EMLP vs. MLPB

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) and ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B (MLPB).

EMLP and MLPB are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. EMLP is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Jun 21, 2012. MLPB is a passively managed fund by UBS that tracks the performance of the Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index. It was launched on Oct 8, 2015.

Performance

EMLP vs. MLPB - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) and ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B (MLPB). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

EMLP vs. MLPB - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
EMLP First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund	16.08%	9.67%	33.39%	8.05%	10.39%	23.20%	-13.36%	23.40%	-8.70%	1.07%
MLPB ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B	16.69%	7.40%	25.53%	22.01%	30.22%	39.42%	-30.80%	5.69%	-8.79%	-9.71%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with EMLP having a 16.08% return and MLPB slightly higher at 16.69%. Over the past 10 years, EMLP has outperformed MLPB with an annualized return of 11.51%, while MLPB has yielded a comparatively lower 9.55% annualized return.

EMLP

• 1D: -0.59%
• 1M: 0.43%
• YTD: 16.08%
• 6M: 15.69%
• 1Y: 20.09%
• 3Y*: 22.08%
• 5Y*: 17.72%
• 10Y*: 11.51%

MLPB

• 1D: -1.54%
• 1M: 1.21%
• YTD: 16.69%
• 6M: 20.26%
• 1Y: 11.98%
• 3Y*: 22.94%
• 5Y*: 23.10%
• 10Y*: 9.55%

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

EMLP vs. MLPB - Expense Ratio Comparison

EMLP has a 0.96% expense ratio, which is higher than MLPB's 0.85% expense ratio.

EMLP

First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund

MLPB

ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B

Return for Risk

EMLP vs. MLPB — Risk / Return Rank

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

EMLP

EMLP Risk / Return Rank: 78
EMLP Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
EMLP Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
EMLP Omega Ratio Rank: 81
EMLP Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
EMLP Martin Ratio Rank: 81

MLPB

MLPB Risk / Return Rank: 32
MLPB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 35
MLPB Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
MLPB Omega Ratio Rank: 36
MLPB Calmar Ratio Rank: 29
MLPB Martin Ratio Rank: 25

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.

EMLP vs. MLPB - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) and ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B (MLPB). 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.

	EMLP	MLPB	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.51	0.64	+0.86
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.94	0.93	+1.01
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.14	+0.16
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.83	0.69	+1.14
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.54	1.81	+6.73
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

EMLP vs. MLPB - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current EMLP Sharpe Ratio is 1.51, which is higher than the MLPB Sharpe Ratio of 0.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of EMLP and MLPB, 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

	EMLP	MLPB	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.51	0.64	+0.86
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.23	1.15	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	0.34	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.58	0.23	+0.35

Correlation

The correlation between EMLP and MLPB is 0.62, 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

EMLP vs. MLPB - Dividend Comparison

EMLP's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.75%, less than MLPB's 5.83% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
EMLP First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund	2.75%	3.18%	3.19%	3.92%	3.15%	3.29%	4.70%	3.71%	4.71%	3.80%	3.62%	4.63%
MLPB ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B	5.83%	6.51%	5.95%	6.37%	6.00%	6.98%	11.93%	7.98%	8.11%	7.23%	6.85%	0.00%

Drawdowns

EMLP vs. MLPB - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum EMLP drawdown since its inception was -43.61%, smaller than the maximum MLPB drawdown of -71.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for EMLP and MLPB.

Drawdown Indicators

	EMLP	MLPB	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-43.61%	-71.93%	+28.32%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.27%	-16.49%	+5.22%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-14.59%	-20.41%	+5.82%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.61%	-71.93%	+28.32%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.59%	-2.68%	+2.09%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.81%	-15.03%	+9.22%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.41%	6.26%	-3.85%

Volatility

EMLP vs. MLPB - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust North American Energy Infrastructure Fund (EMLP) is 2.80%, while ETRACS Alerian MLP Infrastructure Index ETN Series B (MLPB) has a volatility of 3.72%. This indicates that EMLP experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than MLPB based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	EMLP	MLPB	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.80%	3.72%	-0.92%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.79%	8.96%	-2.17%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.41%	18.75%	-5.34%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.46%	20.14%	-5.68%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.72%	28.10%	-10.38%