VFQY vs. SIXL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) and ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL).

VFQY and SIXL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. VFQY is an actively managed fund by Vanguard. It was launched on Feb 13, 2018. SIXL is an actively managed fund by Exchange Traded Concepts. It was launched on May 11, 2020.

Performance

VFQY vs. SIXL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) and ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VFQY vs. SIXL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
VFQY Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF	-2.43%	10.24%	12.93%	22.48%	-15.74%	27.96%	38.95%
SIXL ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF	4.48%	-0.61%	14.13%	2.38%	-7.49%	20.00%	18.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VFQY achieves a -2.43% return, which is significantly lower than SIXL's 4.48% return.

VFQY

• 1D: 2.08%
• 1M: -5.12%
• YTD: -2.43%
• 6M: -0.44%
• 1Y: 13.02%
• 3Y*: 12.78%
• 5Y*: 7.08%
• 10Y*: —

SIXL

• 1D: 0.42%
• 1M: -4.69%
• YTD: 4.48%
• 6M: 2.87%
• 1Y: 2.42%
• 3Y*: 7.20%
• 5Y*: 4.17%
• 10Y*: —

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

VFQY vs. SIXL - Expense Ratio Comparison

VFQY has a 0.13% expense ratio, which is lower than SIXL's 0.47% expense ratio.

SIXL

ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF

VFQY

Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF

Return for Risk

VFQY vs. SIXL — Risk / Return Rank

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

VFQY

VFQY Risk / Return Rank: 42
VFQY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
VFQY Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
VFQY Omega Ratio Rank: 39
VFQY Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
VFQY Martin Ratio Rank: 48

SIXL

SIXL Risk / Return Rank: 17
SIXL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
SIXL Sortino Ratio Rank: 15
SIXL Omega Ratio Rank: 15
SIXL Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
SIXL Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

VFQY vs. SIXL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) and ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL). 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.

	VFQY	SIXL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.67	0.20	+0.47
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.09	0.36	+0.73
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.05	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.06	0.37	+0.69
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.39	1.19	+3.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VFQY vs. SIXL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VFQY Sharpe Ratio is 0.67, which is higher than the SIXL Sharpe Ratio of 0.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VFQY and SIXL, 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

	VFQY	SIXL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.67	0.20	+0.47
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39	0.34	+0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.66	-0.18

Correlation

The correlation between VFQY and SIXL is 0.78, 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

VFQY vs. SIXL - Dividend Comparison

VFQY's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.21%, less than SIXL's 2.37% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VFQY Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF	1.21%	1.17%	1.34%	1.38%	1.43%	0.98%	1.22%	1.34%	1.31%
SIXL ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF	2.37%	2.31%	1.28%	1.48%	1.45%	0.67%	0.40%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VFQY vs. SIXL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VFQY drawdown since its inception was -37.41%, which is greater than SIXL's maximum drawdown of -16.08%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VFQY and SIXL.

Drawdown Indicators

	VFQY	SIXL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.41%	-16.08%	-21.33%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.84%	-8.63%	-4.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.93%	-16.08%	-9.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.91%	-5.07%	-1.84%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.80%	-4.60%	-2.20%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.09%	2.66%	+0.43%

Volatility

VFQY vs. SIXL - Volatility Comparison

Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor ETF (VFQY) has a higher volatility of 4.65% compared to ETC 6 Meridian Low Beta Equity Strategy ETF (SIXL) at 3.02%. This indicates that VFQY's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SIXL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VFQY	SIXL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.65%	3.02%	+1.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.35%	6.76%	+3.59%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.54%	12.15%	+7.39%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.39%	12.14%	+6.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.02%	12.64%	+8.38%