Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF (QVAL) Performance
QVAL total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +30.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +37.5% total return
- 5 years
- +13.7% a year
- 10 years
- +12.7% a year
- Since first price
- +9.9% a year since 2014
QVAL trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | QVAL total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +7.3% | +6.8% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +11.8% | +11.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +16.3% | +15.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +30.9% | +29.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +37.5% | +35.3% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +87.5%+23.3%/yr | +78.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +90.1%+13.7%/yr | +73.5% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +230.2%+12.7%/yr | +179.0% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 22, 2014 | +209.8%+9.9%/yr | +155.6% | — | — | — |
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: QVAL vs SPY
From Oct 22, 2014: QVAL grew to $30,981, SPY to $48,130.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
QVAL returns by calendar year
7 of 11 full years positive. Best 2021 (+34.4%), worst 2018 (−17.3%). 2026 is year to date.
QVAL annual returns table
| Year | QVAL | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +30.9% | −6.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.0% | −19.8% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.2% | −7.5% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +28.4% | −14.7% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −11.8% | −26.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +34.4% | −10.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −5.9% | −48.7% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +24.1% | −15.7% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −17.3% | −28.0% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +25.6% | −5.0% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | +13.0% | −13.2% | +12.0% | +7.1% | +2.4% |
| 2015 | −13.5% | −21.7% | +1.2% | +9.4% | +0.5% |
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.
QVAL largest drawdowns
Now 0.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2018 | −51.5% | Mar 23, 2020 | Mar 12, 2021 | 2.2 years | 3.1 years |
| Apr 23, 2015 | −30.1% | Feb 11, 2016 | Oct 2, 2017 | 10 months | 2.4 years |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −27.2% | Sep 26, 2022 | Sep 1, 2023 | 10 months | 1.8 years |
| Dec 2, 2024 | −21.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Oct 1, 2025 | 4 months | 10 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
QVAL risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.2% | +13.3% | +11.5% | +8.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 14.5% | 19.8% | 22.0% | 21.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.93 | 0.55 | 0.51 | 0.42 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.63 | 0.87 | 0.73 | 0.61 |
| Best month | +7.9% | +15.4% | +16.1% | +16.1% |
| Worst month | −5.8% | −16.7% | −28.1% | −28.1% |
| Best 12 months | +37.9% | +47.8% | +83.3% | +83.3% |
| Worst 12 months | −3.5% | −13.1% | −35.5% | −35.5% |
| Positive months | 61% | 58% | 62% | 59% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.75 | 0.97 | 1.18 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.64 | 0.77 | 0.82 | — |
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.
QVAL rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 133 | −35.5% | +8.8% | +83.3% | 65% |
| 3-year (a year) | 109 | −9.2% | +9.3% | +25.4% | 90% |
| 5-year (a year) | 85 | −6.6% | +9.5% | +20.8% | 93% |
| 10-year (a year) | 25 | +5.8% | +9.1% | +12.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2014. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
QVAL performance overview
Alpha Architect U.S. Quantitative Value ETF (QVAL) returned +37.5% over the past year and +12.7% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2014 it has returned +9.9% a year, turning $10,000 into about $30,981. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −51.5%, from Jan 26, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 12 months to get back to the old high. QVAL finished 7 of its 11 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+34.4%) and the worst 2018 (−17.3%). Volatility has been 21.1% a year.
Related: QVAL chart, QVAL holdings, QVAL dividends, QVAL valuation. See the QVAL overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
QVAL performance FAQ
What is the QVAL return over the past year?
QVAL returned +37.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 35.3%.
What is the average annual return of QVAL?
QVAL has returned +13.7% a year over 5 years, +12.7% a year over 10 years, +9.9% a year since October 22, 2014 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in QVAL be worth?
$10,000 invested in QVAL at its first recorded close on October 22, 2014 would be worth about $30,981 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for QVAL?
The worst calendar year was 2018, with a total return of −17.3%. The best was 2021 at +34.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of QVAL?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −51.5% between January 26, 2018 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on March 12, 2021, 12 months after the bottom.
How volatile is QVAL?
Over the past 3 years QVAL had an annualized volatility of 14.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.93 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).