BNDC vs. ESG

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund (BNDC) and FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund (ESG).

BNDC and ESG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BNDC is an actively managed fund by Northern Trust. It was launched on Nov 18, 2016. 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.

Performance

BNDC vs. ESG - Performance Comparison

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

BNDC vs. ESG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
BNDC FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund	0.10%	7.29%	0.86%	5.36%	-13.54%	-2.01%	8.66%	9.57%	-1.49%	3.97%
ESG FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund	-3.94%	16.04%	20.22%	27.86%	-19.89%	28.48%	20.75%	31.74%	-5.17%	22.78%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BNDC achieves a 0.10% return, which is significantly higher than ESG's -3.94% return.

BNDC

• 1D: 0.32%
• 1M: -1.67%
• YTD: 0.10%
• 6M: 0.96%
• 1Y: 4.47%
• 3Y*: 3.40%
• 5Y*: -0.01%
• 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)

BNDC vs. ESG - Expense Ratio Comparison

BNDC has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than ESG's 0.32% expense ratio.

BNDC

FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund

ESG

FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund

Return for Risk

BNDC vs. ESG — Risk / Return Rank

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

BNDC

BNDC Risk / Return Rank: 55
BNDC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 55
BNDC Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
BNDC Omega Ratio Rank: 45
BNDC Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
BNDC Martin Ratio Rank: 53

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.

BNDC vs. ESG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund (BNDC) 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.

	BNDC	ESG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.97	0.81	+0.16
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.39	1.27	+0.12
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.19	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.80	1.19	+0.60
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.10	5.61	-0.51
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BNDC vs. ESG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BNDC Sharpe Ratio is 0.97, which is comparable to the ESG Sharpe Ratio of 0.81. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BNDC and ESG, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	BNDC	ESG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.97	0.81	+0.16
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.00	0.62	-0.62
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.21	0.74	-0.53

Correlation

The correlation between BNDC and ESG is 0.09, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

BNDC vs. ESG - Dividend Comparison

BNDC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.27%, more than ESG's 1.01% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
BNDC FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund	4.27%	4.16%	3.81%	3.19%	2.64%	1.72%	2.61%	2.89%	2.86%	2.50%	0.64%
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

BNDC vs. ESG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BNDC drawdown since its inception was -18.80%, smaller than the maximum ESG drawdown of -32.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BNDC and ESG.

Drawdown Indicators

	BNDC	ESG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.80%	-32.53%	+13.73%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.61%	-12.29%	+9.68%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.60%	-26.04%	+7.44%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.31%	-6.49%	+3.18%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.43%	-5.14%	-2.29%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.92%	2.61%	-1.69%

Volatility

BNDC vs. ESG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund (BNDC) is 1.53%, while FlexShares STOXX US ESG Select Index Fund (ESG) has a volatility of 4.75%. This indicates that BNDC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ESG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BNDC	ESG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.53%	4.75%	-3.22%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.69%	8.67%	-5.98%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.62%	17.43%	-12.81%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.06%	16.75%	-10.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.11%	18.46%	-10.35%