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QDEFvsAVLCETF Comparison

ETF 1

QDEF

Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETF

This fund is part of

US Multi-Factor

-0.03%

Full QDEF fund page

VS

ETF 2

AVLC

Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

This fund is part of

US Large Cap

+0.2%

Full AVLC fund page

Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETF (QDEF) belongs to the US Multi-Factor segment. Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF (AVLC) is part of the US Large Cap segment. QDEF's top 3 sector exposures are Technology, Finance and Healthcare. In contrast, AVLC's top sector exposures are Technology, Finance and Industrials. QDEF is more expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.4%, versus 0.15% for AVLC. QDEF is up 12.53% year-to-date (YTD) with +$2M in YTD flows. AVLC performs better with 15.97% YTD performance, and +$463M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of QDEF and AVLC below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.

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QDEF vs AVLC performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

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Daily, global ETF data for advanced analysis or integration into apps (API), from our partner Trackinsight.

Data Services

Historic performance and flows

Data as of 09/17/2026

		1M	3M	YTD	1Y	3Y	5Y
Perf.	QDEF AVLC	-0.51%-1.19%	+4.98%+1.18%	+12.53%+15.97%	+16.25%+19.89%	+70.53%n/a	+82.75%n/a
Flows	QDEF AVLC	-$4M+$66M	-$11M+$204M	+$2M+$463M	+$10M+$554M	+$16M-	-$97M-

Volatility and drawdown

		3M	1Y	3Y	5Y
Volatility	QDEF AVLC	+8.24%+10.98%	+9.91%+13.22%	+12.04%n/a	+13.97%n/a
Max drawdown	QDEF AVLC	-2.46%-3.52%	-6.99%-8.01%	-14.47%n/a	-21.30%n/a
Max drawdown duration	QDEF AVLC	14d36d	66d47d	191dn/a	566dn/a

Trading data

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	QDEF	AVLC
Last sale 9/18/2026 at 1:30 PM	$89.93	$90.53
Previous close 09/17/2026	$90.46	$90.45
Consolidated volume 09/17/2026
Average volume 30 days
Average discount or premium 30 days
Average Bid/Ask spread 30 days

Replication quality

Data as of August 31, 2026

1-year trailing difference

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AVLC

is actively managed and doesn’t replicate an index

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	QDEF	AVLC
Tracking error
Tracking difference
1 year cumulative return difference
Best
Worst
Daily return difference
Average
Worst

Main metrics

Last update 9/18/2026 at 1:30 PM

Live

Closed

	QDEF	AVLC
Last price	$89.93	$90.53
1D performance	-0.59%	+0.09%
AuM	$551.76 M	$1.49 B
E/R	0.4%	0.15%

Characteristics

	QDEF	AVLC
Management strategy	Passive	Active
Provider	Northern Trust	American Century Investments
Benchmark	Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive Index	-
N° of holdings	133	840
Asset class	Equities	-
Trailing 12m distribution yield	Join	Join
Inception date	December 14, 2012	September 28, 2023
ESG	No	No

More QDEF data on Trackinsight

More AVLC data on Trackinsight

Exposure

Countries

QDEF

USA

96.57%

Other

3.43%

AVLC

USA

96.95%

Other

3.05%

Sectors

QDEF

Technology

39.07%

Finance

16.13%

Healthcare

10.34%

Consumer Non-Cycl.

9.59%

Other

24.86%

AVLC

Technology

36.75%

Finance

15.13%

Industrials

10.04%

Consumer Non-Cycl.

10.02%

Healthcare

7.92%

Other

20.15%

Diversification

QDEF

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

46.38%

AVLC

Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15

34.03%

Top 15 holdings

Data as of July 31, 2026

QDEF

Apple, Inc.

8.26%

NVIDIA Corp.

6.35%

Broadcom Inc.

4.64%

Microsoft Corp.

4.02%

AbbVie, Inc.

3.01%

Johnson & Johnson

2.74%

Alphabet, Inc.

2.42%

Procter & Gamble Co.

2.33%

Cisco Systems, Inc.

2.25%

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

2.09%

Philip Morris International, Inc.

2.06%

Alphabet, Inc.

1.96%

KLA Corp.

1.68%

Lam Research Corp.

1.35%

The TJX Cos., Inc.

1.21%

AVLC

Apple, Inc.

5.43%

NVIDIA Corp.

5.04%

Microsoft Corp.

4.33%

Amazon.com, Inc.

4.04%

Alphabet, Inc.

1.96%

Micron Technology, Inc.

1.90%

Broadcom Inc.

1.89%

Meta Platforms, Inc.

1.89%

Alphabet, Inc.

1.55%

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

1.35%

ExxonMobil Holdings Corp.

1.14%

Eli Lilly & Co.

1.12%

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.

0.80%

Costco Wholesale Corp.

0.79%

Lam Research Corp.

0.78%

Frequently asked questions about QDEF and AVLC

How have the QDEF and AVLC ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 17, 2026, QDEF is up 12.53% year-to-date (YTD), while AVLC has returned 15.97%. That puts AVLC better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: QDEF or AVLC?

Year-to-date, the QDEF ETF saw +$2M in flows, compared to +$463M for AVLC.

Which ETF is more volatile: QDEF or AVLC?

Over the past year, QDEF had a volatility of 9.91%, while AVLC experienced 13.22%.

Which ETF is bigger: QDEF or AVLC?

As of September 17, 2026, QDEF holds $551.76 M in assets under management (AUM), while AVLC manages $1.49 B.

What sectors do the QDEF and AVLC ETFs invest in?

QDEF leans toward sectors like Technology, Finance and Healthcare. Meanwhile, AVLC focuses on Technology, Finance and Industrials.

What are the top holdings of the QDEF ETF and AVLC ETF?

QDEF top holdings include Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp. and Broadcom Inc.. AVLC holds in its top three: Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp. and Microsoft Corp..

Which ETF is more diversified: QDEF or AVLC?

QDEF holds 134 securities with 46.38% of its assets in the top 15. AVLC has 852 securities and a top 15 weight of 34.03%.

ETF Central's Ultimate Guide to Dividend Investing, Part 4: Dividend Quality ETFs

July 16, 2024

QDEF

QDEFvsAVLCETF Comparison

Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETF

Avantis U.S. Large Cap Equity ETF

QDEF vs AVLC performance and flow charts

Performance

Cumulative Flows

Get all the metrics on this page, and more, through a reliable ETF data feed

Countries

Sectors

Diversification

Top 15 holdings

How have the QDEF and AVLC ETFs performed in 2026?

As of September 17, 2026, QDEF is up 12.53% year-to-date (YTD), while AVLC has returned 15.97%. That puts AVLC better performer ahead so far this year.

Which ETF is attracting more investor money: QDEF or AVLC?

Year-to-date, the QDEF ETF saw +$2M in flows, compared to +$463M for AVLC.

Which ETF is more volatile: QDEF or AVLC?

Over the past year, QDEF had a volatility of 9.91%, while AVLC experienced 13.22%.

Which ETF is bigger: QDEF or AVLC?

As of September 17, 2026, QDEF holds $551.76 M in assets under management (AUM), while AVLC manages $1.49 B.

What sectors do the QDEF and AVLC ETFs invest in?

QDEF leans toward sectors like Technology, Finance and Healthcare. Meanwhile, AVLC focuses on Technology, Finance and Industrials.

What are the top holdings of the QDEF ETF and AVLC ETF?

QDEF top holdings include Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp. and Broadcom Inc.. AVLC holds in its top three: Apple, Inc., NVIDIA Corp. and Microsoft Corp..

Which ETF is more diversified: QDEF or AVLC?

QDEF holds 134 securities with 46.38% of its assets in the top 15. AVLC has 852 securities and a top 15 weight of 34.03%.

ETF Central's Ultimate Guide to Dividend Investing, Part 4: Dividend Quality ETFs

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