Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GARP vs QUAL: how they differ
GARP and QUAL hold 42% of their weight in the same names, and GARP returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, GARP and QUAL hold 42% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | GARP | QUAL |
|---|---|---|
| APPLE INC | 4.44% | 6.28% |
| NVIDIA CORP | 4.16% | 6.52% |
| MICROSOFT CORP | 4.10% | 5.05% |
| META PLATFORMS INC | 3.35% | 3.50% |
| LAM RESEARCH CORP | 3.79% | 3.23% |
| VISA INC | 3.73% | 3.09% |
| ELI LILLY & COMPANY | 3.73% | 2.92% |
| KLA CORP | 6.46% | 2.79% |
| ALPHABET INC | 2.88% | 2.54% |
| NETFLIX INC | 2.85% | 2.00% |
| MASTERCARD INC | 1.63% | 2.30% |
| ARISTA NETWORKS INC | 1.27% | 1.49% |
| Only in GARP | Only in QUAL |
|---|---|
| MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC 6.07% | THE TJX COMPANIES, INC. 3.19% |
| BROADCOM INC 3.96% | CATERPILLAR INC. 2.52% |
| ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC 2.21% | APPLIED MATERIALS, INC. 2.45% |
| GE AEROSPACE 2.13% | BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC. 2.12% |
| PALANTIR TECHNOLOGIES INC 1.78% | JOHNSON & JOHNSON 1.92% |
| AMPHENOL CORP 1.52% | SLB N.V. 1.56% |
| AMAZON.COM INC 1.49% | QUALCOMM INCORPORATED 1.42% |
| ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD 1.46% | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION 1.31% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
| GARP iShares MSCI USA Quality GARP ETF | QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | MSCI USA Quality GARP | MSCI USA Quality Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | +29.5% | +16.0% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +12.0 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 94.4% | 98.9% |
| Holdings | 131 | 121 |
GARP in plain words
GARP is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Quality GARP. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +29.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 94% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 131 positions, with the top ten at 43.8%.
QUAL in plain words
QUAL is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Quality Factor. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 99% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 121 positions, with the top ten at 39.1%. It sat 3.1% below its high of Aug 13, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GARP or QUAL?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GARP returned +29.5% and QUAL returned +16.0%, so GARP returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GARP or QUAL?
- GARP charges 0.15% a year and QUAL charges 0.15%, so GARP is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do GARP and QUAL overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 94% of GARP and 99% of QUAL by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 42% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
Where to next
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GARP against QUAL, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GARP-QUAL Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources