QUAL vs. FLOT
QUAL (iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF) and FLOT (iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - QUAL is a Large Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, while FLOT is a Ultrashort Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note < 5 Years Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, QUAL returned 14.19%/yr vs 3.03%/yr for FLOT. At a 0.15 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. Both charge a 0.15% expense ratio.
Performance
QUAL vs. FLOT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, QUAL achieves a 7.89% return, which is significantly higher than FLOT's 1.87% return. Over the past 10 years, QUAL has outperformed FLOT with an annualized return of 14.19%, while FLOT has yielded a comparatively lower 3.03% annualized return.
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%
FLOT
- 1D
- 0.00%
- 1M
- 0.41%
- YTD
- 1.87%
- 6M
- 2.15%
- 1Y
- 4.85%
- 3Y*
- 5.60%
- 5Y*
- 4.20%
- 10Y*
- 3.03%
QUAL vs. FLOT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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% |
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.87% | 4.91% | 6.53% | 6.43% | 1.28% | 0.45% | 0.87% | 3.97% | 1.48% | 1.65% |
Correlation
The correlation between QUAL and FLOT is 0.33, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.33 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.30 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.29 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.18 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 19, 2013 | 0.15 |
The correlation between QUAL and FLOT shifts across timeframes, from 0.15 (all time) to 0.33 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
QUAL vs. FLOT — Risk / Return Rank
QUAL
FLOT
QUAL vs. FLOT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) and iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT). 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.
| QUAL | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -4.89 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -9.44 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 3.22 | -1.93 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.19 | 11.27 | -9.08 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.96 | 104.83 | -94.87 |
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
| QUAL | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.65 | 6.54 | -4.89 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.68 | 2.38 | -1.69 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.79 | 0.73 | +0.05 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.80 | 0.66 | +0.13 |
Drawdowns
QUAL vs. FLOT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum QUAL drawdown since its inception was -34.06%, which is greater than FLOT's maximum drawdown of -13.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QUAL and FLOT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| QUAL | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -34.06% | -13.54% | -20.52% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.03% | -0.43% | -8.60% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -18.00% | -1.57% | -16.43% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -28.23% | -2.36% | -25.87% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.06% | -13.54% | -20.52% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.61% | -0.02% | -1.59% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.10% | -0.21% | -3.89% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.98% | 0.05% | +1.93% |
Volatility
QUAL vs. FLOT - Volatility Comparison
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) has a higher volatility of 3.12% compared to iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT) at 0.20%. This indicates that QUAL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FLOT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| QUAL | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 3.12% | 0.20% | +2.92% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 9.28% | 0.62% | +8.66% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 12.01% | 0.75% | +11.26% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.35% | 1.77% | +15.58% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 18.11% | 4.15% | +13.96% |
QUAL vs. FLOT - Expense Ratio Comparison
Both QUAL and FLOT have an expense ratio of 0.15%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
QUAL vs. FLOT - Dividend Comparison
QUAL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.88%, less than FLOT's 4.54% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 4.54% | 4.84% | 5.82% | 5.66% | 2.06% | 0.43% | 1.25% | 2.78% | 2.41% | 1.46% | 0.97% | 0.53% |
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
QUAL and FLOT have a correlation of 0.33, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
QUAL has higher volatility (3.12%) compared to FLOT (0.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, QUAL dropped -34.06% vs FLOT's -13.54%.
On 10-year performance, QUAL leads with 14.19% vs 3.03% for FLOT. Both ETFs have the same 0.15% expense ratio. On volatility, FLOT has been the lower-risk option at 0.20%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, QUAL has performed better with a 14.19% return vs 3.03%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
QUAL and FLOT have the same expense ratio: 0.15% per year.
FLOT has the higher dividend yield at 4.54%, compared with 0.88% for QUAL.
QUAL is categorized as Large Cap Blend Equities, while FLOT is Ultrashort Bond. QUAL tracks MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, while FLOT tracks Bloomberg US Floating Rate Note < 5 Years Index.
FLOT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.54 vs 1.65), 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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