IVV vs. QUAL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL).

IVV and QUAL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IVV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on May 15, 2000. 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 IVV 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

IVV vs. QUAL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IVV vs. QUAL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	-3.67%	17.85%	24.93%	26.31%	-18.16%	28.76%	18.40%	31.07%	-4.49%	21.75%
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, IVV achieves a -3.67% return, which is significantly lower than QUAL's -2.74% return. Over the past 10 years, IVV has outperformed QUAL with an annualized return of 14.11%, while QUAL has yielded a comparatively lower 12.99% annualized return.

IVV

• 1D: 0.74%
• 1M: -4.30%
• YTD: -3.67%
• 6M: -1.44%
• 1Y: 18.17%
• 3Y*: 18.58%
• 5Y*: 11.92%
• 10Y*: 14.11%

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)

IVV vs. QUAL - Expense Ratio Comparison

IVV has a 0.03% expense ratio, which is lower than QUAL's 0.15% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

QUAL

iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

IVV

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF

Return for Risk

IVV vs. QUAL — Risk / Return Rank

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

IVV

IVV Risk / Return Rank: 60
IVV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 53
IVV Sortino Ratio Rank: 57
IVV Omega Ratio Rank: 61
IVV Calmar Ratio Rank: 58
IVV Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

IVV vs. QUAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) 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.

	IVV	QUAL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.00	0.79	+0.21
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.52	1.24	+0.28
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.18	+0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.54	1.21	+0.33
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	7.28	5.50	+1.78
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IVV vs. QUAL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IVV Sharpe Ratio is 1.00, which is comparable to the QUAL Sharpe Ratio of 0.79. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IVV 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

	IVV	QUAL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.00	0.79	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71	0.62	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.78	0.72	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.42	0.75	-0.33

Correlation

The correlation between IVV and QUAL is 0.96, 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

IVV vs. QUAL - Dividend Comparison

IVV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.22%, more than QUAL's 0.98% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IVV iShares Core S&P 500 ETF	1.22%	1.17%	1.30%	1.44%	1.66%	1.20%	1.57%	1.85%	2.21%	1.75%	2.01%	2.27%
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

IVV vs. QUAL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IVV drawdown since its inception was -55.25%, which is greater than QUAL's maximum drawdown of -34.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IVV and QUAL.

Drawdown Indicators

	IVV	QUAL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-55.25%	-34.06%	-21.19%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.06%	-11.52%	-0.54%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.53%	-28.23%	+3.70%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-33.90%	-34.06%	+0.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.57%	-5.97%	+0.40%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.84%	-4.15%	-6.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.55%	2.53%	+0.02%

Volatility

IVV vs. QUAL - Volatility Comparison

iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) have volatilities of 5.34% and 5.36%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IVV	QUAL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.34%	5.36%	-0.02%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.47%	9.30%	+0.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.31%	17.46%	+0.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.89%	17.34%	-0.45%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.03%	18.08%	-0.05%