iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

QUAL

Market cap $50.3B

With U.S. debt on track for new highs, investors should turn to defensive ETF strategies for stability.

With gold and silver prices tumbling, discover defensive ETFs that help cushion portfolios beyond metals.

Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) first-quarter earnings report highlighted more than just strong iPhone sales. The results help explain why the company remains a top holding in dividend growth and quality factor ETFs alongside traditional tech funds.

Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - All Cap Blend category of the market, the iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 07/16/2013.

Rising geopolitical risks, Fed uncertainty and credit card policy debates make defensive ETFs worth a look.

Short-term pain for long-term leaders.

iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) earns a Hold rating due to its quality focus and relative resilience versus SPY and VOO. QUAL tracks the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality Index, emphasizing high ROE, low earnings variability, and low debt-to-equity across 125 holdings. QUAL has underperformed SPY over recent years but is expected to fare better in market downturns due to lower concentration risk.

The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF largely reflects the S&P 500's performance, offering only minor deviations via quality screens on ROE, leverage, and earnings volatility. QUAL's sector and top holdings composition largely mirrors SPY, with slightly different weights due to its quality filter but similar market risk and drawdown profile. Despite its quantamental approach, QUAL does not deliver pure quality factor exposure; its performance is essentially market-driven, not isolated from broad equity trends.

"Bloomberg ETF IQ" focuses on the opportunities, risks and current trends tied to the trillions of dollars in the global exchange traded funds industry. Today's guests: Capital Group Head of Global Product Strategy and Development Holly Framsted, State Street Investment Management CEO Yie-Hsin Hung and HDGE ETF Co-Portfolio Manager Brad Lamensdorf.

After 10 years and under $100 million in assets, many ETFs still trading are on life support, before possibly being sent to the graveyard. However, last week assets in the previously obscure iShares Systematic Bond ETF (SYSB) rose approximately ten-fold.