GQRE vs. ICF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) and iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF).

GQRE and ICF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GQRE is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the Northern Trust Global Quality Real Estate (NR). It was launched on Nov 6, 2013. ICF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Cohen & Steers Realty Majors Index. It was launched on Jan 29, 2001. Both GQRE and ICF 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

GQRE vs. ICF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) and iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GQRE vs. ICF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GQRE FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund	2.77%	8.27%	6.09%	9.21%	-27.22%	32.01%	-9.17%	21.84%	-8.88%	13.60%
ICF iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF	4.61%	1.85%	5.30%	10.36%	-26.12%	44.17%	-5.43%	25.48%	-2.55%	4.90%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GQRE achieves a 2.77% return, which is significantly lower than ICF's 4.61% return. Over the past 10 years, GQRE has underperformed ICF with an annualized return of 3.46%, while ICF has yielded a comparatively higher 4.76% annualized return.

GQRE

• 1D: 1.11%
• 1M: -6.92%
• YTD: 2.77%
• 6M: 1.77%
• 1Y: 8.97%
• 3Y*: 8.46%
• 5Y*: 2.96%
• 10Y*: 3.46%

ICF

• 1D: 0.57%
• 1M: -5.82%
• YTD: 4.61%
• 6M: 2.42%
• 1Y: 3.70%
• 3Y*: 6.75%
• 5Y*: 3.76%
• 10Y*: 4.76%

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

GQRE vs. ICF - Expense Ratio Comparison

GQRE has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than ICF's 0.34% expense ratio.

GQRE

FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund

ICF

iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF

Return for Risk

GQRE vs. ICF — Risk / Return Rank

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

GQRE

GQRE Risk / Return Rank: 31
GQRE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 31
GQRE Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
GQRE Omega Ratio Rank: 29
GQRE Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
GQRE Martin Ratio Rank: 34

ICF

ICF Risk / Return Rank: 18
ICF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
ICF Sortino Ratio Rank: 16
ICF Omega Ratio Rank: 16
ICF Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
ICF Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

GQRE vs. ICF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) and iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF). 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.

	GQRE	ICF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.62	0.23	+0.39
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.94	0.42	+0.52
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.06	+0.07
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.82	0.33	+0.49
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.25	1.20	+2.04
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GQRE vs. ICF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GQRE Sharpe Ratio is 0.62, which is higher than the ICF Sharpe Ratio of 0.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GQRE and ICF, 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

	GQRE	ICF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.62	0.23	+0.39
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.18	0.20	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.20	0.23	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.28	0.30	-0.03

Correlation

The correlation between GQRE and ICF is 0.86, 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

GQRE vs. ICF - Dividend Comparison

GQRE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.55%, more than ICF's 2.66% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GQRE FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund	4.55%	4.75%	3.77%	2.91%	2.56%	2.36%	2.05%	4.29%	3.22%	1.97%	4.16%	2.32%
ICF iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF	2.66%	2.88%	2.66%	2.76%	2.64%	1.82%	2.38%	2.55%	3.20%	3.10%	4.21%	3.30%

Drawdowns

GQRE vs. ICF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GQRE drawdown since its inception was -41.87%, smaller than the maximum ICF drawdown of -76.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GQRE and ICF.

Drawdown Indicators

	GQRE	ICF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-41.87%	-76.74%	+34.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.19%	-11.77%	+0.58%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.08%	-34.74%	-0.34%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.87%	-40.22%	-1.65%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.24%	-8.53%	+1.29%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.33%	-14.26%	+4.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.83%	3.26%	-0.43%

Volatility

GQRE vs. ICF - Volatility Comparison

FlexShares Global Quality Real Estate Index Fund (GQRE) has a higher volatility of 4.75% compared to iShares Cohen & Steers REIT ETF (ICF) at 4.51%. This indicates that GQRE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ICF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GQRE	ICF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.75%	4.51%	+0.24%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.29%	9.63%	-1.34%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.59%	16.31%	-1.72%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.43%	18.90%	-2.47%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.65%	20.58%	-2.93%