QLCvsSMAXETF Comparison
VS
Northern Trust US Quality Large Cap ETF (QLC) belongs to the US Multi-Factor segment. iShares Large Cap Max Buffer Sep ETF (SMAX) is part of the Options Strategies segment. Both ETFs have the same top 3 sector exposures: Technology, Finance and Healthcare. QLC is less expensive with a Total Expense Ratio (TER) of 0.26%, versus 0.53% for SMAX. QLC is up 12.7% year-to-date (YTD) with +$222M in YTD flows. SMAX performs worse with 5.39% YTD performance, and -$34M in YTD flows. Run a side-by-side ETF comparison of QLC and SMAX below, and assess how they stack up in performance, liquidity, risk, exposure, holdings, and more, helping you select the best ETF for your investments.
Find out how industry players manage ETF portfolios. Discover our library of Model portfolios
QLC vs SMAX performance and flow charts
Performance
Cumulative Flows
Historic performance and flows
Data as of 09/16/2026
| 1M | 3M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perf. | QLC SMAX | -2.54%+0.43% | +0.98%+1.88% | +12.70%+5.39% | +19.35%+7.25% | +89.53%n/a | +94.82%n/a |
| Flows | QLC SMAX | +$24M-$1M | +$67M-$4M | +$222M-$34M | +$319M+$515K | +$617M- | +$625M- |
Volatility and drawdown
| 3M | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volatility | QLC SMAX | +10.95%+2.03% | +13.03%+2.77% | +15.12%n/a | +17.11%n/a |
| Max drawdown | QLC SMAX | -3.15%-0.43% | -8.90%-1.93% | -18.73%n/a | -23.78%n/a |
| Max drawdown duration | QLC SMAX | 34d15d | 63d44d | 124dn/a | 702dn/a |
Trading data
QLC | SMAX | |
Last sale 9/17/2026 at 4:33 PM | $91.77 | $28.34 |
| Previous close 09/16/2026 | $90.90 | $28.32 |
| Consolidated volume 09/16/2026 | ||
| 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
Create an account to view replication metrics
Join for free
SMAX
is actively managed and doesn’t replicate an indexQLC | SMAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Tracking error | ||
| Tracking difference | ||
| 1 year cumulative return difference | ||
| Best | ||
| Worst | ||
| Daily return difference | ||
| Average | ||
| Worst | ||
Advertisement
Main metrics
Last update 9/17/2026 at 4:33 PM
Live
Closed
QLC | SMAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Last price | $91.77 | $28.34 |
| 1D performance | +0.96% | +0.07% |
| AuM | $1.05 B | $88.42 M |
| E/R | 0.26% | 0.53% |
Characteristics
QLC | SMAX | |
|---|---|---|
| Management strategy | Passive | Active |
| Provider | Northern Trust | iShares |
| Benchmark | Northern Trust Quality Large Cap Index | - |
| N° of holdings | 176 | 501 |
| Asset class | Equities | - |
| Trailing 12m distribution yield | Join | Join |
| Inception date | September 23, 2015 | September 30, 2024 |
| ESG | No | No |
Advertisement
Exposure
Countries
QLC
USA
97.8%
Other
2.2%
SMAX
USA
102.01%
Other
-2.01%
Sectors
QLC
Technology
45.38%
Finance
17.02%
Healthcare
9.91%
Other
27.69%
SMAX
Technology
46.23%
Finance
14.48%
Healthcare
9.28%
Consumer Non-Cycl.
9.23%
Industrials
8.09%
Other
12.68%
Diversification
QLC
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
44.47%
SMAX
Total weight of top 15 holdings out of 15
45.4%
Top 15 holdings
Data as of July 31, 2026
QLC
Apple, Inc.
7.31%
NVIDIA Corp.
7.08%
Microsoft Corp.
4.24%
Alphabet, Inc.
4.08%
Alphabet, Inc.
3.65%
Broadcom Inc.
2.93%
Amazon.com, Inc.
2.59%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
1.97%
Cisco Systems, Inc.
1.85%
Johnson & Johnson
1.81%
Citigroup, Inc.
1.65%
Bank of America Corp.
1.45%
Meta Platforms, Inc.
1.40%
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
1.26%
GE Aerospace
1.21%
SMAX
Apple, Inc.
7.90%
NVIDIA Corp.
7.62%
Microsoft Corp.
5.40%
Amazon.com, Inc.
3.72%
Alphabet, Inc.
3.16%
Broadcom Inc.
2.96%
Alphabet, Inc.
2.54%
Meta Platforms, Inc.
1.91%
Micron Technology, Inc.
1.59%
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
1.52%
Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.
1.51%
Eli Lilly & Co.
1.47%
BlackRock Cash Funds - Treasury
1.42%
Tesla, Inc.
1.40%
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
1.28%
Frequently asked questions about QLC and SMAX
