FlexShares US Quality Large Cap Index Fund (QLC) Performance
QLC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +12.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +16.1% total return
- 5 years
- +13.9% a year
- 10 years
- +14.6% a year
- Since first price
- +14.0% a year since 2015
QLC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | QLC total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.6% | −1.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +1.0% | +0.7% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +6.8% | +6.3% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +12.0% | +11.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +16.1% | +14.9% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +97.8%+25.5%/yr | +91.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +91.4%+13.9%/yr | +80.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +289.3%+14.6%/yr | +238.5% | — | — | — |
| Since inceptionSep 24, 2015 | +327.2%+14.0%/yr | +264.4% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: QLC vs SPY
From Sep 24, 2015: QLC grew to $42,721, SPY to $47,126.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
QLC returns by calendar year
8 of 10 full years positive. Best 2021 (+28.5%), worst 2022 (−17.2%). 2026 is year to date.
QLC annual returns table
| Year | QLC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +12.0% | −8.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +23.3% | −18.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +26.7% | −8.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +26.0% | −9.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.2% | −23.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +28.5% | −5.9% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +13.6% | −35.9% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +24.5% | −8.3% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −8.1% | −20.7% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +21.7% | −6.1% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +9.0% | −7.8% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
QLC largest drawdowns
Now 3.7% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | −35.9% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 25, 2020 | 40 days | 6 months |
| Dec 29, 2021 | −23.8% | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 8, 2023 | 9 months | 1.9 years |
| Sep 21, 2018 | −20.7% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 7, 2019 | 3 months | 1.1 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −18.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jun 24, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
| Nov 5, 2015 | −12.1% | Feb 5, 2016 | Jul 13, 2016 | 3 months | 8 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
QLC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +25.3% | +15.3% | +14.6% | +14.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.2% | 15.5% | 15.7% | 15.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.58 | 0.77 | 0.81 | 0.81 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.31 | 1.24 | 1.26 | 1.26 |
| Best month | +9.8% | +9.8% | +12.8% | +12.8% |
| Worst month | −5.6% | −9.3% | −12.4% | −12.4% |
| Best 12 months | +39.9% | +39.9% | +53.9% | +53.9% |
| Worst 12 months | +9.5% | −17.2% | −17.2% | −17.2% |
| Positive months | 69% | 63% | 67% | 67% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.97 | 0.98 | 1.01 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.99 | 0.99 | 0.99 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
QLC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 122 | −17.2% | +16.6% | +53.9% | 85% |
| 3-year (a year) | 98 | +1.1% | +11.7% | +26.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 74 | +6.7% | +13.8% | +19.1% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 14 | +13.3% | +14.5% | +15.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
QLC performance overview
FlexShares US Quality Large Cap Index Fund (QLC) returned +16.1% over the past year and +14.6% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +14.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $42,721. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −35.9%, from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. QLC finished 8 of its 10 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+28.5%) and the worst 2022 (−17.2%). Volatility has been 15.4% a year.
Related: QLC chart, QLC holdings, QLC dividends, QLC valuation. See the QLC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
QLC performance FAQ
What is the QLC return over the past year?
QLC returned +16.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 14.9%.
What is the average annual return of QLC?
QLC has returned +13.9% a year over 5 years, +14.6% a year over 10 years, +14.0% a year since September 24, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in QLC be worth?
$10,000 invested in QLC at its first recorded close on September 24, 2015 would be worth about $42,721 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for QLC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −17.2%. The best was 2021 at +28.5%.
What is the biggest drawdown of QLC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −35.9% between February 12, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 25, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is QLC?
Over the past 3 years QLC had an annualized volatility of 12.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.58 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).