PJT vs. QUAL
PJT (PJT Partners Inc.) is a stock, while QUAL (iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF) is Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index. Over the past 10 years, PJT returned 21.27%/yr vs 14.19%/yr for QUAL. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
PJT vs. QUAL - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PJT achieves a -5.62% return, which is significantly lower than QUAL's 7.89% return. Over the past 10 years, PJT has outperformed QUAL with an annualized return of 21.27%, while QUAL has yielded a comparatively lower 14.19% annualized return.
PJT
- 1D
- 0.04%
- 1M
- 1.88%
- YTD
- -5.62%
- 6M
- -8.82%
- 1Y
- 2.63%
- 3Y*
- 30.99%
- 5Y*
- 20.21%
- 10Y*
- 21.27%
QUAL
- 1D
- 0.32%
- 1M
- 1.62%
- YTD
- 7.89%
- 6M
- 8.26%
- 1Y
- 19.70%
- 3Y*
- 19.43%
- 5Y*
- 11.82%
- 10Y*
- 14.19%
PJT vs. QUAL - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PJT PJT Partners Inc. | -5.62% | 6.62% | 56.23% | 40.00% | 0.92% | 2.62% | 67.34% | 17.00% | -14.67% | 48.41% |
QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 7.89% | 12.65% | 22.29% | 30.88% | -20.50% | 26.94% | 17.04% | 33.89% | -5.70% | 22.26% |
Correlation
The correlation between PJT and QUAL is 0.44, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.44 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.48 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.49 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 2, 2015 | 0.47 |
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Return for Risk
PJT vs. QUAL — Risk / Return Rank
PJT
QUAL
PJT vs. QUAL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) 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.
| PJT | QUAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.56 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -2.02 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.04 | 1.29 | -0.25 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.08 | 2.19 | -2.11 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.19 | 9.96 | -9.77 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| PJT | QUAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.09 | 1.65 | -1.56 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.68 | 0.68 | -0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.64 | 0.79 | -0.15 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.65 | 0.80 | -0.15 |
Drawdowns
PJT vs. QUAL - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PJT drawdown since its inception was -58.44%, which is greater than QUAL's maximum drawdown of -34.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PJT and QUAL.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PJT | QUAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -58.44% | -34.06% | -24.38% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -32.47% | -9.03% | -23.44% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -32.47% | -18.00% | -14.47% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -37.80% | -28.23% | -9.57% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -58.44% | -34.06% | -24.38% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -17.56% | -1.61% | -15.95% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -12.91% | -4.10% | -8.81% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 14.00% | 1.98% | +12.02% |
Volatility
PJT vs. QUAL - Volatility Comparison
PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) has a higher volatility of 7.41% compared to iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) at 3.12%. This indicates that PJT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QUAL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PJT | QUAL | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 7.41% | 3.12% | +4.29% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 21.48% | 9.28% | +12.20% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 29.07% | 12.01% | +17.06% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 30.07% | 17.35% | +12.72% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 33.63% | 18.11% | +15.52% |
Dividends
PJT vs. QUAL - Dividend Comparison
PJT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.64%, less than QUAL's 0.88% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PJT PJT Partners Inc. | 0.64% | 0.60% | 0.63% | 0.98% | 1.36% | 4.32% | 0.27% | 0.44% | 0.52% | 0.44% | 0.65% | 0.00% |
QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 0.88% | 0.94% | 1.02% | 1.23% | 1.59% | 1.20% | 1.39% | 1.60% | 2.00% | 1.76% | 1.96% | 1.63% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PJT and QUAL have a correlation of 0.44, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PJT has higher volatility (7.41%) compared to QUAL (3.12%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PJT dropped -58.44% vs QUAL's -34.06%.
QUAL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.65 vs 0.09), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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