American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF (VALQ) Performance
VALQ total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +13.5% total return
- 5 years
- +9.4% a year
- Since first price
- +9.0% a year since 2018
VALQ trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | VALQ total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.2% | +2.2% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +5.6% | +5.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +9.7% | +8.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.4% | +9.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +13.5% | +11.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +60.4%+17.1%/yr | +52.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +56.6%+9.4%/yr | +41.7% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJan 16, 2018 | +113.5%+9.0%/yr | +77.8% | — | — | — |
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: VALQ vs SPY
From Jan 16, 2018: VALQ grew to $21,351, SPY to $31,333.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
VALQ returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2021 (+27.0%), worst 2022 (−7.7%). 2026 is year to date.
VALQ annual returns table
| Year | VALQ | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.4% | −7.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +10.6% | −15.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +16.7% | −6.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +13.9% | −9.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −7.7% | −20.2% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +27.0% | −5.7% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +0.6% | −38.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +24.5% | −6.9% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
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.
VALQ largest drawdowns
Now 1.2% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | −38.2% | Mar 23, 2020 | Jan 6, 2021 | 40 days | 11 months |
| Apr 20, 2022 | −20.2% | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 11, 2023 | 5 months | 1.6 years |
| Sep 20, 2018 | −18.2% | Dec 24, 2018 | Sep 11, 2019 | 3 months | 12 months |
| Dec 2, 2024 | −15.6% | Apr 8, 2025 | Aug 13, 2025 | 4 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.
VALQ risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +14.7% | +9.5% | +8.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.6% | 14.6% | 16.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.87 | 0.45 | 0.44 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.35 | 0.67 | 0.63 |
| Best month | +7.2% | +11.2% | +11.8% |
| Worst month | −6.1% | −10.1% | −16.8% |
| Best 12 months | +30.3% | +30.3% | +54.2% |
| Worst 12 months | +3.3% | −12.1% | −19.0% |
| Positive months | 69% | 60% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.74 | 0.81 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.79 | 0.87 | — |
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.
VALQ rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 94 | −19.0% | +9.4% | +54.2% | 76% |
| 3-year (a year) | 70 | +3.3% | +10.7% | +17.8% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 46 | +5.7% | +9.7% | +16.5% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
VALQ performance overview
American Century STOXX U.S. Quality Value ETF (VALQ) returned +13.5% over the past year and +9.4% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +9.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $21,351. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −38.2%, from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 9 months to get back to the old high. VALQ finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+27.0%) and the worst 2022 (−7.7%). Volatility has been 16.1% a year.
Related: VALQ chart, VALQ holdings, VALQ dividends, VALQ valuation. See the VALQ overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
VALQ performance FAQ
What is the VALQ return over the past year?
VALQ returned +13.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 11.5%.
What is the average annual return of VALQ?
VALQ has returned +9.4% a year over 5 years, +9.0% a year since January 16, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in VALQ be worth?
$10,000 invested in VALQ at its first recorded close on January 16, 2018 would be worth about $21,351 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for VALQ?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −7.7%. The best was 2021 at +27.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of VALQ?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −38.2% between February 12, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on January 6, 2021, 9 months after the bottom.
How volatile is VALQ?
Over the past 3 years VALQ had an annualized volatility of 11.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.87 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).