- ISIN
- US33939L8458
- CUSIP
- 33939L845
- Issuer
- FlexShares
- Inception Date
- Dec 14, 2012
- Region
- North America (U.S.)
- Category
- Large Cap Value Equities, Dividend
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive Index
- Domicile
- United States
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Value
- Assets Under Management
- $539M
Share Price Chart
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Performance
QDEF Performance Chart
FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund (QDEF) is up 7.3% since the beginning of the year. QDEF is currently trading at $86 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of QDEF shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,808.
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Returns By Period
FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund (QDEF) has returned 7.28% so far this year and 22.34% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, QDEF has returned 12.33% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund
- 1D
- -0.40%
- 1M
- -1.26%
- YTD
- 7.28%
- 6M
- 6.89%
- 1Y
- 22.34%
- 3Y*
- 18.77%
- 5Y*
- 12.58%
- 10Y*
- 12.33%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
QDEF Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Dec 19, 2012, QDEF's average daily return is +0.05%, while the average monthly return is +1.06%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 5.5 years.
Historically, 68% of months were positive and 32% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +11.6%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -13.7%. The longest winning streak lasted 10 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 3 months.
On a daily basis, QDEF closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +9.4%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -11.6%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.69% | 1.89% | -4.61% | 6.75% | 2.96% | -1.25% | 7.28% | ||||||
| 2025 | 2.18% | 1.05% | -3.32% | -1.52% | 4.42% | 3.52% | 1.52% | 3.92% | 2.79% | 0.27% | 1.93% | -0.30% | 17.43% |
| 2024 | 1.81% | 3.71% | 3.27% | -4.35% | 4.47% | 2.70% | 3.26% | 3.90% | 2.14% | -1.31% | 4.45% | -4.12% | 21.19% |
| 2023 | 3.62% | -2.89% | 2.64% | 2.09% | -1.70% | 5.96% | 3.42% | -1.22% | -4.83% | -1.44% | 7.05% | 4.30% | 17.48% |
| 2022 | -5.03% | -3.09% | 4.12% | -5.62% | 1.07% | -6.60% | 5.71% | -3.72% | -9.18% | 10.23% | 6.09% | -3.48% | -10.94% |
| 2021 | 0.13% | 0.44% | 6.55% | 2.96% | 1.41% | 1.23% | 2.31% | 2.20% | -5.04% | 5.43% | -0.43% | 6.77% | 26.04% |
Benchmark Metrics
FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund has an annualized alpha of 1.53%, beta of 0.84, and R2 of 0.89 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since December 19, 2012.
- This ETF participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (90.95%) than losses (90.09%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- Alpha
- 1.53%
- Beta
- 0.84
- R²
- 0.89
- Upside Capture
- 90.95%
- Downside Capture
- 90.09%
Expense Ratio
QDEF has an expense ratio of 0.37%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
QDEF ranks 73 for risk / return — better than 73% of ETFs on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund (QDEF) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| QDEF | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.26 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.47 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.42 | 1.37 | +0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.23 | 2.78 | +0.44 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.72 | 12.44 | +1.28 |
Dividends
Dividend History
FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund provided a 1.62% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $1.40 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $1.40 | $1.41 | $1.30 | $1.31 | $1.25 | $1.09 | $1.20 | $1.52 | $2.81 | $1.19 | $1.12 | $1.04 |
Dividend yield | 1.62% | 1.74% | 1.85% | 2.21% | 2.42% | 1.84% | 2.50% | 3.17% | 7.10% | 2.70% | 2.90% | 3.00% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.34 | $0.54 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.34 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.32 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.54 | $1.41 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.18 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.34 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.33 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.45 | $1.30 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.38 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.46 | $1.31 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.21 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.32 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.32 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.39 | $1.25 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.20 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.27 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.26 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.36 | $1.09 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund was 35.74%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 188 trading sessions.
The current FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund drawdown is 1.88%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -35.74%Mar 2020 | 1mo 9d | 8mo 29d | 10mo 8dFeb 2020 - Dec 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -21.37%Sep 2022 | 9mo 4d | 9mo 22d | 1y 6moDec 2021 - Jul 2023 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -16.89%Dec 2018 | 3mo 1d | 3mo 8d | 6mo 9dSep 2018 - Apr 2019 |
2025 selloff2025 | -14.43%Apr 2025 | 4mo 6d | 2mo 5d | 6mo 11dDec 2024 - Jun 2025 |
2016 correction2016 | -12.05%Jan 2016 | 8mo 3d | 2mo 11d | 10mo 14dMay 2015 - Mar 2016 |
Drawdown Indicators
| QDEF | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -35.74% | -56.78% | +21.04% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -6.95% | -9.10% | +2.15% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.43% | -18.90% | +4.47% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.37% | -25.43% | +4.06% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -35.74% | -33.92% | -1.82% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.88% | -1.80% | -0.08% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.29% | -10.71% | +7.42% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.63% | 2.03% | -0.40% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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