ABCS vs. QVAL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF (ABCS) and Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF (QVAL).

ABCS and QVAL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ABCS is a passively managed fund by Alpha Architect that tracks the performance of the BNY Mellon ABC Index. It was launched on Dec 18, 2023. QVAL is an actively managed fund by Alpha Architect. It was launched on Oct 22, 2014.

Performance

ABCS vs. QVAL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF (ABCS) and Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF (QVAL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ABCS vs. QVAL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
ABCS Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF	-1.83%	7.95%	14.47%	1.97%
QVAL Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF	7.30%	10.98%	12.21%	0.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ABCS achieves a -1.83% return, which is significantly lower than QVAL's 7.30% return.

ABCS

• 1D: 2.02%
• 1M: -5.12%
• YTD: -1.83%
• 6M: -0.34%
• 1Y: 9.26%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

QVAL

• 1D: 2.26%
• 1M: -2.23%
• YTD: 7.30%
• 6M: 12.78%
• 1Y: 24.34%
• 3Y*: 17.50%
• 5Y*: 11.66%
• 10Y*: 10.16%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ABCS vs. QVAL - Expense Ratio Comparison

ABCS has a 0.27% expense ratio, which is lower than QVAL's 0.28% expense ratio.

QVAL

Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF

ABCS

Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF

Return for Risk

ABCS vs. QVAL — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ABCS

ABCS Risk / Return Rank: 28
ABCS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
ABCS Sortino Ratio Rank: 27
ABCS Omega Ratio Rank: 27
ABCS Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
ABCS Martin Ratio Rank: 32

QVAL

QVAL Risk / Return Rank: 72
QVAL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
QVAL Sortino Ratio Rank: 76
QVAL Omega Ratio Rank: 72
QVAL Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
QVAL Martin Ratio Rank: 74

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ABCS vs. QVAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF (ABCS) and Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF (QVAL). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ABCS	QVAL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.48	1.21	-0.73
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.83	1.85	-1.03
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.26	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.74	1.70	-0.97
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	2.83	7.34	-4.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ABCS vs. QVAL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ABCS Sharpe Ratio is 0.48, which is lower than the QVAL Sharpe Ratio of 1.21. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ABCS and QVAL, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ABCS	QVAL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.48	1.21	-0.73
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.54	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.45	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.57	0.46	+0.10

Correlation

The correlation between ABCS and QVAL is 0.89, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

ABCS vs. QVAL - Dividend Comparison

ABCS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.37%, less than QVAL's 1.56% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
ABCS Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF	1.37%	1.37%	1.39%	0.02%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
QVAL Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF	1.56%	1.44%	1.72%	1.76%	2.00%	1.23%	1.86%	1.99%	1.64%	1.08%	1.30%

Drawdowns

ABCS vs. QVAL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ABCS drawdown since its inception was -20.52%, smaller than the maximum QVAL drawdown of -51.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ABCS and QVAL.

Drawdown Indicators

	ABCS	QVAL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.52%	-51.49%	+30.97%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.40%	-14.61%	+1.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-27.17%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-51.49%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.27%	-2.87%	-3.40%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.70%	-7.91%	+4.21%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.48%	3.39%	+0.09%

Volatility

ABCS vs. QVAL - Volatility Comparison

Alpha Blue Capital US Small-Mid Cap Dynamic ETF (ABCS) has a higher volatility of 4.62% compared to Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF (QVAL) at 4.37%. This indicates that ABCS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QVAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ABCS	QVAL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.62%	4.37%	+0.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.35%	10.21%	+0.14%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.25%	20.19%	-0.94%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.49%	21.64%	-4.15%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.49%	22.80%	-5.31%