{"format":"alysly-page/1","url":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/","json":"https://alysly.com/json/learn/factor-etfs/index.json","lang":"en-US","title":"Factor ETFs: Value, Quality, Growth & Small Cap – Alysly","description":"Beyond the plain MSCI World: what value, quality, growth and small-cap factor ETFs actually hold, with live holdings.","published":"2026-07-13T11:24:42+02:00","modified":"2026-11-01T18:26:04+01:00","alternates":[{"lang":"de-DE","url":"https://alysly.com/de/lernen/faktor-etfs/","json":"https://alysly.com/json/de/lernen/faktor-etfs/index.json"}],"about":"Machine-readable version of the page at url. It contains the text, tables and key figures published there, but not the interactive charts and tools.","breadcrumb":[{"name":"Investing & Trading Basics","url":"https://alysly.com/learn/"},{"name":"Level 0","url":"https://alysly.com/learn/#level-0"},{"name":"Factor ETFs: Value, Quality, Growth & Small Cap","url":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/"}],"content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Level 0 Investing & ETF Basics · Part 13/16"},{"type":"heading","level":1,"text":"Factor ETFs: Value, Quality, Growth & Small Cap"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"By Alexander Bock, founder and data analyst","links":[{"text":"Alexander Bock","href":"https://alysly.com/about/"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Factor ETFs reweight a broad index toward a specific style. The funds in the catalog with their current holdings:"},{"type":"image","src":"https://alysly.com/img/ta/factor-cycle.5887c0c44bc32f9e25ea0b676aeafe02973a92818cc7a89340a7bbcbf3367164.webp","alt":"Schematic line of a factor's relative performance against the overall market with multi-year phases above and below zero"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Schematic, not measured data: this is how factor premiums typically behave. (1) Multi-year phases in which a factor leads the market alternate with (2) long dry spells. Looking only at short periods, the picture can be the opposite depending on the starting point."},{"type":"list","ordered":false,"items":[{"text":"Value (stocks priced lower on fundamentals): iShares Edge MSCI World Value Factor","links":[{"text":"iShares Edge MSCI World Value Factor","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/ishares-edge-msci-world-value-factor-ucits-etf/"}]},{"text":"Quality (profitable companies with stable earnings): iShares Edge MSCI World Quality Factor","links":[{"text":"iShares Edge MSCI World Quality Factor","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/ishares-edge-msci-world-quality-factor-ucits-etf-acc/"}]},{"text":"Small Cap (smaller companies): iShares MSCI World Small Cap","links":[{"text":"iShares MSCI World Small Cap","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/ishares-msci-world-small-cap-ucits-etf-usd-acc/"}]},{"text":"Growth (fast-growing companies): see the growth stocks theme","links":[{"text":"growth stocks theme","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/themes/"}]}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The fund pages show top holdings, sectors and countries, and how differently the same “world” is composed depending on the factor. Any two can be set side by side in the ETF comparison.","links":[{"text":"ETF comparison","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/compare/"}]},{"type":"heading","level":2,"id":"in-context","text":"In Context"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Factors change diversification and risk profile relative to the market index. Their out- or underperformance runs in cycles that can last many years. In portfolios, they are therefore usually used as an addition to a broad core."},{"type":"heading","level":2,"id":"where-factors-come-from","text":"Where Factors Come From"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The research starts with Eugene Fama and Kenneth French (1992, 1993). Besides the overall market, company size and valuation explained part of the differences in returns between stocks. Mark Carhart added momentum in 1997, Robert Novy-Marx profitability in 2013. Factor ETFs turn such traits into fixed rules."},{"type":"heading","level":2,"id":"how-the-indices-measure-a-factor","text":"How the Indices Measure a Factor"},{"type":"list","ordered":false,"items":["Value: valuation ratios such as price-to-book, price-to-earnings based on expected earnings, and enterprise value to operating cash flow.","Quality: high return on equity, low debt and stable earnings.","Momentum: price performance over the past six and twelve months, relative to its volatility.","Minimum volatility: a selection that, by calculation, gives the lowest volatility for the portfolio as a whole."]},{"type":"heading","level":2,"id":"what-a-factor-costs","text":"What a Factor Costs"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Factor ETFs trade more often than a broad market fund, because valuations and ratios keep shifting. Their ongoing costs are usually higher than those of a world ETF. Both eat into any extra return. The ETF overlap check shows, holding by holding, how much a factor fund differs from the overall market.","links":[{"text":"ETF overlap check","href":"https://alysly.com/tools/etf-overlap/"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Information only, not investment advice."},{"type":"list","ordered":false,"items":[{"text":"Previous Dividend ETFs: Payouts and Required Capital","href":"https://alysly.com/learn/dividend-etfs/"},{"text":"Next Small Cap Value: A Factor Premium With Long Dry Spells","href":"https://alysly.com/learn/small-cap-value/"}]},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Indices"},{"type":"table","caption":"Indices, performance over the selected period","columns":["Index","1M"],"rows":[[{"text":"Dow Jones","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/indices/dow-jones/"},{"text":"+1.7%","data":{"m1":"+1.7%","m3":"-1.4%","m6":"+4.5%","ytd":"+7.6%","max":"+30.1%"}}],[{"text":"S&P 500","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/indices/sp500/"},{"text":"-0.9%","data":{"m1":"-0.9%","m3":"+1.2%","m6":"+4.9%","ytd":"+10.8%","max":"+35.8%"}}],[{"text":"MSCI World","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/indices/msci-world/"},{"text":"-0.8%","data":{"m1":"-0.8%","m3":"+0.6%","m6":"+4.0%","ytd":"+10.2%","max":"+35.3%"}}],[{"text":"MSCI ACWI","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/indices/msci-acwi/"},{"text":"-1.7%","data":{"m1":"-1.7%","m3":"-0.2%","m6":"+2.9%","ytd":"+10.3%","max":"+41.7%"}}]]},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"ETFs"},{"type":"table","caption":"ETFs, performance over the selected period","columns":["Fund","1M"],"rows":[[{"text":"SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY","links":[{"text":"SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/us/spy/"}]},{"text":"-0.9%","data":{"m1":"-0.9%","m3":"+1.2%","m6":"+4.9%","ytd":"+10.8%","max":"+35.8%"}}],[{"text":"Vanguard S&P 500 ETF VOO","links":[{"text":"Vanguard S&P 500 ETF","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/us/voo/"}]},{"text":"-0.9%","data":{"m1":"-0.9%","m3":"+1.2%","m6":"+4.9%","ytd":"+10.8%","max":"+34.3%"}}],[{"text":"iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF USD (Acc) EUNL","links":[{"text":"iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF USD (Acc)","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/ishares-core-msci-world-ucits-etf-usd-acc/"}]},{"text":"-0.8%","data":{"m1":"-0.8%","m3":"+0.6%","m6":"+4.6%","ytd":"+10.9%","max":"+489.0%"}}],[{"text":"Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1c XMME","links":[{"text":"Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets UCITS ETF 1c","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/etfs/xtrackers-msci-emerging-markets-ucits-etf-1c/"}]},{"text":"-6.3%","data":{"m1":"-6.3%","m3":"+2.4%","m6":"+0.7%","ytd":"+15.2%","max":"+95.2%"}}]]},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Stocks"},{"type":"table","caption":"Stocks, performance over the selected period","columns":["Stock","1M"],"rows":[[{"text":"NVIDIA Corporation NVDA","links":[{"text":"NVIDIA Corporation","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/nvidia-corporation/"},{"text":"United States","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/browse/?country=United%20States"}]},{"text":"-10.4%","data":{"m1":"-10.4%","m3":"+1.9%","m6":"+3.1%","ytd":"+9.7%","max":"+60.6%"}}],[{"text":"Apple Inc. AAPL","links":[{"text":"Apple Inc.","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/apple-inc/"},{"text":"United States","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/browse/?country=United%20States"}]},{"text":"+3.5%","data":{"m1":"+3.5%","m3":"+11.6%","m6":"+23.0%","ytd":"+26.8%","max":"+51.4%"}}],[{"text":"Tesla Inc. TSLA","links":[{"text":"Tesla Inc.","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/tesla-inc/"},{"text":"United States","href":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/browse/?country=United%20States"}]},{"text":"+12.7%","data":{"m1":"+12.7%","m3":"+28.5%","m6":"+2.3%","ytd":"-11.1%","max":"+65.9%"}}]]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Data note 1","href":"#dn-1"},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"More Studies"},{"type":"list","ordered":false,"items":[{"text":"Jul 21, 2026 Collectibles ×5.4 for the same cards, matched-model index, Mar 2022 – Aug 2026 Is the Pokémon Card Market in a Bubble? 4,159 Sales Analyzed Prices for PSA-graded cards multiplied. Measured on the same cards they rose 438%, while the raw median shows 786% because pricier cards came up for sale later.","href":"https://alysly.com/analysis/pokemon-card-market-bubble/"},{"text":"May 19, 2026 Crypto 45.6% Bitcoin’s annualized volatility, Jul 2024 – Sep 2026 Bitcoin in Investment Portfolios: The Real Numbers Bitcoin is calmer than it was and still about three times as volatile as the stock market. It moves with stocks, not with gold.","href":"https://alysly.com/analysis/bitcoin-investment-portfolios/"},{"text":"Mar 17, 2026 Wealth €1.2m needed for €3,000 a month indefinitely at a 3% real return Living Off Your Returns: What It Really Takes The capital you need is arithmetic. The return you assume is a guess, and it can triple the answer.","href":"https://alysly.com/analysis/living-off-returns/"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"View all studies","href":"https://alysly.com/analysis/#studies"},{"type":"heading","level":2,"text":"Learn"},{"type":"list","ordered":false,"items":[{"text":"Small Cap Value: A Factor Premium With Long Dry Spells Small and cheaply valued companies added return in historical studies, but not in every decade. The factor ETFs in the catalog with their holdings.","href":"https://alysly.com/learn/small-cap-value/"},{"text":"The Pension Gap: Calculating Capital Needs and Withdrawals How much capital a given retirement budget requires and how long a portfolio lasts with regular withdrawals – with two calculators.","href":"https://alysly.com/learn/pension-gap/"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Course overview","href":"https://alysly.com/learn/"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Updated Nov 1, 2026 · Content and figures checked Nov 1, 2026"},{"type":"heading","level":2,"id":"note-legend-h","text":"Data Notes"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"All calculations run automatically and are not investment advice."},{"type":"list","ordered":true,"items":[{"id":"dn-1","text":"Returns computed automatically from the price series, excluding dividends, taxes and costs."}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Data and methodology: Alysly · Responsible for content: Alexander Bock","links":[{"text":"Alysly","href":"https://alysly.com/methodology/"},{"text":"Alexander Bock","href":"https://alysly.com/about/"}]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"View all data notes","href":"https://alysly.com/notes/"}],"structured_data":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://alysly.com/#org","name":"Alysly","url":"https://alysly.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://alysly.com/img/icon-512.png","width":512,"height":512},"description":"Data-driven insights, transparent analysis and powerful tools for long-term investors.","email":"mail@alysly.com","contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","contactType":"customer support","email":"mail@alysly.com","availableLanguage":["de","en"]},"address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Haltern am See","postalCode":"45721","addressCountry":"DE"},"founder":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/#founder"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/company/alyslycom/","https://www.youtube.com/@alyslycom","https://x.com/alyslycom"],"publishingPrinciples":"https://alysly.com/methodology/"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https://alysly.com/#founder","name":"Alexander Bock","jobTitle":"Founder and data analyst","url":"https://alysly.com/about/","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/abxk/"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://alysly.com/#site","url":"https://alysly.com/","name":"Alysly","alternateName":"Alysly Investment Analysis","inLanguage":"en-US","publisher":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/#org"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://alysly.com/markets/stocks/browse/?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/#webpage","url":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/","name":"Factor ETFs: Value, Quality, Growth & Small Cap – Alysly","description":"Beyond the plain MSCI World: what value, quality, growth and small-cap factor ETFs actually hold, with live holdings.","inLanguage":"en-US","isPartOf":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/#site"},"dateModified":"2026-11-01T18:26:04+01:00","publisher":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/#org"},"mainEntity":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/#entity"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://alysly.com/img/ta/factor-cycle-og.8a3294f01c0250b7f4acee3b980e611a035e9fd4874d98c5ff025bf2bcb30a3d.png","width":1200,"height":630}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Investing & Trading Basics","item":"https://alysly.com/learn/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Level 0","item":"https://alysly.com/learn/#level-0"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Factor ETFs: Value, Quality, Growth & Small Cap"}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/#entity","headline":"Factor ETFs: Value, Quality, Growth & Small Cap","description":"Beyond the plain MSCI World: what value, quality, growth and small-cap factor ETFs actually hold, with live holdings.","inLanguage":"en-US","mainEntityOfPage":"https://alysly.com/learn/factor-etfs/","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","height":630,"url":"https://alysly.com/img/ta/factor-cycle-og.8a3294f01c0250b7f4acee3b980e611a035e9fd4874d98c5ff025bf2bcb30a3d.png","width":1200},{"@type":"ImageObject","height":500,"url":"https://alysly.com/img/ta/factor-cycle.5887c0c44bc32f9e25ea0b676aeafe02973a92818cc7a89340a7bbcbf3367164.webp","width":1280}],"isPartOf":{"@type":"CreativeWorkSeries","name":"Investing & Trading Basics","url":"https://alysly.com/learn/"},"educationalLevel":"Level 0","author":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/#founder"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://alysly.com/#org"},"datePublished":"2026-07-13T11:24:42+02:00","dateModified":"2026-11-01T18:26:04+01:00"}],"notice":"© 2026 Alysly.com. Not investment advice. All data without guarantee. Financial information is analyzed and presented partly with AI assistance."}