QUSA vs SCHD

QUSA vs SCHD

Which is better, QUSA or SCHD?

Large Cap Blend against Large Cap Value.

SCHD has a lower expense ratio. SCHD led over 1Y and the full window. SCHD is less concentrated, with 41.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 51.7%.

Lower Fees: SCHDHigher Returns: SCHDLess Concentrated: SCHD

MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricQUSASCHD
Expense Ratio0.97%0.06%Best
AUM$22M$111.6B
Dividend Yield15.46%3.24%
Holdings97206
YTD Return+7.78%+25.99%Best
1Y Return+4.22%+31.80%Best
3Y Return (annualized)-+17.07%
5Y Return (annualized)-+9.69%
Volatility (annualized)9.6%Best13.5%
Max Drawdown-9.5%-6.9%Best
$10,000 over 1.4 years$10,804$13,942Best
Top 10 Weight51.7%41.6%Best
Fund FamilyVistaSharesCharles Schwab Asset Management
CategoryEquityEquity
StyleLarge Cap BlendLarge Cap Value
InceptionMay 6, 2025Oct 20, 2011

Volatility and max drawdown, and the $10,000 over 1.4 years row, are measured over the window both funds cover: May 6, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026 (1.4 years).

QUSA vs SCHD growth

Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 1.4 years both funds cover.

QUSA vs SCHD Performance

VistaShares Target 15 USA Quality Income ETF (QUSA) is an ETF from VistaShares and Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an ETF from Charles Schwab Asset Management. Over the past year QUSA returned +4.22% while SCHD returned +31.80%. Year to date, QUSA is up 7.78% versus a gain of 25.99% for SCHD.

Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns

SCHD has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 13.5% compared with 9.6% for QUSA. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.

The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -9.5% for QUSA and -6.9% for SCHD. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.

The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.29. They move largely independently of each other.

Fees and Cost Over Time

QUSA charges 0.97% per year while SCHD charges 0.06%. On a $10,000 position that is $97 vs $6 annually, a gap of $91 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, QUSA currently yields 15.46% against 3.24% for SCHD.

Holdings Overlap

QUSA already in SCHD3.2%
SCHD already in QUSA7.2%

3.2% of QUSA's money is in holdings SCHD also owns. 7.2% of SCHD's money is in holdings QUSA also owns.

SCHD and QUSA share little of their money.

2 positions in common, counted across the 31 positions we hold weights for in QUSA and 98 in SCHD, against full books of 97 and 206.

What only one of them owns

Our book lists 95 positions for SCHD that do not appear in our book for QUSA (92.5% of the fund), and 29 for QUSA that do not appear in SCHD (97.2%).

Some of those will be the same company recorded under a different code in one of the two books, so the real difference in what you would own is no larger than this and may be smaller. We do not name the individual positions here for that reason.

Top Shared Holdings

StockWeight in QUSAWeight in SCHDDifference
QCOMQualcomm Inc.2.05%4.61%2.56%
ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.1.19%2.63%1.44%

You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.

Whichever of QUSA and SCHD you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.

QUSASCHD

Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, QUSA or SCHD?

QUSA has an expense ratio of 0.97% while SCHD charges 0.06%. SCHD is the cheaper option, by $91 a year on a $10,000 investment.

Which performed better, QUSA or SCHD?

Over the past year QUSA returned +4.22% vs +31.80% for SCHD, so SCHD leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (1 years), QUSA annualized +5.68% vs +26.79% for SCHD. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.

Which is riskier, QUSA or SCHD?

SCHD has been the more volatile fund at 13.5% annualized versus 9.6% for QUSA. Worst drawdown: QUSA -9.5% vs SCHD -6.9%.

Should I hold both QUSA and SCHD?

QUSA and SCHD have a monthly-return correlation of 0.29, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.

What is the holdings overlap between QUSA and SCHD?

7.2% of SCHD's money is in holdings QUSA also owns. 7.2% of SCHD's is in holdings QUSA also owns. They hold 2 positions in common, counted across the 31 positions we hold weights for in QUSA and 98 in SCHD.

Which pays a higher dividend, QUSA or SCHD?

QUSA yields 15.46% while SCHD yields 3.24%, so QUSA currently pays the higher dividend yield.

Is SCHD better than QUSA?

SCHD has a lower expense ratio. SCHD led over 1Y and the full window. SCHD is less concentrated, with 41.6% of the fund in its ten largest positions against 51.7%. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.