Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Alternative ETFs

QAI vs QALT: Correlation to the S&P 500

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, QALT moved less with the S&P 500 than QAI: correlation +0.60 against +0.89.

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Net assets: $1.0bn on Jul 31, 2026 for NYLIM Hedge Multi-Strategy Tracker ETF, and $194m on Jun 30, 2026 for SEI DBi Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF.

At a glance
+0.89
QAI correlation with the S&P 500
+0.60
QALT correlation with the S&P 500
50.9%
QAI down-week capture
45.7%
QALT down-week capture
QAI Fell 51% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 51% as much as the S&P 500QAI in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, QAI −0.54%.SPY−1.07%QAI−0.54%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 51% as much as the S&P 500QAI in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, QAI −0.54%.SPY−1.07%QAI−0.54%Average week when SPY fell

QAI in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, QAI −0.54%.

QALT Fell 46% as much as the S&P 500
Fell 46% as much as the S&P 500QALT in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, QALT −0.49%.SPY−1.07%QALT−0.49%Average week when SPY fell: 26 of 52, year to Nov 4, 2026Fell 46% as much as the S&P 500QALT in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, QALT −0.49%.SPY−1.07%QALT−0.49%Average week when SPY fell

QALT in the 26 weeks SPY fell, year to Nov 4, 2026: SPY averaged −1.07%, QALT −0.49%.

Pair scorecard

QALT costs 0.01 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.2 points.

QAI vs QALT: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureQAIQALT
Return
Total return, 1 year+7.7%+6.5%
Against its benchmark
Treasury bills, 52 weeks+3.7%
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.81%0.80%
Net assets, QAI as of Jul 31, 2026 and QALT as of Jun 30, 2026$1.0bn$194m
Holdings
Holdings in commonnot published
Risk
Beta to the S&P 500+0.45: about 0.45% for each 1%+0.31: about 0.31% for each 1%
Its average week when the S&P 500 fellfell 0.54%fell 0.49%

Method

Risk and return

Sep 5, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 60 weekly returns
QAI QALT
Return
Total return edge QALT +8.7% +10.8%
Annualized edge QALT +7.5% +9.3%
Price return edge QAI +7.0% +3.5%
Risk
Volatility edge QAI 5.9% 6.7%
Max drawdown edge QAI −3.4% −4.5%
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe edge QALT 0.60 0.79
Sortino edge QALT 0.91 1.03
Calmar edge QAI (slight) 2.17 2.07
Reading

From Sep 2025 to Oct 2026, QALT returned more: +10.8% to +8.7%. QAI swung less: 5.9% to 6.7%. QAI fell less at its worst: −3.4% to −4.5%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: QAI vs QALT: Correlation to the S&P 500
MeasureQAIQALTEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+8.7%+10.8%QALTPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized+7.5%+9.3%QALTTotal return as a yearly rate.
Price return+7.0%+3.5%QAIPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility5.9%6.7%QAISpread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation3.9%5.2%QAILike volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown−3.4%−4.5%QAIDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe0.600.79QALTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino0.911.03QALTReturn above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar2.172.07QAI (slight)Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 60 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

Window by window

Window by window: QAI vs QALT: Correlation to the S&P 500
Total returnvs its benchmark
WindowQAIQALTQAIQALT
3 months−2.0%−2.2%−1.7 pts vs IWVnot measured
6 months−1.3%+1.0%−6.2 pts vs IWVnot measured
1 year+7.7%+6.5%−7.1 pts vs IWVnot measured
3 years+28.1%–−52.9 pts vs IWV–
Since launchNot the same days: QAI Mar 2009 · QALT Aug 2025+79.4%+10.0%not measurednot measured

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Side by side

QAI NYLIM Hedge Multi-Strategy Tracker ETF · Multi-strategy fund: runs several alternative strategies at once, or aims to return what hedge funds as a group return QALT SEI DBi Multi-Strategy Alternative ETF · Multi-strategy fund: runs several alternative strategies at once, or aims to return what hedge funds as a group return
Strategy Multi-strategy Multi-strategy
Correlation with the S&P 500 +0.89 +0.60
Beta to the S&P 500 +0.45 +0.31
Down-week capture 50.9% 45.7%
Average week when the S&P 500 fell −0.54% −0.49%
The S&P 500 in those weeks −1.07% −1.07%
Total return, same 52 weeks +7.1% +6.2%
Against T-bills, percentage points +3.5 pts +2.5 pts
Expense ratio 0.81% 0.80%
First traded Mar 25, 2009 Aug 25, 2025
Net assets, QAI as of Jul 31, 2026 and QALT as of Jun 30, 2026 $1.0bn $194m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

One strategy, two funds

QAI and QALT both run a multi-strategy strategy. Over the same 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, QAI’s weekly returns had a correlation of +0.89 with the S&P 500 and QALT’s +0.60. In the 26 weeks the index fell, by 1.07% a week on average, QAI averaged −0.54% and QALT −0.49%. Over the same weeks, QAI finished 3.5 percentage points ahead of cash and QALT finished 2.5 points ahead of cash.

Client brief:

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About each fund
QAI

QAI is a multi-strategy fund. ETFIQ measures what every alternatives fund is sold on: whether it moves differently from the stock market. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, its weekly returns had a correlation of +0.89 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.45, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.45% the same way. The S&P 500 fell in 26 of those 52 weeks, by 1.07% on average. In the same weeks QAI fell 0.54% on average, a down-week capture of 50.9%. Over the same 52 weeks QAI returned +7.1% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 3.5 percentage points ahead of cash.

QALT

QALT is a multi-strategy fund. Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, its weekly returns had a correlation of +0.60 with the S&P 500’s and a beta of +0.31, so for each 1% the index moved it moved about 0.31% the same way. In the same weeks QALT fell 0.49% on average, a down-week capture of 45.7%. Over the same 52 weeks QALT returned +6.2% and a Treasury bill fund +3.7%, so it finished 2.5 percentage points ahead of cash.

Questions people ask

Which moved less with the S&P 500, QAI or QALT?
Over the 52 weeks to Nov 4, 2026, QAI’s weekly returns had a correlation of +0.89 with the S&P 500 and QALT’s +0.60, so QALT moved less with the index.
Which did better when the S&P 500 fell, QAI or QALT?
In the 26 weeks the S&P 500 fell, by 1.07% a week on average, QAI averaged −0.54% and QALT −0.49%, so QALT returned more in those weeks.
Which earned more than cash, QAI or QALT?
Over the same weeks, QAI finished 3.5 percentage points ahead of cash and QALT finished 2.5 percentage points ahead of cash. Cash here is BIL, a fund of Treasury bills.
Which is cheaper, QAI or QALT?
QAI charges 0.81% a year and QALT charges 0.80%, so QALT is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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ETFIQ, QAI against QALT, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/alternatives/qai-vs-qalt

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