# iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL): ETF Facts & Distributions > Markdown mirror of https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/qual for AI agents. Same live data as the HTML page, regenerated on the same refresh cycle. Not investment advice. - Issuer: IShares · Asset class: Equity - Strategy: Passive Index · Inception: 2013-07-16 The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF is structured to replicate the financial performance of an underlying index. This index is comprised of large and mid-sized American corporations, chosen for their superior quality attributes as determined by specific fundamental financial indicators. ## Key Facts | Metric | Value | |---|---| | Price | $222.82 | | Expense Ratio | 0.15% | | Assets Under Management | $48.17B | | NAV | $222.81 | | Holdings Count | 118 | | Distribution Yield (TTM) | 0.85% | | Annual Distribution (TTM) | $1.89 /share | | Distribution Frequency | Quarterly | | 52-Week Range | $185.89 – $228.13 | | Beta | 0.90 | ## Latest Distribution - Amount: $0.4727 /share - Ex-date: 2026-09-15 - Pay date: 2026-09-18 ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does QUAL invest in? The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF is structured to replicate the financial performance of an underlying index. This index is comprised of large and mid-sized American corporations, chosen for their superior quality attributes as determined by specific fundamental financial indicators. ### What is the expense ratio of QUAL? iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) charges an expense ratio of 0.15%. This is the annual fee deducted from fund assets to cover management and operations. ### How big is QUAL? iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) manages $48.17B in total assets. AUM determines bid-ask liquidity and the fund's vulnerability to closure. Funds below ~$50M are at higher risk of liquidation. ### Is QUAL actively managed or an index fund? QUAL is a passive index fund. It tracks a published benchmark by holding the constituents in their published weights. Index funds typically charge low expense ratios (QUAL's is 0.15%) because there's no security selection cost. ### When was QUAL launched? iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) launched in July 2013 and is managed by IShares. ### How has QUAL performed? QUAL's total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is charted at the top of this page. Switch the price chart to Total Return and pick a 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, or 10-year window to read the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over each horizon. ### Does QUAL pay a dividend? iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) currently distributes little or no income. Trailing-twelve-month yield is 0.85%. Investors looking for income should consider income-focused alternatives. See the Peers tab. ### How often does QUAL pay dividends? iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF pays dividends Quarterly. Each ex-dividend date, record date, and payment date is listed in the dividend history table on this page. ### What is QUAL's dividend yield? QUAL's trailing-twelve-month yield is 0.85%, calculated from the sum of dividends over the past year divided by the current price. ### When is QUAL's next ex-dividend date? The most recently announced ex-dividend date for QUAL was 2026-09-15. The next ex-date typically follows Quarterly; once announced it appears at the top of the dividend history table on this page. ### How much will QUAL's expense ratio cost me over 30 years? On a $10,000 investment compounding at 7% gross return, a 0.15% expense ratio quietly compounds against your balance every year. The Fee Compounding Forecast card above projects the dollar drag for any holding period and assumption you pick. The typical result for a 1.0% expense ratio on a 30-year hold is roughly 25% of the final balance lost to fees. ### How does QUAL charge its expense ratio? The expense ratio is deducted in tiny daily slices from QUAL's net asset value (NAV). You never see a bill. The price quoted on every exchange is already net of fees. There's no "fee day" to avoid; the cost is continuous and built into the trading price. ### Why does QUAL cost more than a fund like VOO? QUAL is a passive index fund (current expense ratio 0.15%). Differences from broad-market ETFs like VOO usually come from index licensing fees, asset class (bond funds typically run cheaper than equity), or fund scale (smaller funds spread fixed operating costs across less AUM). ### Are there cheaper alternatives to QUAL? The Lower-Fee Alternatives card above lists ETFs following the same investment strategy as QUAL (0.15%) but at a lower expense ratio. Each row shows the fee gap, the peer's AUM as a liquidity sanity-check, and a direct link to that fund's analysis page. Cheaper price doesn't automatically mean better. Verify the peer holds what you actually want. ## More on Dividend Data - Overview (HTML): https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/qual - Distribution history: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/qual/dividend - Holdings & diversification: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/qual/diversification - Fees & cheaper alternatives: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/qual/expenses - Peer comparison: https://www.dividenddata.com/funds/qual/peers Data sourced from primary filings and market data providers; see https://www.dividenddata.com/methodology.