QUAL vs VBR Overlap

QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VBR is a U.S. value equity ETF from Vanguard. QUAL and VBR show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 2.35%. They share 11 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by ATO, WSM, and BBY.

2.4% overlap
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11Shared Holdings
OK
Low Overlap

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Quick Answer

QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VBR is a U.S. value equity ETF from Vanguard. QUAL and VBR show limited overlap, with an estimated weighted overlap of 2.35%. They share 11 holdings in the loaded dataset, led by ATO, WSM, and BBY.

  • 2.35% weighted overlap across 11 shared holdings.
  • The top three shared holdings explain 63.45% of the measured overlap.
  • QUAL and VBR are closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche ETF pair.
  • The overlap is mostly explained by the top shared positions rather than sector labels alone.
  • Holding both can still add materially different exposure.

Data Freshness

QUAL holdings
Mar 12, 2026
VBR holdings
Mar 12, 2026
Overlap computed
Mar 15, 2026
Data source
Financial Modeling Prep

Review the methodology for the overlap formula and refresh policy.

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About These ETFs

ETF A

QUAL

iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

Issuer
IShares
Asset class
Equity
Expense ratio
0.15%
AUM
$49B
Inception
Jul 16, 2013

ETF B

VBR

Vanguard Small-Cap Value ETF

Issuer
Vanguard
Asset class
Small/Micro Cap Equity
Expense ratio
0.05%
AUM
$62B
Inception
Jan 26, 2004

What Stands Out In This Comparison

01

What This Means

QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VBR is a U.S. value equity ETF from Vanguard. QUAL and VBR do not own much of the same portfolio weight. That usually means you are combining different parts of the market, with only a small amount of duplication through names like ATO, WSM, and BBY.

02

How They Differ

QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VBR is a U.S. value equity ETF from Vanguard. Neither fund clearly dominates on breadth, so the practical difference is more about weighting, index construction, and cost. VBR has the lower expense ratio, while QUAL charges more for its exposure.

03

What Drives The Overlap

The overlap is driven by a relatively small set of large shared positions. The top three shared holdings account for 63.45% of the score, which means the result is heavily influenced by the biggest common weights rather than a long tail of tiny positions.

04

When One May Fit Better

Because QUAL and VBR are closer in breadth, the better fit usually comes down to index methodology, issuer preference, and cost. VBR has the lower expense ratio, while QUAL charges more for its exposure.

Overlap Driver Snapshot

Concentration

The top three shared holdings explain 63.45% of the full overlap score.

That helps show whether the score comes from a handful of giant shared positions or from a broader mix of common holdings.

Shared Sector Tilt

Sector tags are not consistently available for the biggest shared positions in this dataset, so this comparison leans more on the specific holdings than on sector labels.

Top Shared Holdings

These are the holdings contributing the most to the overlap score between QUAL and VBR.

HoldingQUAL Wt.VBR Wt.Overlap
ATO1.21%0.63%0.63%
WSM0.64%0.57%0.57%
BBY0.30%0.30%0.30%
EME0.29%0.75%0.29%
FFIV0.12%0.37%0.12%
IT0.11%0.17%0.11%
CSL0.10%0.33%0.10%
UTHR0.09%0.47%0.09%
OMC0.06%0.57%0.06%
AVY0.05%0.33%0.05%

Why These ETFs Overlap

QUAL is an equity ETF from IShares, while VBR is a U.S. value equity ETF from Vanguard. The overlap exists because both funds allocate meaningful weight to the same holdings. In this dataset, the biggest shared drivers are ATO, WSM, and BBY, which appear in both portfolios and push the overlap score higher.

Holding both QUAL and VBR can make sense if you want exposure to different sleeves of the market. The overlap is small enough that both funds may still improve diversification.

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions About QUAL and VBR

What is the overlap between QUAL and VBR?+
QUAL and VBR currently show an estimated weighted overlap of 2.35% based on the loaded holdings data.
How many holdings do QUAL and VBR share?+
They share 11 holdings in the current dataset.
Is the QUAL and VBR overlap high?+
The current verdict is Low Overlap. That means the two ETFs have limited duplication in portfolio weight.
Why do QUAL and VBR overlap?+
QUAL and VBR overlap because the same large positions appear in both funds. In this comparison, the top three shared holdings explain 63.45% of the measured overlap score.
Which ETF is broader, QUAL or VBR?+
QUAL and VBR look closer in breadth than a broad-vs-niche pair, so the main difference is more about strategy and weighting than simple market coverage.

How Overlap Is Calculated

A straightforward approach used by portfolio analysts.

Overlap = sum(min(Weight_A, Weight_B)) for each shared holding

For every stock that appears in both ETFs, we take the smaller of the two weights. Adding up all those minimums gives the total overlap percentage. A score of 100% means the two ETFs hold the exact same stocks in the same proportions.

Want the full explanation? Read the methodology page.

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