Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
QUAL vs VBR: how they differ
QUAL and VBR hold 3% of their weight in the same names.
iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF and Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, QUAL and VBR hold 3% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | QUAL | VBR |
|---|---|---|
| ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION | 1.21% | 0.62% |
| WILLIAMS-SONOMA, INC. | 0.59% | 0.59% |
| EMCOR GROUP, INC. | 0.35% | 0.40% |
| BEST BUY CO., INC. | 0.27% | 0.33% |
| NVR, Inc. | 0.42% | 0.19% |
| LULULEMON ATHLETICA INC. | 0.38% | 0.13% |
| F5, INC. | 0.13% | 0.50% |
| BALL CORPORATION | 0.12% | 0.36% |
| GARTNER, INC. | 0.10% | 0.18% |
| CARLISLE COMPANIES INCORPORATED | 0.10% | 0.32% |
| UNITED THERAPEUTICS CORPORATION | 0.09% | 0.25% |
| OMNICOM GROUP INC. | 0.05% | 0.45% |
| Only in QUAL | Only in VBR |
|---|---|
| NVIDIA CORPORATION 6.52% | Jabil Inc 0.87% |
| APPLE INC. 6.28% | NRG Energy Inc 0.66% |
| MICROSOFT CORPORATION 5.05% | Tapestry Inc 0.64% |
| META PLATFORMS, INC. 3.50% | Moderna Inc 0.54% |
| LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION 3.23% | Smurfit Westrock PLC 0.52% |
| THE TJX COMPANIES, INC. 3.19% | US Foods Holding Corp 0.48% |
| VISA INC. 3.09% | JB Hunt Transport Services Inc 0.47% |
| ELI LILLY AND COMPANY 2.92% | Expand Energy Corp 0.47% |
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 | VBR Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | Vanguard |
| What it is | MSCI USA Quality Factor | Small-Cap Value |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.0% | +16.3% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −1.5 pts | −1.2 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.05% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 98.9% | 30.5% |
| Holdings | 121 | 840 |
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.
VBR in plain words
VBR is an index equity fund tracking the Small-Cap Value. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +16.3% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.05% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 30% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 840 positions, with the top ten at 5.9%. It sat 3.8% below its high of Aug 14, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QUAL or VBR?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QUAL returned +16.0% and VBR returned +16.3%, so VBR returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, QUAL or VBR?
- QUAL charges 0.15% a year and VBR charges 0.05%, so VBR is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do QUAL and VBR overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 99% of QUAL and 30% of VBR 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 VBR, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/QUAL-VBR Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources