QLTY vs. XLK

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about GMO U.S. Quality ETF (QLTY) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK).

QLTY and XLK are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. QLTY is a passively managed fund by GMO that tracks the performance of the S&P 500. It was launched on Nov 13, 2023. XLK is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P Technology Select Sector Daily Capped 35/20 Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 1998. Both QLTY and XLK 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

QLTY vs. XLK - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in GMO U.S. Quality ETF (QLTY) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

QLTY vs. XLK - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
QLTY GMO U.S. Quality ETF	-5.77%	21.26%	21.02%	5.68%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	-7.57%	24.61%	21.63%	5.83%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QLTY achieves a -5.77% return, which is significantly higher than XLK's -7.57% return.

QLTY

• 1D: 2.76%
• 1M: -6.42%
• YTD: -5.77%
• 6M: 0.36%
• 1Y: 16.68%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

XLK

• 1D: 4.24%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: -7.57%
• 6M: -5.44%
• 1Y: 29.46%
• 3Y*: 21.58%
• 5Y*: 15.31%
• 10Y*: 20.82%

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

QLTY vs. XLK - Expense Ratio Comparison

QLTY has a 0.50% expense ratio, which is higher than XLK's 0.08% expense ratio.

QLTY

GMO U.S. Quality ETF

XLK

State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF

Return for Risk

QLTY vs. XLK — Risk / Return Rank

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

QLTY

QLTY Risk / Return Rank: 59
QLTY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
QLTY Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
QLTY Omega Ratio Rank: 59
QLTY Calmar Ratio Rank: 62
QLTY Martin Ratio Rank: 61

XLK

XLK Risk / Return Rank: 69
XLK Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
XLK Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
XLK Omega Ratio Rank: 67
XLK Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
XLK Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

QLTY vs. XLK - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for GMO U.S. Quality ETF (QLTY) and State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK). 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.

	QLTY	XLK	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.94	1.10	-0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.50	1.66	-0.16
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.23	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.51	1.85	-0.34
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.83	5.98	-0.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

QLTY vs. XLK - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QLTY Sharpe Ratio is 0.94, which is comparable to the XLK Sharpe Ratio of 1.10. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QLTY and XLK, 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

	QLTY	XLK	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.94	1.10	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.62	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.86	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.18	0.36	+0.82

Correlation

The correlation between QLTY and XLK is 0.81, 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

QLTY vs. XLK - Dividend Comparison

QLTY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.81%, more than XLK's 0.57% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
QLTY GMO U.S. Quality ETF	0.81%	0.73%	0.79%	0.15%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
XLK State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF	0.57%	0.54%	0.66%	0.76%	1.04%	0.65%	0.92%	1.16%	1.60%	1.37%	1.74%	1.79%

Drawdowns

QLTY vs. XLK - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QLTY drawdown since its inception was -17.00%, smaller than the maximum XLK drawdown of -82.05%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QLTY and XLK.

Drawdown Indicators

	QLTY	XLK	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-17.00%	-82.05%	+65.05%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.71%	-15.92%	+4.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-33.56%	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-33.56%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.28%	-12.36%	+3.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.09%	-35.17%	+33.08%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.04%	4.93%	-1.89%

Volatility

QLTY vs. XLK - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for GMO U.S. Quality ETF (QLTY) is 5.28%, while State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) has a volatility of 8.06%. This indicates that QLTY experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than XLK based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	QLTY	XLK	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.28%	8.06%	-2.78%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.73%	16.43%	-6.70%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.77%	27.02%	-9.25%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.81%	24.72%	-9.91%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.81%	24.33%	-9.52%