Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor (VFQY) Performance
VFQY total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +15.9% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +17.3% total return
- 5 years
- +8.9% a year
- Since first price
- +11.5% a year since 2018
VFQY trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | VFQY total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +2.6% | +2.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +4.7% | +4.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +12.4% | +11.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +15.9% | +15.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +17.3% | +16.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +68.5%+19.0%/yr | +62.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +53.3%+8.9%/yr | +43.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 15, 2018 | +158.2%+11.5%/yr | +130.1% | — | — | — |
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: VFQY vs SPY
From Feb 15, 2018: VFQY grew to $25,821, SPY to $31,785.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
VFQY returns by calendar year
6 of 7 full years positive. Best 2021 (+28.0%), worst 2022 (−15.7%). 2026 is year to date.
VFQY annual returns table
| Year | VFQY | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +15.9% | −9.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +10.2% | −19.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.9% | −7.9% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +22.5% | −10.3% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −15.7% | −24.4% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +28.0% | −7.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +17.0% | −37.4% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +25.7% | −9.8% | +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.
VFQY largest drawdowns
Now 1.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2020 | −37.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Sep 2, 2020 | 2 months | 8 months |
| Nov 16, 2021 | −25.9% | Jun 16, 2022 | Dec 19, 2023 | 7 months | 2.1 years |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −23.8% | Dec 24, 2018 | Dec 12, 2019 | 4 months | 1.3 years |
| Dec 4, 2024 | −20.7% | 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.
VFQY risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +16.3% | +9.3% | +11.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.4% | 16.6% | 18.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.88 | 0.40 | 0.54 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.49 | 0.63 | 0.81 |
| Best month | +8.7% | +11.4% | +14.5% |
| Worst month | −6.0% | −8.8% | −15.6% |
| Best 12 months | +30.6% | +30.6% | +78.9% |
| Worst 12 months | −1.0% | −17.4% | −18.7% |
| Positive months | 72% | 60% | 63% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.93 | 0.97 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.86 | 0.92 | — |
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.
VFQY rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 93 | −18.7% | +9.4% | +78.9% | 76% |
| 3-year (a year) | 69 | +5.2% | +12.5% | +23.5% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 45 | +6.9% | +11.7% | +17.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2018. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
VFQY performance overview
Vanguard U.S. Quality Factor (VFQY) returned +17.3% over the past year and +8.9% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2018 it has returned +11.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $25,821. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −37.4%, from Jan 16, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. VFQY finished 6 of its 7 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+28.0%) and the worst 2022 (−15.7%). Volatility has been 18.2% a year.
Related: VFQY chart, VFQY holdings, VFQY dividends, VFQY valuation. See the VFQY overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
VFQY performance FAQ
What is the VFQY return over the past year?
VFQY returned +17.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 16.0%.
What is the average annual return of VFQY?
VFQY has returned +8.9% a year over 5 years, +11.5% a year since February 15, 2018 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in VFQY be worth?
$10,000 invested in VFQY at its first recorded close on February 15, 2018 would be worth about $25,821 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for VFQY?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −15.7%. The best was 2021 at +28.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of VFQY?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −37.4% between January 16, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on September 2, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is VFQY?
Over the past 3 years VFQY had an annualized volatility of 13.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.88 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).