ASET vs. ESG

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FlexShares Real Assets Allocation Index Fund (ASET) and FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund (ESG).

ASET and ESG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ASET is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the Northern Trust Real Assets Allocation Total Return. It was launched on Nov 23, 2015. ESG is a passively managed fund by Northern Trust that tracks the performance of the STOXX USA ESG Select KPIs Index. It was launched on Jul 13, 2016. Both ASET and ESG are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

ASET vs. ESG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FlexShares Real Assets Allocation Index Fund (ASET) and FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund (ESG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ASET vs. ESG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)
ASET FlexShares Real Assets Allocation Index Fund	0.00%
ESG FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund	-6.25%

Returns By Period

ASET

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: —
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

ESG

• 1D: 2.39%
• 1M: -4.95%
• YTD: -3.94%
• 6M: -1.14%
• 1Y: 14.10%
• 3Y*: 16.48%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ASET vs. ESG - Expense Ratio Comparison

ASET has a 0.57% expense ratio, which is higher than ESG's 0.32% expense ratio.

ASET

FlexShares Real Assets Allocation Index Fund

ESG

FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund

Return for Risk

ASET vs. ESG — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ESG

ESG Risk / Return Rank: 51
ESG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
ESG Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
ESG Omega Ratio Rank: 53
ESG Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
ESG Martin Ratio Rank: 59

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ASET vs. ESG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares Real Assets Allocation Index Fund (ASET) and FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund (ESG). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

Risk / return metrics aren't available yet — we need at least 12 months of trading data to calculate them.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ASET	ESG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	—	0.81	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.62	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	—	0.74	—

Dividends

ASET vs. ESG - Dividend Comparison

ASET has not paid dividends to shareholders, while ESG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.01%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
ASET FlexShares Real Assets Allocation Index Fund	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
ESG FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund	1.01%	0.96%	1.18%	1.10%	1.38%	1.03%	1.33%	1.51%	1.72%	1.52%	0.92%

Drawdowns

ASET vs. ESG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ASET drawdown since its inception was 0.00%, smaller than the maximum ESG drawdown of -32.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ASET and ESG.

Drawdown Indicators

	ASET	ESG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	0.00%	-32.53%	+32.53%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	—	-12.29%	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-26.04%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-6.49%	+6.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	0.00%	-5.14%	+5.14%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	—	2.61%	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	ASET	ESG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	—	4.75%	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	—	8.67%	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.00%	17.43%	-17.43%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	0.00%	16.75%	-16.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	0.00%	18.46%	-18.46%