SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Price
$771.10
YTD
+12.85%
Expense
0.09%
Yield
1.25%
QUAL
QUAL NYSE
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF · by BlackRock
Price
$224.60
YTD return
+14.80%
1Y return
22.50%
Expense ratio
0.15%
Dividend yield
1.45%
AUM
$42B
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF targets companies with high ROE, stable earnings growth, and low leverage — quality factors.
What is QUAL?
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) invests in U.S. large and mid-cap stocks with high quality characteristics: high ROE, stable earnings growth, and low financial leverage. It's a factor-based ETF that tilts toward financially strong companies.
Quality Factor Screening
- High Return on Equity (ROE): Companies efficiently deploying shareholder capital
- Stable Year-Over-Year Earnings Growth: Consistent profitability
- Low Financial Leverage: Companies with manageable debt levels
Sector Allocation
- Technology: 30.5%
- Healthcare: 14.2%
- Financials: 12.8%
- Communication Services: 10.5%
- Consumer Discretionary: 9.2%
- Industrials: 7.8%
- Consumer Staples: 6.5%
- Energy: 3.5%
- Materials: 2.5%
- Utilities: 1.5%
- Real Estate: 1.0%
Factor Investing Context
Quality is one of the most robust investment factors, alongside value, momentum, and size. Quality stocks tend to outperform during market downturns and economic uncertainty, providing defensive characteristics.
QUAL vs SPHQ vs DGRW
QUAL uses MSCI's quality methodology, SPHQ uses S&P's, and DGRW focuses on quality dividend growers. All three target similar high-quality companies but with different selection criteria and portfolio construction.
Top holdings
Every holding links to its own page with a live price and the full list of funds that own it.
| # | Holding | Ticker | Sector | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple Inc. | AAPL | Technology | 5.80% | $314.58 0.36% |
| 2 | Microsoft Corp. | MSFT | Technology | 5.50% | $505.06 1.75% |
| 3 | NVIDIA Corp. | NVDA | Technology | 4.80% | $227.98 8.74% |
| 4 | Meta Platforms | META | Communication Services | 3.20% | $571.10 -0.87% |
| 5 | Visa Inc. | V | Financials | 2.80% | $379.66 -1.10% |
| 6 | Mastercard | MA | Financials | 2.50% | $591.73 -1.13% |
| 7 | Eli Lilly | LLY | Healthcare | 2.20% | $1,176.10 -1.12% |
| 8 | UnitedHealth Group | UNH | Healthcare | 2.00% | $395.05 -1.49% |
| 9 | Costco | COST | Consumer Staples | 1.80% | $934.66 -2.24% |
| 10 | Accenture | ACN | Technology | 1.50% | $187.38 3.31% |
Frequently asked questions
What is a quality factor ETF?
Quality factor ETFs target companies with high profitability, stable earnings, and low debt for long-term outperformance and lower drawdowns.
How does QUAL select stocks?
QUAL uses MSCI quality factor methodology, screening for high ROE, stable earnings growth, and low financial leverage.
Is QUAL better than a total market fund?
QUAL tends to outperform during market stress but may lag during speculative rallies. It complements broad market funds.
What is QUAL expense ratio?
QUAL charges 0.15% annually, competitive for smart-beta and much cheaper than actively managed quality funds.
Compare with similar ETFs
Invesco QQQ Trust
Price
$721.11
YTD
+15.62%
Expense
0.20%
Yield
0.52%
Vanguard S&P 500 ETF
Price
$708.75
YTD
+12.78%
Expense
0.03%
Yield
1.28%
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
Price
$380.63
YTD
+11.92%
Expense
0.03%
Yield
1.32%
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
Price
$34.83
YTD
+8.45%
Expense
0.06%
Yield
3.45%
Community
QUAL discussion
Questions on fair value, cost, dividends and risk — answered with the fund data on this page.
What is the fair value of QUAL in 2026?
QUAL price prediction 2026: what actually drives it?
Does QUAL pay a dividend, and how reliable is the yield?
Is QUAL a good long-term hold, or too concentrated?
Ask a question about QUAL
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