BFOR vs. NOIEX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

BFOR (ALPS Barron's 400 ETF) and NOIEX (Northern Income Equity Fund) are both funds - BFOR is a Mid Cap Blend Equities fund tracking the Barron's 400 Index, while NOIEX is a Large Cap Value Equities fund managed by Northern Funds. Over the past 10 years, BFOR returned 12.37%/yr vs 14.02%/yr for NOIEX. Their correlation of 0.85 suggests significant overlap in exposure. BFOR charges 0.65%/yr vs 0.49%/yr for NOIEX.

Performance

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ALPS Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR) and Northern Income Equity Fund (NOIEX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BFOR achieves a 9.89% return, which is significantly lower than NOIEX's 12.80% return. Over the past 10 years, BFOR has underperformed NOIEX with an annualized return of 12.37%, while NOIEX has yielded a comparatively higher 14.02% annualized return.

BFOR

• 1D: -0.49%
• 1M: 2.26%
• YTD: 9.89%
• 6M: 10.61%
• 1Y: 22.04%
• 3Y*: 19.35%
• 5Y*: 9.98%
• 10Y*: 12.37%

NOIEX

• 1D: 0.39%
• 1M: 6.04%
• YTD: 12.80%
• 6M: 13.13%
• 1Y: 30.77%
• 3Y*: 22.92%
• 5Y*: 14.24%
• 10Y*: 14.02%

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

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BFOR ALPS Barron's 400 ETF	9.89%	13.85%	17.81%	18.19%	-15.92%	30.71%	17.60%	21.30%	-13.86%	19.37%
NOIEX Northern Income Equity Fund	12.80%	18.81%	24.28%	19.56%	-13.34%	27.96%	11.03%	27.04%	-6.62%	20.22%

Correlation

The correlation between BFOR and NOIEX is 0.72, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.72
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.79
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.85
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.85
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 5, 2013	0.85

The correlation between BFOR and NOIEX shifts across timeframes, from 0.72 (1 year) to 0.85 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

BFOR vs. NOIEX — Risk / Return Rank

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

BFOR

BFOR Risk / Return Rank: 46
BFOR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 42
BFOR Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
BFOR Omega Ratio Rank: 40
BFOR Calmar Ratio Rank: 50
BFOR Martin Ratio Rank: 53

NOIEX

NOIEX Risk / Return Rank: 83
NOIEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
NOIEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
NOIEX Omega Ratio Rank: 78
NOIEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 83
NOIEX Martin Ratio Rank: 89

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.

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ALPS Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR) and Northern Income Equity Fund (NOIEX). 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.

	BFOR	NOIEX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.50	2.74	-1.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.23	3.79	-1.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.26	1.51	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.46	3.85	-1.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.02	17.52	-8.50
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BFOR Sharpe Ratio is 1.50, which is lower than the NOIEX Sharpe Ratio of 2.74. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BFOR and NOIEX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BFOR	NOIEX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.50	2.74	-1.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52	0.88	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.61	0.78	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.59	0.69	-0.10

Drawdowns

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BFOR drawdown since its inception was -41.27%, smaller than the maximum NOIEX drawdown of -45.66%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BFOR and NOIEX.

Drawdown Indicators

	BFOR	NOIEX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-41.27%	-45.66%	+4.39%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.98%	-8.39%	-0.59%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-21.91%	-18.06%	-3.85%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.93%	-21.89%	-4.04%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-41.27%	-35.31%	-5.96%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.49%	0.00%	-0.49%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.43%	-4.99%	-1.44%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.45%	1.82%	+0.63%

Volatility

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Volatility Comparison

ALPS Barron's 400 ETF (BFOR) has a higher volatility of 3.52% compared to Northern Income Equity Fund (NOIEX) at 2.73%. This indicates that BFOR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NOIEX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BFOR	NOIEX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.52%	2.73%	+0.79%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.64%	8.71%	+1.93%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.80%	11.78%	+3.02%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.41%	16.36%	+3.05%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.41%	17.96%	+2.45%

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Expense Ratio Comparison

BFOR has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is higher than NOIEX's 0.49% expense ratio.

Dividends

BFOR vs. NOIEX - Dividend Comparison

BFOR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.54%, less than NOIEX's 7.15% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BFOR ALPS Barron's 400 ETF	0.54%	0.60%	0.69%	1.26%	1.68%	0.92%	0.98%	0.69%	0.94%	0.60%	0.78%	0.86%
NOIEX Northern Income Equity Fund	7.15%	7.92%	6.11%	7.03%	5.44%	14.26%	7.67%	8.58%	15.73%	7.56%	3.02%	5.57%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both BFOR and NOIEX in my portfolio?

BFOR and NOIEX have a correlation of 0.72, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, BFOR or NOIEX?

BFOR has higher volatility (3.52%) compared to NOIEX (2.73%). In terms of maximum drawdown, BFOR dropped -41.27% vs NOIEX's -45.66%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NOIEX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.74 vs 1.50), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.