Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
QUAL vs VB: how they differ
QUAL and VB hold 3% of their weight in the same names, and QUAL returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, QUAL and VB hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | QUAL | VB |
|---|---|---|
| ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION | 1.21% | 0.35% |
| EMCOR GROUP, INC. | 0.35% | 0.45% |
| WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC. | 0.59% | 0.33% |
| LENNOX INTERNATIONAL INC. | 0.19% | 0.22% |
| BEST BUY CO., INC. | 0.27% | 0.18% |
| DECKERS OUTDOOR CORPORATION | 0.41% | 0.17% |
| TEXAS PACIFIC LAND CORPORATION | 0.71% | 0.16% |
| F5, INC. | 0.13% | 0.29% |
| BALL CORPORATION | 0.12% | 0.20% |
| NVR, Inc. | 0.42% | 0.11% |
| GARTNER, INC. | 0.10% | 0.10% |
| CARLISLE COMPANIES INCORPORATED | 0.10% | 0.18% |
| Only in QUAL | Only in VB |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORPORATION 6.52% | Credo Technology Group Holding Ltd 0.55% |
| APPLE INC. 6.28% | Jabil Inc 0.49% |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION 5.05% | REVOLUTION Medicines Inc 0.46% |
| META PLATFORMS, INC. 3.50% | Astera Labs Inc 0.45% |
| LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION 3.23% | Natera Inc 0.45% |
| THE TJX COMPANIES, INC. 3.19% | Twilio Inc 0.38% |
| VISA INC. 3.09% | NRG Energy Inc 0.38% |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY 2.92% | MKS Instruments Inc 0.37% |
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.
| QUAL iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF | VB Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI USA Quality Factor | Small-Cap |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.0% | +15.2% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.5 pts | −2.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 98.9% | 21.7% |
| Holdings | 121 | 1311 |
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. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. 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.
VB in plain words
VB is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +15.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 1311 positions, with the top ten at 4.3%. It sat 5.1% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QUAL or VB?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QUAL returned +16.0% and VB returned +15.2%, so QUAL returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, QUAL or VB?
- QUAL charges 0.15% a year and VB charges 0.03%, so VB is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do QUAL and VB overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 99% of QUAL and 22% of VB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 3% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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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, QUAL against VB, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/QUAL-VB Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources