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QUAL

$57.29-0.54%Global / All World60/100
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VanEck MSCI World ex-Aus Quality ETF · VanEck

Data as at 29 March 2026

TL;DR

Screens global developed market companies for high return on equity, stable earnings, and low debt. Selects approximately 300 companies from the MSCI World universe that pass all three financial quality tests.

MER (Annual Fee)
0.40%
#7 lowest in Global / All World
1Y Return
+3.2%
3Y Return (p.a.)
+15.7%
Dividend Yield
2.04%
Trailing 12 months
AUM
$8,022.5M
Assets under management
Avg Daily Turnover
$10.5M
Avg shares × unit price
Unit Price
$57.29
As at 29 March 2026
Provider
VanEck
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Strategy

Uses the MSCI Quality factor screen to select approximately 300 companies from the MSCI World ex-Australia universe. Holdings must pass thresholds on ROE, earnings variability, and debt-to-equity ratios. Managed by VanEck.

Top Holdings

NVIDIA
5.1%
Microsoft
4.8%
Apple
4.2%
Meta
3.5%
Alphabet
3.2%
Eli Lilly
2.8%
Visa
2.5%
Mastercard
2.2%
UnitedHealth
2.0%
ASML
1.8%
Key Fact

QUAL is managed by VanEck, not iShares or Vanguard. It is one of the best-performing international ETFs on the ASX since inception, though its quality screen means it excludes the cheapest and most speculative companies by design.

Suited for

Investors who want a quality-factor tilt on their international equity allocation. Quality companies — high margins, stable earnings, low debt — have historically outperformed broader indexes over long periods.

Risks

Quality factor strategies can underperform in recovery rallies when low-quality, heavily indebted companies bounce hardest from market lows. The 0.40% MER is higher than plain index alternatives.

ETFCheck Score60/100
Fees (40%)40
Fund Size (25%)82
Liquidity (20%)77
Yield (15%)53
How scores are calculated →
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0.08% MER
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QLTY
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Frequently Asked Questions - QUAL

How does QUAL select 'quality' stocks and what makes its methodology different from QLTY?+
QUAL tracks the MSCI World ex-Australia Quality Index, screening for three factors: high return on equity, stable year-over-year earnings growth, and low financial leverage. Unlike BetaShares' QLTY, which uses a proprietary composite score across roughly 150 holdings, QUAL draws from the broader MSCI World universe excluding Australian stocks. This methodological difference means sector weightings diverge notably, with QUAL historically carrying heavier US mega-cap tech exposure.
Does QUAL actually protect portfolios during market downturns as claimed?+
QUAL's quality factor has historically demonstrated defensive characteristics, with high-ROE and low-debt companies tending to hold earnings better during recessions. During the 2022 downturn, QUAL outperformed broader global indices like VGS on a drawdown basis. However, it's not a hedge - it still fell meaningfully. Australian SMSF investors should treat it as a tilt toward resilience rather than a substitute for defensive allocations like bonds or cash.
Why is QUAL's yield only 0.95% and how are its distributions taxed in Australia?+
QUAL yields approximately 0.95% because quality companies typically reinvest profits rather than paying large dividends, prioritising growth and buybacks. Distributions are paid semi-annually and treated as foreign income for Australian tax purposes, meaning no franking credits apply. SMSF investors and retirees seeking income may prefer higher-yielding global ETFs, but QUAL's total return of 20.2% over one year shows capital growth more than compensates.
At 0.40% MER, is QUAL good value compared to other global factor ETFs on the ASX?+
QUAL's 0.40% MER sits between BetaShares QLTY at 0.35% and VanEck's MOAT at 0.49%, making it competitively priced for a factor-based global ETF. Compared to plain vanilla global ETFs like VGS at 0.18%, you're paying an extra 22 basis points for the quality screen. Given QUAL's strong one-year return of 20.2% and historical outperformance, many Australian investors consider the premium justified for long-term factor exposure.