Strategy

How the Quality Factor Has Outperformed in 3 Charts

Dec. 10, 2024

One of the most intuitive smart beta factors is quality investing. Quality-based investing is built to identify market leading companies with sustainable competitive advantages. As market participation has broadened among equities, much attention has been paid to how best to allocate into vehicles poised to benefit. Equal-weight strategies are one method; however, research shows that a high-quality focus has also earned a premium while reducing risk over longer periods of time relative to the broader market.1

As shown below, BMO ETFs’ factor-screening indexes have benefitted by using a fundamentally weighted methodology with a 5% single-name cap. The weight of each name in the index is determined by market capitalization adjusted for a proprietary Quality’ score based on a publicly available methodology (more on this further below).

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Part of the value is in the meaningful difference from traditional market capitalization indices where Quality provides effective exposure throughout the entire market cycle. Furthermore, higher quality screening avoids inexpensive stocks masquerading as bargains.

Underscoring the factor’s track record is the comparison of the MSCI Quality Indexes to their corollary U.S., European and global market-cap indexes. In all three regions, high-quality equities have consistently overperformed, as shown in the charts below: 

BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ) vs. MSCI USA Index

BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index ETF (ZUQ) vs. MSCI USA Index
Source: Bloomberg, as of November 292024

BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ) vs. MSCI Europe Index

BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index ETF (ZEQ) vs. MSCI Europe Index
Source: Bloomberg, as of November 292024

BMO MSCI All Country World High Quality Index ETF (ZGQ) vs. MSCI ACWI Index 

BMO MSCI All Country World High Quality Index ETF (ZGQ) vs. MSCI ACWI Index
Source: Bloomberg, as of November 292024

Methodology

BMO Quality ETFs track the performance of MSCI quality indices which are a subset of the broad market parent indices. Security selection relies on the determination of the three Quality variables. Weighting is based on a combination of the security’s Quality scores and market capitalization. Quality indices are rebalanced semi-annually.

Methodology

BMO ETFs’ Full Suite of Quality ETFs

BMO MSCI USA High Quality Index

BMO MSCI All Country World High Quality Index ETF

BMO MSCI Europe High Quality Hedged to CAD Index

NEW!!

BMO MSCI EAFE High Quality Index ETF

ZUQ.FZUQZUQ.U

ZGQ

ZEQ

ZIQ

Distribution Frequency:
Quarterly

Distribution Frequency:
Quarterly

Distribution Frequency:
Quarterly

Distribution Frequency:
Quarterly

Management Fee:
0.30%

Management Fee:
0.45%

Management Fee:
0.40%

Management Fee:
0.35%

Risk Rating: 6
ZUQ.F : Medium to High

ZUQ/ZUQ.U: Medium

Risk Rating: 6
Medium

Risk Rating: 6
Medium

Risk Rating: 6
Medium

For more detailed methodology information regarding the Quality variables, security composition scoring, security selection, weighting and index maintenance, visit the MSCI indices website: 

1MSCI Research Report Quality Time,” June 2023.

2Return (Risk-Adjusted): A measure of investment performance taking into consideration how much risk/​volatility was assumed to generate it. Consider two investments, both of which return 10% over a given time period. The investment with the greater risk-adjusted return would be the one that experienced less price fluctuation. Two of the most commonly used measures of risk adjusted returns are Sharpe and Sortino ratios.

Performance Data (%)

Fund

Year-to-Date

1-Month

3-Month

6-Month

1-Year

3-Year

5-Year

10-Year

Since Inception

ZUQ

34.73

4.98

7.51

14.83

37.87

14.83

17.64

17.00

17.21

ZUQ.F

26.40

4.35

3.22

11.14

32.22

10.19

-

-

15.49

ZUQ.U

27.50

4.40

3.48

11.78

33.62

11.37

-

-

16.62

ZGQ

28.68

3.10

4.21

9.89

31.74

11.59

15.39

14.46

14.69

ZEQ

4.26

-0.62

-7.16

-5.54

8.25

3.42

7.39

8.55

9.05

ZIQ

Returns are not available as there is less than one year’s performance data.

As of November 30, 2024. Inception date for ZUQ and ZGQ was November 52014.
Inception date for ZUQ.F and ZUQ.U was July 172020

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