Is Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETF (QDEF) a Strong ETF Right Now?
QDEF is a smart beta ETF launched in 2012 that seeks to provide exposure to high-quality, dividend-paying U.S. equities with lower volatility (beta 0.82). With $554.98 million in assets and a 0.39% expense ratio, it has returned 13.26% year-to-date and 16.18% over the past year. However, cheaper alternatives like ITOT and VTI with significantly larger asset bases and lower expense ratios (0.03%) may be more attractive for investors seeking traditional market cap-weighted exposure.