FTAG vs. QUAL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF (FTAG) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL).

FTAG and QUAL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTAG is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Indxx Global Agriculture Index. It was launched on Mar 12, 2010. QUAL is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index. It was launched on Jul 18, 2013. Both FTAG and QUAL are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

FTAG vs. QUAL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF (FTAG) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTAG vs. QUAL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FTAG First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF	12.78%	14.82%	-6.72%	-7.28%	-4.52%	17.31%	13.88%	9.05%	-19.46%	24.88%
QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF	-2.74%	12.65%	22.29%	30.88%	-20.50%	26.94%	17.04%	33.89%	-5.70%	22.26%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTAG achieves a 12.78% return, which is significantly higher than QUAL's -2.74% return. Over the past 10 years, FTAG has underperformed QUAL with an annualized return of 5.80%, while QUAL has yielded a comparatively higher 12.99% annualized return.

FTAG

• 1D: 0.20%
• 1M: -0.68%
• YTD: 12.78%
• 6M: 16.01%
• 1Y: 23.51%
• 3Y*: 3.20%
• 5Y*: 1.71%
• 10Y*: 5.80%

QUAL

• 1D: 0.50%
• 1M: -5.52%
• YTD: -2.74%
• 6M: -1.05%
• 1Y: 13.65%
• 3Y*: 17.10%
• 5Y*: 10.71%
• 10Y*: 12.99%

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

FTAG vs. QUAL - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTAG has a 0.70% expense ratio, which is higher than QUAL's 0.15% expense ratio.

FTAG

First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF

QUAL

iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

Return for Risk

FTAG vs. QUAL — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTAG

FTAG Risk / Return Rank: 71
FTAG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 72
FTAG Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
FTAG Omega Ratio Rank: 69
FTAG Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
FTAG Martin Ratio Rank: 62

QUAL

QUAL Risk / Return Rank: 45
QUAL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
QUAL Sortino Ratio Rank: 42
QUAL Omega Ratio Rank: 42
QUAL Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
QUAL Martin Ratio Rank: 54

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.

FTAG vs. QUAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF (FTAG) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL). 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.

	FTAG	QUAL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.35	0.79	+0.57
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.98	1.24	+0.74
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.27	1.18	+0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.17	1.21	+0.96
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.62	5.50	+1.13
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTAG vs. QUAL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTAG Sharpe Ratio is 1.35, which is higher than the QUAL Sharpe Ratio of 0.79. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTAG and QUAL, 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

	FTAG	QUAL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.35	0.79	+0.57
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.10	0.62	-0.52
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.29	0.72	-0.43
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.33	0.75	-1.08

Correlation

The correlation between FTAG and QUAL is 0.43, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

FTAG vs. QUAL - Dividend Comparison

FTAG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.35%, more than QUAL's 0.98% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTAG First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF	1.35%	1.39%	2.89%	3.68%	1.77%	1.58%	1.72%	2.33%	2.16%	1.26%	0.61%	1.35%
QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF	0.98%	0.94%	1.02%	1.23%	1.59%	1.20%	1.39%	1.60%	2.00%	1.76%	1.96%	1.63%

Drawdowns

FTAG vs. QUAL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTAG drawdown since its inception was -90.89%, which is greater than QUAL's maximum drawdown of -34.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTAG and QUAL.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTAG	QUAL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-90.89%	-34.06%	-56.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.00%	-11.52%	+0.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-32.77%	-28.23%	-4.54%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-50.79%	-34.06%	-16.73%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-78.19%	-5.97%	-72.22%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-71.17%	-4.15%	-67.02%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.68%	2.53%	+1.15%

Volatility

FTAG vs. QUAL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Indxx Global Agriculture ETF (FTAG) is 4.93%, while iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) has a volatility of 5.36%. This indicates that FTAG experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than QUAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTAG	QUAL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.93%	5.36%	-0.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.75%	9.30%	+1.45%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.49%	17.46%	+0.03%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.38%	17.34%	+0.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.92%	18.08%	+1.84%