAGR | +11.88% | +7.79% |
Over the past year, QUAL and USMV have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.61), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | QUAL | USMV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +18.11% | +9.37% |
| CAGRi | +18.13% | +9.37% | |
| Volatilityi | 11.95% | 8.65% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.08 | 0.56 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.62 | 0.81 | |
| Max drawdowni | 9.03% | 6.46% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.44% | 0.07% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 1.39% | 1.56% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 2.15% | 2.10% | |
| Max daily dropi | 2.05% | 1.68% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 3.85% | 2.92% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +75.31% | +45.50% |
| CAGRi | +11.88% | +7.79% | |
| Volatilityi | 17.30% | 12.34% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.48 | 0.31 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.69 | 0.43 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.23% | 17.93% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.44% | 0.07% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.31% | 4.12% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.62% | 5.84% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.54% | 5.91% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 11.02% | 8.73% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +294.59% | +173.70% |
| CAGRi | +14.72% | +10.60% | |
| Volatilityi | 18.08% | 14.47% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.60 | 0.46 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.85 | 0.64 | |
| Max drawdowni | 34.06% | 33.10% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.44% | 0.07% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 4.71% | 3.47% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 7.86% | 5.54% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.18% | 10.08% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.98% | 16.71% |
| Category | QUAL | USMV |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $47.68B | $23.16B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.85% | 1.45% |
- Tilts toward companies with strong balance sheets and stable earnings
- Sector-neutral construction avoids unintended sector bets
- Tends to hold up relatively well during market downturns
- Historically smoother ride with smaller drawdowns in downturns
- Sector diversification maintained despite the volatility optimization
- Popular defensive core holding for risk-averse investors
- Can underperform during speculative, low-quality-stock-led rallies
- Higher expense ratio than plain market-cap index funds
- Quality premium can be inconsistent over shorter time horizons
- Tends to lag significantly during strong bull-market rallies
- Optimization process can lead to unintuitive sector tilts over time
- Higher expense ratio than plain market-cap index funds
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Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
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