Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
QUAL vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, QUAL returned +13.1% to VGSH's +1.7%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $48.2bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGSH costs 0.12 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 11.4 points; QUAL is 1.4 times larger.
| Measure | QUAL | VGSH |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +13.1% | +1.7% |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.15% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $47.7bn | $35.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 97% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 44.5% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, QUAL and VGSH hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
QUAL and VGSH on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
QUAL
QUAL tracks the MSCI USA Quality Factor. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +13.1% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 97% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 119 positions, with the top ten at 44.5%.
VGSH
VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, QUAL or VGSH?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, QUAL returned +13.1% and VGSH +1.7%.
- Which is cheaper, QUAL or VGSH?
- VGSH is cheaper, by 0.12 percentage points a year. That is about $12 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
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ETFIQ, QUAL against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qual-vs-vgsh
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). QUAL against VGSH. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qual-vs-vgsh
[QUAL against VGSH (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/qual-vs-vgsh)
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