BNKU vs. IFED

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index 3X Leveraged ETNs (BNKU) and ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED).

BNKU and IFED are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. BNKU is a passively managed fund by Bank of Montreal that tracks the performance of the Solactive MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index (-300%). It was launched on Apr 2, 2019. IFED is a passively managed fund by UBS that tracks the performance of the IFED Large-Cap US Equity Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Sep 14, 2021. Both BNKU and IFED 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

BNKU vs. IFED - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index 3X Leveraged ETNs (BNKU) and ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

BNKU vs. IFED - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
BNKU MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index 3X Leveraged ETNs	-19.59%	46.04%
IFED ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN	-10.58%	5.99%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, BNKU achieves a -19.59% return, which is significantly lower than IFED's -10.58% return.

BNKU

• 1D: 2.79%
• 1M: -4.99%
• YTD: -19.59%
• 6M: 2.83%
• 1Y: 71.32%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

IFED

• 1D: 0.13%
• 1M: -5.40%
• YTD: -10.58%
• 6M: -10.82%
• 1Y: 5.31%
• 3Y*: 14.88%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

BNKU vs. IFED - Expense Ratio Comparison

BNKU has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than IFED's 0.45% expense ratio.

BNKU

MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index 3X Leveraged ETNs

IFED

ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN

Return for Risk

BNKU vs. IFED — Risk / Return Rank

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

BNKU

BNKU Risk / Return Rank: 55
BNKU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 52
BNKU Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
BNKU Omega Ratio Rank: 61
BNKU Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
BNKU Martin Ratio Rank: 44

IFED

IFED Risk / Return Rank: 19
IFED Sharpe Ratio Rank: 18
IFED Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
IFED Omega Ratio Rank: 19
IFED Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
IFED Martin Ratio Rank: 19

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.

BNKU vs. IFED - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index 3X Leveraged ETNs (BNKU) and ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED). 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.

	BNKU	IFED	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.97	0.28	+0.69
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.53	0.51	+1.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.07	+0.16
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.62	0.38	+1.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.36	1.18	+3.18
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

BNKU vs. IFED - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current BNKU Sharpe Ratio is 0.97, which is higher than the IFED Sharpe Ratio of 0.28. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of BNKU and IFED, 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

	BNKU	IFED	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.97	0.28	+0.69
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.21	0.58	-0.37

Correlation

The correlation between BNKU and IFED is 0.61, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

BNKU vs. IFED - Dividend Comparison

Neither BNKU nor IFED has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Drawdowns

BNKU vs. IFED - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum BNKU drawdown since its inception was -58.03%, which is greater than IFED's maximum drawdown of -22.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for BNKU and IFED.

Drawdown Indicators

	BNKU	IFED	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-58.03%	-22.36%	-35.67%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-41.95%	-14.65%	-27.30%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-31.84%	-12.41%	-19.43%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-16.05%	-5.71%	-10.34%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	15.59%	4.70%	+10.89%

Volatility

BNKU vs. IFED - Volatility Comparison

MicroSectors U.S. Big Banks Index 3X Leveraged ETNs (BNKU) has a higher volatility of 18.56% compared to ETRACS IFED Invest with the Fed TR Index ETN (IFED) at 4.93%. This indicates that BNKU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IFED based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	BNKU	IFED	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	18.56%	4.93%	+13.63%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	46.10%	10.82%	+35.28%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	73.75%	18.80%	+54.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	75.64%	19.71%	+55.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	75.64%	19.71%	+55.93%