SKOR vs. QLV

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund (SKOR) and FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLV).

SKOR and QLV are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SKOR is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the NorthernTrustUS Corporate Bond Quality Value Index. It was launched on Nov 12, 2014. QLV is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the Northern Trust Quality Low Volatility Index. It was launched on Jul 15, 2019. Both SKOR and QLV 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

SKOR vs. QLV - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund (SKOR) and FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLV). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SKOR vs. QLV - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
SKOR FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund	-0.20%	7.99%	4.42%	7.64%	-9.88%	-1.40%	8.84%	3.25%
QLV FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund	0.29%	12.28%	18.08%	13.71%	-9.97%	26.08%	9.63%	6.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SKOR achieves a -0.20% return, which is significantly lower than QLV's 0.29% return.

SKOR

• 1D: 0.08%
• 1M: -1.05%
• YTD: -0.20%
• 6M: 0.86%
• 1Y: 5.35%
• 3Y*: 5.63%
• 5Y*: 1.91%
• 10Y*: 2.90%

QLV

• 1D: 0.19%
• 1M: -4.10%
• YTD: 0.29%
• 6M: 0.78%
• 1Y: 11.23%
• 3Y*: 13.83%
• 5Y*: 10.56%
• 10Y*: —

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

SKOR vs. QLV - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both SKOR and QLV have an expense ratio of 0.22%, making them cost-effective options compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios typically range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

SKOR

FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund

QLV

FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund

Return for Risk

SKOR vs. QLV — Risk / Return Rank

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

SKOR

SKOR Risk / Return Rank: 82
SKOR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
SKOR Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
SKOR Omega Ratio Rank: 80
SKOR Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
SKOR Martin Ratio Rank: 81

QLV

QLV Risk / Return Rank: 48
QLV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 45
QLV Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
QLV Omega Ratio Rank: 50
QLV Calmar Ratio Rank: 41
QLV Martin Ratio Rank: 56

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.

SKOR vs. QLV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund (SKOR) and FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLV). 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.

	SKOR	QLV	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.64	0.89	+0.75
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.29	1.35	+0.94
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.20	+0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.47	1.14	+1.34
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.55	5.85	+3.70
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SKOR vs. QLV - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SKOR Sharpe Ratio is 1.64, which is higher than the QLV Sharpe Ratio of 0.89. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SKOR and QLV, 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

	SKOR	QLV	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.64	0.89	+0.75
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.83	-0.40
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.59	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.62	0.65	-0.03

Correlation

The correlation between SKOR and QLV is 0.29, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

SKOR vs. QLV - Dividend Comparison

SKOR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.72%, more than QLV's 1.60% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SKOR FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund	4.72%	4.70%	4.90%	3.90%	2.57%	2.55%	3.38%	3.53%	2.85%	2.46%	2.74%	2.25%
QLV FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund	1.60%	1.60%	1.66%	1.60%	1.74%	0.96%	1.24%	0.58%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

SKOR vs. QLV - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SKOR drawdown since its inception was -15.98%, smaller than the maximum QLV drawdown of -33.71%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SKOR and QLV.

Drawdown Indicators

	SKOR	QLV	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-15.98%	-33.71%	+17.73%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.23%	-9.75%	+7.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.13%	-17.93%	+2.80%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-15.98%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.30%	-4.10%	+2.80%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.68%	-4.08%	+1.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.58%	1.89%	-1.31%

Volatility

SKOR vs. QLV - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FlexShares Credit-Scored US Corporate Bond Index Fund (SKOR) is 1.35%, while FlexShares US Quality Low Volatility Index Fund (QLV) has a volatility of 3.18%. This indicates that SKOR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than QLV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SKOR	QLV	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.35%	3.18%	-1.83%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	1.86%	5.76%	-3.90%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.28%	12.73%	-9.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.41%	12.73%	-8.32%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.91%	16.74%	-11.83%