QUAL vs. FCFAX
QUAL (iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF) and FCFAX (Frost Credit Fund) are both funds - QUAL is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, while FCFAX is a Short-Term Bond fund managed by Frost Funds. Over the past 10 years, QUAL returned 14.46%/yr vs 5.17%/yr for FCFAX. At a 0.19 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. QUAL charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.96%/yr for FCFAX.
Performance
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, QUAL achieves a 9.44% return, which is significantly higher than FCFAX's 1.58% return. Over the past 10 years, QUAL has outperformed FCFAX with an annualized return of 14.46%, while FCFAX has yielded a comparatively lower 5.17% annualized return.
QUAL
- 1D
- 0.47%
- 1M
- 2.82%
- YTD
- 9.44%
- 6M
- 9.29%
- 1Y
- 20.90%
- 3Y*
- 19.30%
- 5Y*
- 11.97%
- 10Y*
- 14.46%
FCFAX
- 1D
- 0.33%
- 1M
- 0.72%
- YTD
- 1.58%
- 6M
- 1.88%
- 1Y
- 4.56%
- 3Y*
- 7.23%
- 5Y*
- 3.79%
- 10Y*
- 5.17%
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 9.44% | 12.65% | 22.29% | 30.88% | -20.50% | 26.94% | 17.04% | 33.89% | -5.70% | 22.26% |
FCFAX Frost Credit Fund | 1.58% | 5.21% | 8.01% | 11.23% | -7.83% | 5.07% | 6.22% | 6.95% | 0.89% | 7.95% |
Correlation
The correlation between QUAL and FCFAX is 0.42, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.42 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.35 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.31 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.20 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 18, 2013 | 0.19 |
Over the past year, QUAL and FCFAX have become more correlated (0.42) than their long-term average of 0.19, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
QUAL vs. FCFAX — Risk / Return Rank
QUAL
FCFAX
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) and Frost Credit Fund (FCFAX). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| QUAL | FCFAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.40 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.80 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.43 | -0.12 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.32 | 2.65 | -0.33 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.60 | 9.89 | +0.71 |
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Drawdowns
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum QUAL drawdown since its inception was -34.06%, which is greater than FCFAX's maximum drawdown of -16.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QUAL and FCFAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| QUAL | FCFAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.06% | -16.33% | -17.73% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.03% | -1.82% | -7.21% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.00% | -2.82% | -15.18% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -28.23% | -10.49% | -17.74% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.06% | -16.33% | -17.73% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.19% | 0.00% | -0.19% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.10% | -1.53% | -2.57% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.99% | 0.49% | +1.50% |
Volatility
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Volatility Comparison
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) has a higher volatility of 3.63% compared to Frost Credit Fund (FCFAX) at 0.77%. This indicates that QUAL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FCFAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| QUAL | FCFAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.63% | 0.77% | +2.86% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.43% | 1.76% | +7.67% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 12.10% | 2.27% | +9.83% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.36% | 2.77% | +14.59% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.11% | 3.24% | +14.87% |
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
QUAL has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than FCFAX's 0.96% expense ratio.
Dividends
QUAL vs. FCFAX - Dividend Comparison
QUAL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.87%, less than FCFAX's 6.15% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCFAX Frost Credit Fund | 6.15% | 6.10% | 5.76% | 5.93% | 5.00% | 3.65% | 3.69% | 4.62% | 5.05% | 5.85% | 4.84% | 4.95% |
QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | 0.87% | 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
QUAL and FCFAX have a correlation of 0.42, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
QUAL has higher volatility (3.63%) compared to FCFAX (0.77%). In terms of maximum drawdown, QUAL dropped -34.06% vs FCFAX's -16.33%.
FCFAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.13 vs 1.74), 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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