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XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

XQLT.TO (iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF) and XSP.TO (iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)) are both exchange-traded funds - XQLT.TO is a Large Cap Growth Equities fund tracking the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, while XSP.TO is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, XQLT.TO returned 14.73%/yr vs 12.18%/yr for XSP.TO. A 0.68 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. XQLT.TO charges 0.32%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for XSP.TO.

Performance

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF (XQLT.TO) and iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XSP.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with XQLT.TO having a 10.01% return and XSP.TO slightly lower at 9.64%.

XQLT.TO

1D
0.35%
1M
6.81%
YTD
10.01%
6M
8.23%
1Y
22.80%
3Y*
20.56%
5Y*
14.73%
10Y*
—

XSP.TO

1D
-0.73%
1M
4.98%
YTD
9.64%
6M
9.50%
1Y
25.13%
3Y*
20.28%
5Y*
12.18%
10Y*
13.79%
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)2025202420232022202120202019
XQLT.TO
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF		10.01%7.09%32.37%28.08%-17.15%27.90%11.61%9.78%
XSP.TO
iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)		9.64%15.68%23.39%24.33%-19.32%27.85%15.17%7.59%

Correlation

The correlation between XQLT.TO and XSP.TO is 0.84, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.84

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.80

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.78

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 13, 2019

0.68

The correlation between XQLT.TO and XSP.TO shifts across timeframes, from 0.68 (all time) to 0.84 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors
XQLT.TO
XSP.TO

Technology

37.0%
36.2%

Financial Services

11.8%
11.9%

Communication Services

11.0%
10.9%

Consumer Cyclical

9.3%
10.1%

Healthcare

8.8%
8.4%

Industrials

7.9%
8.1%

Consumer Defensive

4.9%
4.9%

Energy

4.0%
3.5%

Utilities

1.8%
2.3%

Real Estate

1.8%
1.9%

Basic Materials

1.7%
1.8%

Technology

XQLT.TO
37.0%
XSP.TO
36.2%

Financial Services

XQLT.TO
11.8%
XSP.TO
11.9%

Communication Services

XQLT.TO
11.0%
XSP.TO
10.9%

Consumer Cyclical

XQLT.TO
9.3%
XSP.TO
10.1%

Healthcare

XQLT.TO
8.8%
XSP.TO
8.4%

Industrials

XQLT.TO
7.9%
XSP.TO
8.1%

Consumer Defensive

XQLT.TO
4.9%
XSP.TO
4.9%

Energy

XQLT.TO
4.0%
XSP.TO
3.5%

Utilities

XQLT.TO
1.8%
XSP.TO
2.3%

Real Estate

XQLT.TO
1.8%
XSP.TO
1.9%

Basic Materials

XQLT.TO
1.7%
XSP.TO
1.8%

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF

iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)

Often compared with XQLT.TO:
XQLT.TO vs. XVLU.TOXQLT.TO vs. VOOXQLT.TO vs. HYLD.TOXQLT.TO vs. SPYXQLT.TO vs. VFV.TOXQLT.TO vs. ZSP.TOXQLT.TO vs. XGRO.TO
Often compared with XSP.TO:
XSP.TO vs. XUS.TOXSP.TO vs. XEQT.TOXSP.TO vs. ZSP.TOXSP.TO vs. VSP.TOXSP.TO vs. XIU.TOXSP.TO vs. VFVAXSP.TO vs. XQQ.TO

Return for Risk

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
XQLT.TO
XQLT.TO Risk / Return Rank: 5757
Overall Rank
XQLT.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5757
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XQLT.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 5959
Sortino Ratio Rank
XQLT.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 5656
Omega Ratio Rank
XQLT.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 5555
Calmar Ratio Rank
XQLT.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 5959
Martin Ratio Rank
XSP.TO
XSP.TO Risk / Return Rank: 6161
Overall Rank
XSP.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6363
Sharpe Ratio Rank
XSP.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 6262
Sortino Ratio Rank
XSP.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 6262
Omega Ratio Rank
XSP.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 5353
Calmar Ratio Rank
XSP.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 6666
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF (XQLT.TO) and iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XSP.TO). 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.

XQLT.TOXSP.TODifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
1.94
2.15

-0.21

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.81
2.96

-0.15

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.35

1.39

-0.04

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

2.74

2.68

+0.06

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

10.40

12.40

-2.00

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current XQLT.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.94, which is comparable to the XSP.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of XQLT.TO and XSP.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

XQLT.TOXSP.TODifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

1.94

2.15

-0.21

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.95

0.73

+0.22

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

—

0.76

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.93

0.37

+0.56

Drawdowns

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum XQLT.TO drawdown since its inception was -25.12%, smaller than the maximum XSP.TO drawdown of -57.82%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for XQLT.TO and XSP.TO.

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Drawdown Indicators

XQLT.TOXSP.TODifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-25.12%

-57.82%

+32.70%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-8.35%

-9.41%

+1.06%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-18.95%

-18.77%

-0.18%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-25.12%

-25.44%

+0.32%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

—

-36.05%

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-1.21%

-0.73%

-0.48%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-5.20%

-12.11%

+6.91%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

2.20%

2.03%

+0.17%

Volatility

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Volatility Comparison

iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF (XQLT.TO) has a higher volatility of 3.85% compared to iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (XSP.TO) at 3.25%. This indicates that XQLT.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than XSP.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

XQLT.TOXSP.TODifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

3.85%

3.25%

+0.60%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

9.31%

8.99%

+0.32%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

11.85%

11.75%

+0.10%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

15.58%

16.75%

-1.17%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

16.44%

18.19%

-1.75%

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

XQLT.TO has a 0.32% expense ratio, which is higher than XSP.TO's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

XQLT.TO vs. XSP.TO - Dividend Comparison

XQLT.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.63%, less than XSP.TO's 1.12% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
XQLT.TO
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor Index ETF		0.63%0.69%0.72%0.94%1.21%0.87%1.11%1.23%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%
XSP.TO
iShares Core S&P 500 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged)		1.12%1.23%1.09%1.18%1.37%1.00%1.31%1.73%1.84%1.47%1.75%1.86%

Frequently Asked Questions

XQLT.TO and XSP.TO have a correlation of 0.84, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

On fees, XSP.TO is cheaper at 0.09% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

XSP.TO is cheaper with a 0.09% expense ratio, compared with 0.32% for XQLT.TO.

XQLT.TO is categorized as Large Cap Growth Equities, while XSP.TO is S&P 500. XQLT.TO tracks MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, while XSP.TO tracks S&P 500 Index. Their fees differ too: 0.32% for XQLT.TO and 0.09% for XSP.TO.

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