QUAL vs VLUE Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
QUAL and VLUE sit in related but distinct corners of the ETF landscape — QUAL centers on systematic exposure to financially strong, high-quality companies, while VLUE focuses on systematic exposure to statistically cheap stocks by valuation multiples. 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 VLUE comes down to which specific exposure — systematic exposure to financially strong, high-quality companies or systematic exposure to statistically cheap stocks by valuation multiples — better matches the role you want this holding to play in a diversified portfolio.
VLUE holds the edge across 3 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. VLUE has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+57.61% vs +18.11% for QUAL).
- 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 systematic exposure to statistically cheap stocks by valuation multiples
- prefer iShares (BlackRock)'s approach and fund lineup
- value targets the academically documented value factor premium
- are comfortable with value has structurally underperformed growth for much of the last decade
| Metric | QUAL | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| ETF scorei | 27.1 | 27.8 |
| Latest closei | $226.72 | $195.51 |
| 1M returni | +3.68% | -1.97% |
| 3M returni | +2.97% | +3.44% |
| 6M returni | +11.40% | +26.14% |
| 1Y returni | +18.11% | +57.61% |
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 | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $11.92K (+19.2%) started 2025-10-15 | $16.06K (+60.6%) started 2025-10-15 |
| 5Y ago | $18.61K (+86.1%) started 2021-10-15 | $24.62K (+146.2%) started 2021-10-15 |
| 10Y ago | $46.15K (+361.5%) started 2016-10-17 | $52.71K (+427.1%) started 2016-10-17 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | QUAL | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $47.68B | $9.37B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.85% | 1.56% |
| Trailing P/Ei | 27.26 | 15.29 |
| Betai | 1.01 | 1.13 |
| 52-week change | 18.11% | 57.61% |
| Metric | QUAL | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y returni | +18.11% | +57.61% |
| 6M returni | +11.40% | +26.14% |
| 3M returni | +2.97% | +3.44% |
| 1M returni | +3.68% | -1.97% |
| 1Y Sharpe ratio | 1.08 | 2.11 |
| Betai | 1.01 | 1.13 |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.85% | 1.56% |
| 5Y CAGR | +11.88% | +16.46% |
Over the past year, QUAL and VLUE have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.69), 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 | VLUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | +18.11% | +57.61% |
| CAGRi | +18.13% | +57.66% | |
| Volatilityi | 11.95% | 20.55% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 1.08 | 2.11 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 1.62 | 3.39 | |
| Max drawdowni | 9.03% | 9.04% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.44% | 4.41% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 1.39% | 2.01% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 2.15% | 2.90% | |
| Max daily dropi | 2.05% | 4.16% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 3.85% | 6.03% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +75.31% | +114.25% |
| CAGRi | +11.88% | +16.46% | |
| Volatilityi | 17.30% | 18.40% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.48 | 0.68 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.69 | 0.99 | |
| Max drawdowni | 28.23% | 27.12% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.44% | 4.41% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 6.31% | 7.77% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 9.62% | 10.36% | |
| Max daily dropi | 5.54% | 5.92% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 11.02% | 12.23% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +294.59% | +293.64% |
| CAGRi | +14.72% | +14.70% | |
| Volatilityi | 18.08% | 20.08% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.60 | 0.56 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.85 | 0.79 | |
| Max drawdowni | 34.06% | 39.47% | |
| Current drawdowni | 0.44% | 4.41% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 4.71% | 6.89% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 7.86% | 9.82% | |
| Max daily dropi | 10.18% | 12.69% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 16.98% | 21.61% |
| Category | QUAL | VLUE |
|---|---|---|
| Fund name | iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | iShares MSCI USA Value Factor ETF |
| Type | ETF | ETF |
| Expense ratioi | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Total assets (AUM)i | $47.68B | $9.37B |
| Dividend yieldi | 0.85% | 1.56% |
- 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
- Targets the academically documented value factor premium
- Diversified across sectors despite the valuation tilt
- Can outperform meaningfully during value-led market rotations
- 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
- Value has structurally underperformed growth for much of the last decade
- Higher expense ratio than plain market-cap index funds
- Can concentrate in out-of-favor, cyclical sectors
Compare more than two at a time
This page is a fixed writeup on QUAL and VLUE. Our comparison engine is the interactive version: load up to five tickers, switch timeframes, and get the correlation, drawdown, and overlap analysis that a static page can't show.
Add three more names beside QUAL and VLUE, mixing stocks and ETFs in the same table — useful when the real question is which of a whole peer group to own.
AI score, forward P/E, analyst target upside, operating margin, and revenue growth are scored head-to-head, with a running tally of which ticker leads on how many metrics.
Volatility, Sharpe and Sortino ratios, maximum, current, and average drawdown, Ulcer Index, and worst single-day and single-week drops across every timeframe.
Pairwise daily-return correlation for every combination, so you can see whether two holdings actually diversify each other or just move together.
A scatter plot of forward P/E against return on equity, plus drawdown and 30-day rolling volatility charts, to separate what is cheap from what is merely beaten down.
For ETFs, a top-holdings comparison that exposes hidden overlap between funds. Every comparison exports to CSV for your own spreadsheet work.
Two comparisons a week are free without an account. A 14-day trial removes the limit and adds AI price forecasts, stock rankings, saved watchlists, and the intrinsic value calculator — no credit card required.
Want deeper AI forecasts?
This comparison page is public and free forever. Subscribers can unlock saved watchlists, full AI rankings, detailed forecasts, and interactive analysis tools.