QDEF

Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETF

Northern Trust · $543.0m in assets, October 8, 2026

QDEF, the Northern Trust Quality Dividend Defensive ETF, is a $543 million ETF whose main story is the income overlay. Over the past year it returned +13.6%, against +16.8% for broad US ETFs. Figures to October 2, 2026; past performance, not a recommendation.

QDEF · the ETFFRI OCT 2Market price total return
+12.7% a yearTotal return since launch, December 2012
+13.6%Last 12 months
+11.9%Year to date
15.0%Volatility since launch

The narrative it carries

This is its only narrative.

The income overlay →

ETFs built to pay income: dividend stocks, municipal bonds, preferred shares and covered calls.

The income overlay · the narrative this week
46.0WARM level, 15 of 22
last four weeks
629ETFs carry it
36.6%held by the top five
VIGlargest holder, 10.5%
$1,095 bncapital, 3rd of 22

The band is where this narrative’s level sits among the 22 this week. QUIET means less talked about, not falling.

Who owns the capital
VIG 10.5%SCHD 9.9%VYM 7.7%MUB 4.3%VTEB 4.2%624 other ETFs 63.4%36.6%top five
#ETFSHAREASSETS1 YEARCOST
1VIG10.5%$114.51bn+10.1%0.04%
2SCHD9.9%$107.89bn+23.9%0.06%
3VYM7.7%$83.99bn+13.8%0.04%
4MUB4.3%$46.62bn−2.0%0.05%
5VTEB4.2%$45.69bn−2.2%0.03%
624 other ETFs63.4%
QDEF: 0.1%

Share is each ETF’s slice of the capital carrying this narrative. 1 year is market price total return; cost is the expense ratio. See all 629 ETFs on the narrative page →

FRI OCT 2MARKET PRICE TOTAL RETURN

1M3MYTD1Y3Y*5Y*
QDEF−1.4%+3.0%+11.9%+13.6%+20.8%+13.1%
The income overlayits narrative−2.7%−0.8%+8.8%+10.8%+14.5%+8.8%
The marketbroad US ETFs+0.8%+2.6%+14.6%+16.8%+22.9%+12.9%

1M, 3M, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y: one month to five years. YTD: year to date. * A year, annualised. A dash means the ETF has not traded for the whole period. Since it started trading on December 19, 2012: +12.7% a year.

$10,000 invested October 31, 2016

QDEF $32,422The income overlay $26,184The market $42,209
$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000Oct 2016Oct 2018Oct 2020Oct 2022Oct 2024$10,000$20,000$30,000$40,000$50,000Oct 2016Oct 2020Oct 2024

Year by year

QDEFThe income overlayThe market
-20%0%20%40%QDEF 2019: +24.9%Narrative 2019: +22.3%The market 2019: +31.3%2019QDEF 2020: +3.2%Narrative 2020: +8.3%The market 2020: +21.4%2020QDEF 2021: +26.1%Narrative 2021: +19.7%The market 2021: +27.1%2021QDEF 2022: -10.9%Narrative 2022: -6.4%The market 2022: -19.8%2022QDEF 2023: +17.5%Narrative 2023: +11.0%The market 2023: +27.9%2023QDEF 2024: +21.2%Narrative 2024: +13.3%The market 2024: +23.1%2024QDEF 2025: +17.4%Narrative 2025: +11.2%The market 2025: +16.8%2025QDEF YTD: +11.9%Narrative YTD: +8.8%The market YTD: +14.6%YTD-20%0%20%40%QDEF 2019: +24.9%Narrative 2019: +22.3%The market 2019: +31.3%2019QDEF 2020: +3.2%Narrative 2020: +8.3%The market 2020: +21.4%2020QDEF 2021: +26.1%Narrative 2021: +19.7%The market 2021: +27.1%2021QDEF 2022: -10.9%Narrative 2022: -6.4%The market 2022: -19.8%2022QDEF 2023: +17.5%Narrative 2023: +11.0%The market 2023: +27.9%2023QDEF 2024: +21.2%Narrative 2024: +13.3%The market 2024: +23.1%2024QDEF 2025: +17.4%Narrative 2025: +11.2%The market 2025: +16.8%2025QDEF YTD: +11.9%Narrative YTD: +8.8%The market YTD: +14.6%YTD

Total return in each calendar year; this year is year to date. A year appears only if QDEF traded for all of it.

Total return on the market price, with each distribution reinvested on its ex-date. Not the NAV return the issuer publishes; the two differ when the ETF trades above or below the value of its holdings. The narrative is the asset-weighted return of the unlevered ETFs that carry it. The market is the asset-weighted return of broad US index ETFs. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

Common questions

What story is QDEF selling?

QDEF’s main story is the income overlay, which covers ETFs built to pay income: dividend stocks, municipal bonds, preferred shares and covered calls.

Which ETFs compete with QDEF?

The ETFs whose weekly returns move most like QDEF’s over the past 3 years are QDF (0.98), DGRW (0.97) and QUS (0.96).

How has QDEF performed against its story?

Over the past year QDEF returned +13.6%, the ETFs carrying the income overlay +10.8% and broad US ETFs +16.8%, to October 2, 2026. Its weekly returns have a correlation of 0.95 with the story. Past performance only.

Run an ETF in the income overlay? StoryVector shows issuers where their ETFs stand against the closest rivals, every week.

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Narrative figures are from the weekly board. Performance is market price total return as of October 2, 2026. Assets are StoryVector’s weekly figure. Classification and measurement. Not investment advice. How the measurement works →