NYLI Candriam International Equity ETF

NYLI Candriam International Equity ETF (IQSI) is an index fund from New York Life. It holds about 585 stocks from developed markets outside the US, chosen using ESG (environmental, social and governance) scores from Candriam. Its 0.15% expense ratio is higher than large rivals such as IEFA at 0.07% and VEA at 0.03%. As of October 27, 2026, it trailed all eight matched peers over one and three years.

• Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, IQSI returned +11.8%, 9th of 9 among similar funds.
• Its 5-year annualized return was +7.9%.
• In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 30.9% and regained its old high 7.8 months after the low.
• Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-14.8%); its best was 2025 (+26.9%).
• The deepest fall in its price history was 31.9% (Jan 17, 2020 to Mar 18, 2020), recovered by Nov 9, 2020.

As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 585 securities; the ten largest made up 19.28% of assets.

• Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors added a net $22.9M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
• Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +3.29%, +0.95%, +0.49%.

The fund tracks the NYLIM Candriam International Equity Index. New York Life's own adviser is the index provider, and Candriam serves as index consultant. The process starts with stocks making up about 85% of the market value of 23 developed markets, including Japan, the UK, Switzerland, Germany and Australia. Candriam scores each company against others in its industry. The scores cover how it treats customers, employees and suppliers, its environmental record, its governance and its impact on society. They also cover its exposure to trends such as climate change, digitalization and aging populations.

Companies ranked in the top 70% of each sector make the cut, so every sector stays represented. A second screen then removes firms with continued, significant breaches of the UN Global Compact. It also removes firms above set limits in businesses such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, armaments, nuclear and adult content. The remaining stocks are weighted by market capitalization (total stock market value), so bigger companies count for more. The index held 586 stocks as of June 30, 2026, and is rebalanced every quarter. A stock that slips into the 70% to 80% band can stay in at a reduced weight for two more rebalances.

The fund must keep at least 80% of its assets in index holdings and in non-US stocks. As of July 31, 2026, it also held one tiny swap on the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF, worth close to 0% of assets. Portfolio turnover was 14%.

• IQSI charges 0.15% a year, versus an average of 0.12% for the similar funds below (7th of 9, cheapest first).
• The fee includes a 0.01% waiver from the adviser, which may end.
• Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $15 in the first year and $192 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).

It adds broad exposure to developed-market stocks outside the US, which may balance a portfolio heavy in US stocks, with an ESG screen applied.

IQSI could add stocks from developed markets outside the US, led by Japan at about 28% of assets as of July 31, 2026. It still holds only stocks, and it falls hard in sell-offs. It dropped 30.9% in the 2020 COVID crash and got back to its old high by November 2020. In the 2022 bear market it fell 29.1% and needed about 16 months from its low, to February 2024, to recover. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -15.18%. Anyone selling shares for income in a year like that would be selling at low prices. It launched in December 2019, so it has no 2008 record. It yielded 2.73% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, paid quarterly, and it costs 0.15% a year. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.

Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.