SUSA vs. QUS

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) and SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS).

SUSA and QUS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SUSA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA ESG Select Index. It was launched on Jan 24, 2005. QUS is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA Factor Mix A-Series Capped (USD). It was launched on Apr 16, 2015. Both SUSA and QUS 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

SUSA vs. QUS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) and SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SUSA vs. QUS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SUSA iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF	-4.10%	15.72%	22.43%	23.88%	-21.38%	30.45%	24.66%	32.10%	-5.67%	22.52%
QUS SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF	-0.80%	14.13%	18.99%	21.78%	-14.15%	26.72%	12.40%	32.45%	-3.66%	21.67%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SUSA achieves a -4.10% return, which is significantly lower than QUS's -0.80% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SUSA having a 13.61% annualized return and QUS not far behind at 12.96%.

SUSA

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -3.50%
• YTD: -4.10%
• 6M: -1.86%
• 1Y: 16.01%
• 3Y*: 16.25%
• 5Y*: 9.79%
• 10Y*: 13.61%

QUS

• 1D: 0.31%
• 1M: -3.45%
• YTD: -0.80%
• 6M: 1.54%
• 1Y: 11.50%
• 3Y*: 15.83%
• 5Y*: 10.70%
• 10Y*: 12.96%

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

SUSA vs. QUS - Expense Ratio Comparison

SUSA has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is higher than QUS's 0.15% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

SUSA

iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF

QUS

SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF

Return for Risk

SUSA vs. QUS — Risk / Return Rank

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

SUSA

SUSA Risk / Return Rank: 48
SUSA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 45
SUSA Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
SUSA Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SUSA Calmar Ratio Rank: 45
SUSA Martin Ratio Rank: 54

QUS

QUS Risk / Return Rank: 41
QUS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 39
QUS Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
QUS Omega Ratio Rank: 43
QUS Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
QUS Martin Ratio Rank: 49

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.

SUSA vs. QUS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) and SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS). 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.

	SUSA	QUS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.89	0.80	+0.09
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.37	1.22	+0.15
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.20	1.18	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.39	1.15	+0.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.14	5.59	+0.55
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SUSA vs. QUS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SUSA Sharpe Ratio is 0.89, which is comparable to the QUS Sharpe Ratio of 0.80. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SUSA and QUS, 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

	SUSA	QUS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.89	0.80	+0.09
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57	0.75	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.75	0.79	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.73	-0.20

Correlation

The correlation between SUSA and QUS is 0.87, 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

SUSA vs. QUS - Dividend Comparison

SUSA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.96%, less than QUS's 1.39% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SUSA iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF	0.96%	0.89%	1.15%	1.32%	1.52%	0.98%	1.17%	1.52%	1.72%	1.40%	1.56%	1.42%
QUS SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF	1.39%	1.38%	1.49%	1.57%	1.68%	1.27%	1.73%	1.81%	2.12%	1.86%	2.07%	1.48%

Drawdowns

SUSA vs. QUS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SUSA drawdown since its inception was -53.93%, which is greater than QUS's maximum drawdown of -33.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SUSA and QUS.

Drawdown Indicators

	SUSA	QUS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.93%	-33.78%	-20.15%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.71%	-7.60%	-2.11%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.23%	-22.30%	-5.93%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.93%	-33.78%	+0.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.38%	-4.38%	-2.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.30%	-3.75%	-3.55%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.73%	2.14%	+0.59%

Volatility

SUSA vs. QUS - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF (SUSA) has a higher volatility of 5.20% compared to SPDR MSCI USA StrategicFactors ETF (QUS) at 3.76%. This indicates that SUSA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than QUS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SUSA	QUS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.20%	3.76%	+1.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.79%	7.13%	+2.66%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.15%	14.49%	+3.66%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.32%	14.37%	+2.95%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	18.12%	16.40%	+1.72%