Key stats
About FlexShares Quality Dividend Defensive Index Fund
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Inception date
Dec 14, 2012
Structure
Open-Ended Fund
Replication method
Physical
Dividend treatment
Distributes
Distribution tax treatment
Qualified dividends
Income tax type
Capital Gains
Max ST capital gains rate
39.60%
Max LT capital gains rate
20.00%
Primary advisor
Northern Trust Investments, Inc.(Investment Management)
Distributor
Foreside Fund Services LLC
ISIN
US33939L8458
QDEF approaches the total market segment with a high-dividend/low-volatility strategy. The index initially removes non-dividend payers and lowest-scoring securities in terms of quality from its parent index, the Northern Trust 1250 Index. Quality is scored using a proprietary methodology based on management efficiency, dividend policy, profitability, and cash flow. The remaining securities are selected and weighted using an optimization process that aims to maximize the overall quality score, attain a higher dividend yield, and achieve a lower beta (0.5 to 1x) relative to the parent index. Caps on individual securities, sectors, and industries are employed to manage diversification. The fund is rebalanced on a quarterly basis.
Classification
Returns
| 1 month | 3 months | Year to date | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price performance | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NAV total return | — | — | — | — | — | — |
What's in the fund
Exposure type
Electronic Technology
Technology Services
Finance
Health Technology
Stocks100.00%
Electronic Technology23.82%
Technology Services16.62%
Finance16.29%
Health Technology10.76%
Consumer Non-Durables7.55%
Retail Trade5.15%
Utilities4.44%
Producer Manufacturing3.07%
Consumer Services2.16%
Energy Minerals1.90%
Distribution Services1.61%
Transportation1.46%
Process Industries1.31%
Non-Energy Minerals1.25%
Communications0.86%
Commercial Services0.62%
Industrial Services0.53%
Consumer Durables0.46%
Health Services0.14%
Bonds, Cash & Other0.00%
Stock breakdown by region
North America98.73%
Europe1.27%
Latin America0.00%
Asia0.00%
Africa0.00%
Middle East0.00%
Oceania0.00%
Top 10 holdings
Dividends
Dividend payout history
Assets under management (AUM)
Fund Flows
Frequently Asked Questions
QDEF invests in stocks. The fund's major sectors are Electronic Technology, with 23.82% stocks, and Technology Services, with 16.62% of the basket. The assets are mostly located in the North America region.
QDEF top holdings are Apple Inc. and NVIDIA Corporation, occupying 7.30% and 6.43% of the portfolio correspondingly.
QDEF last dividends amounted to 0.32 USD. The quarter before, the issuer paid 0.34 USD in dividends, which shows a 6.08% decrease.
QDEF assets under management is 476.53 M USD. It's risen 2.85% over the last month.
QDEF fund flows account for 19.75 M USD (1 year). Many traders use this metric to get insight into investors' sentiment and evaluate whether it's time to buy or sell the fund.
Yes, QDEF pays dividends to its holders with the dividend yield of 1.65%. The last dividend (Sep 26, 2025) amounted to 0.32 USD. The dividends are paid quarterly.
QDEF shares are issued by Northern Trust Corp. under the brand FlexShares. The ETF was launched on Dec 14, 2012, and its management style is Passive.
QDEF expense ratio is 0.37% meaning you'd have to pay 0.37% of your investment to help manage the fund.
QDEF follows the Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive (TR). ETFs usually track some benchmark seeking to replicate its performance and guide asset selection and objectives.
QDEF invests in stocks.
QDEF price has risen by 2.26% over the last month, and its yearly performance shows a 11.91% increase. See more dynamics on QDEF price chart.
NAV returns, another gauge of an ETF dynamics, have risen by 2.75% over the last month, showed a 10.95% increase in three-month performance and has increased by 15.34% in a year.
NAV returns, another gauge of an ETF dynamics, have risen by 2.75% over the last month, showed a 10.95% increase in three-month performance and has increased by 15.34% in a year.
QDEF trades at a premium (0.04%) meaning the ETF is trading at a higher price than the calculated NAV.