ETF Evaluator:
Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM)
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(as of Jul 30)
Best Performing in Technology Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
Defiance Quantum ETF Overview
Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM) is a passively managed Sector Equity Technology exchange-traded fund (ETF). Defiance ETFs LLC launched the ETF in 2018.
The investment seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the BlueStar Quantum Computing and Machine Learning Index (the "index").
The fund uses a “passive management” (or indexing) approach to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the index. The index consists of a modified equal-weighted portfolio of the stock of companies that derive at least 50% of their annual revenue or operating activity from the development of quantum computing and machine learning technology.
About Defiance Quantum ETF (QTUM)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 5.85 years: Dustin Lewellyn (2018), Ernesto Tong (2018) and Christine Johanson (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) (1970) index with a weighting of 100% and BlueStar QuantCmpting&Mch Lrning TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Defiance Quantum ETF has 90 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 16.9% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Defiance Quantum ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the Sector Equity ETF group. Defiance Quantum ETF has 38.6% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 60.7% There is 38.6% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Defiance Quantum ETF has 0.7% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $6 billion in total assets, which is above the $3 billion average for the Technology category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
QTUM Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Defiance Quantum ETF expense ratio is average compared to funds in the Technology category. Defiance Quantum ETF has an expense ratio of 0.40%, which is 25% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Defiance Quantum ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 42%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 36% for the Technology category.
Recently, in the month of June 2026, Defiance Quantum ETF returned 3.5%, which earned it a grade of B, as the Technology category had an average return of 0.0%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Defiance Quantum ETF has a trailing yield of 0.71%, which is above the 0.49% category average.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Defiance Quantum ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 51.2%, 16.0 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 81.8% over the past year (grade of B), 49.7% over the past three years (grade of A) and 28.3% per year over the past five years (grade of A).
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QTUM Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 6/30/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| QTUM Return (NAV) | 3.5% | 55.1% | 81.8% | 49.7% | 28.3% | na |
| QTUM Return (Price) | 3.7% | 54.4% | 82.0% | 49.8% | 28.3% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.228% | 0.712% | -0.140% | -0.054% | -0.016% | na |
| Technology Avg | 0.0% | 40.3% | 52.2% | 27.7% | 12.4% | 21.0% |
| QTUM Grade (NAV) | B | A | B | A | A | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 3.4% | 14.8% | 29.7% | 22.0% | 16.0% | na |
| QTUM Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | na |
QTUM Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 6/30/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| QTUM Return (NAV) | 51.2% | 36.4% | 50.7% | 39.6% | -28.6% | 35.3% | 42.0% | 48.2% | na | na | na |
| QTUM Return (Price) | 51.4% | 36.7% | 50.5% | 39.9% | -28.8% | 35.2% | 42.1% | 48.0% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.004% | 0.009% | -0.003% | 0.007% | 0.008% | -0.003% | 0.003% | -0.4% | na | na | na |
| Technology Avg | 35.2% | 23.2% | 19.9% | 43.8% | -35.8% | 16.7% | 53.3% | 37.8% | -3.2% | 33.7% | 15.0% |
| QTUM Grade (NAV) | B | A | A | C | B | A | D | A | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 16.0% | 13.2% | 30.8% | -4.2% | 7.2% | 18.6% | -11.3% | 10.4% | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.67 |
| R-Squared: | 61% |
| Standard Deviation: | 26.9% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.05 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 2.22 |
| Total Risk Rating: | High |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.7% |
| Total Assets: | $ 6,261 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 6,261 Mil |
| Turnover: | 42.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.40% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) (1970) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 7.8 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 5.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Lewellyn Dustin (2018), Tong Ernesto (2018), Johanson Christine (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 90 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 16.9% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 38.6% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 60.7% |
| Foreign Stock: | 38.6% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.1% |
| Cash: | 0.7% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Defiance ETFs LLC |
| Phone Number: | 833-333-9383 |
| Website: | |
| Inception Date: | September 4, 2018 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.40% (Rating: Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.53% |
