IQDY vs. QLVD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund (IQDY) and FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLVD).

IQDY and QLVD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IQDY is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the Northern Trust International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index. It was launched on Apr 12, 2013. QLVD is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the Northern Trust Developed Markets ex US Quality Low Volatility Index. It was launched on Jul 15, 2019. Both IQDY and QLVD 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

IQDY vs. QLVD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund (IQDY) and FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLVD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IQDY vs. QLVD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
IQDY FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund	3.79%	37.44%	5.97%	23.45%	-15.78%	12.00%	9.54%	10.12%
QLVD FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund	3.29%	24.21%	4.67%	11.57%	-12.09%	9.04%	3.00%	6.35%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IQDY achieves a 3.79% return, which is significantly higher than QLVD's 3.29% return.

IQDY

• 1D: 3.03%
• 1M: -6.22%
• YTD: 3.79%
• 6M: 12.76%
• 1Y: 35.12%
• 3Y*: 19.63%
• 5Y*: 10.02%
• 10Y*: 10.52%

QLVD

• 1D: 2.09%
• 1M: -5.62%
• YTD: 3.29%
• 6M: 6.74%
• 1Y: 17.40%
• 3Y*: 12.29%
• 5Y*: 7.17%
• 10Y*: —

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

IQDY vs. QLVD - Expense Ratio Comparison

IQDY has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is higher than QLVD's 0.32% expense ratio.

IQDY

FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund

QLVD

FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund

Return for Risk

IQDY vs. QLVD — Risk / Return Rank

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

IQDY

IQDY Risk / Return Rank: 90
IQDY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
IQDY Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
IQDY Omega Ratio Rank: 91
IQDY Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
IQDY Martin Ratio Rank: 91

QLVD

QLVD Risk / Return Rank: 77
QLVD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
QLVD Sortino Ratio Rank: 79
QLVD Omega Ratio Rank: 75
QLVD Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
QLVD Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

IQDY vs. QLVD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund (IQDY) and FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLVD). 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.

	IQDY	QLVD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.91	1.41	+0.50
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.59	2.00	+0.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.39	1.28	+0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.73	2.11	+0.63
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.91	8.00	+3.92
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IQDY vs. QLVD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IQDY Sharpe Ratio is 1.91, which is higher than the QLVD Sharpe Ratio of 1.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IQDY and QLVD, 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

	IQDY	QLVD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.91	1.41	+0.50
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57	0.62	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.58	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.45	0.50	-0.05

Correlation

The correlation between IQDY and QLVD is 0.82, 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

IQDY vs. QLVD - Dividend Comparison

IQDY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.14%, more than QLVD's 2.77% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IQDY FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund	3.14%	3.26%	6.95%	6.45%	5.52%	3.89%	2.62%	3.85%	5.97%	3.57%	3.77%	4.08%
QLVD FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund	2.77%	2.87%	3.01%	3.33%	2.47%	3.06%	1.78%	1.06%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

IQDY vs. QLVD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IQDY drawdown since its inception was -39.60%, which is greater than QLVD's maximum drawdown of -28.20%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IQDY and QLVD.

Drawdown Indicators

	IQDY	QLVD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.60%	-28.20%	-11.40%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.52%	-8.15%	-4.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.03%	-23.99%	-9.04%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-39.60%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.97%	-5.62%	-1.35%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.21%	-5.27%	-3.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.87%	2.14%	+0.73%

Volatility

IQDY vs. QLVD - Volatility Comparison

FlexShares International Quality Dividend Dynamic Index Fund (IQDY) has a higher volatility of 8.49% compared to FlexShares Developed Markets ex-US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLVD) at 5.23%. This indicates that IQDY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QLVD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IQDY	QLVD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.49%	5.23%	+3.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.93%	7.71%	+4.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.52%	12.43%	+6.09%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.61%	11.68%	+5.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.34%	14.02%	+4.32%