FEDM vs. BUFI
FEDM (FlexShares ESG & Climate Developed Markets ex-US Core Index Fund) and BUFI (AB International Buffer ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - FEDM is a Foreign Large Cap Equities fund tracking the Northern Trust ESG & Climate Developed Markets ex-US Core Index - Benchmark TR Net, while BUFI is a Defined Outcome fund actively managed by AllianceBernstein. FEDM is passively managed, while BUFI is actively managed. Over the past year, FEDM returned 16.72% vs 12.71% for BUFI. Their correlation of 0.90 suggests significant overlap in exposure. FEDM charges 0.12%/yr vs 0.69%/yr for BUFI.
Performance
FEDM vs. BUFI - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FEDM achieves a 6.95% return, which is significantly higher than BUFI's 5.24% return.
FEDM
- 1D
- 0.86%
- 1M
- 2.92%
- YTD
- 6.95%
- 6M
- 8.83%
- 1Y
- 16.72%
- 3Y*
- 14.54%
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
BUFI
- 1D
- 0.30%
- 1M
- 1.60%
- YTD
- 5.24%
- 6M
- 6.51%
- 1Y
- 12.71%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
FEDM vs. BUFI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
FEDM FlexShares ESG & Climate Developed Markets ex-US Core Index Fund | 6.95% | 26.85% | -3.63% |
BUFI AB International Buffer ETF | 5.24% | 16.50% | -1.31% |
Correlation
The correlation between FEDM and BUFI is 0.88, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.88 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 11, 2024 | 0.90 |
The correlation between FEDM and BUFI has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.88 to 0.90 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
FEDM vs. BUFI — Risk / Return Rank
FEDM
BUFI
FEDM vs. BUFI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares ESG & Climate Developed Markets ex-US Core Index Fund (FEDM) and AB International Buffer ETF (BUFI). 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.
| FEDM | BUFI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.47 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.66 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.20 | 1.29 | -0.10 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.41 | 2.24 | -0.83 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.07 | 8.92 | -3.85 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FEDM | BUFI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.04 | 1.52 | -0.47 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.47 | 1.52 | -1.05 |
Drawdowns
FEDM vs. BUFI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FEDM drawdown since its inception was -29.37%, which is greater than BUFI's maximum drawdown of -7.43%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FEDM and BUFI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FEDM | BUFI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -29.37% | -7.43% | -21.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -11.92% | -5.69% | -6.23% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -14.24% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.16% | -0.02% | -1.14% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -6.99% | -0.85% | -6.14% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.30% | 1.43% | +1.87% |
Volatility
FEDM vs. BUFI - Volatility Comparison
FlexShares ESG & Climate Developed Markets ex-US Core Index Fund (FEDM) has a higher volatility of 4.71% compared to AB International Buffer ETF (BUFI) at 2.16%. This indicates that FEDM's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BUFI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FEDM | BUFI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.71% | 2.16% | +2.55% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 12.47% | 7.05% | +5.42% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.14% | 8.43% | +7.71% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 16.46% | 9.14% | +7.32% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 16.46% | 9.14% | +7.32% |
FEDM vs. BUFI - Expense Ratio Comparison
FEDM has a 0.12% expense ratio, which is lower than BUFI's 0.69% expense ratio.
Dividends
FEDM vs. BUFI - Dividend Comparison
FEDM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.80%, while BUFI has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFI AB International Buffer ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
FEDM FlexShares ESG & Climate Developed Markets ex-US Core Index Fund | 2.80% | 2.97% | 2.94% | 2.61% | 2.53% | 0.62% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FEDM and BUFI have a correlation of 0.88, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FEDM has higher volatility (4.71%) compared to BUFI (2.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FEDM dropped -29.37% vs BUFI's -7.43%.
On 1-year performance, FEDM leads with 16.72% vs 12.71% for BUFI. On fees, FEDM is cheaper at 0.12% per year. On volatility, BUFI has been the lower-risk option at 2.16%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, FEDM has performed better with a 16.72% return vs 12.71%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
FEDM is cheaper with a 0.12% expense ratio, compared with 0.69% for BUFI.
FEDM has the higher dividend yield at 2.80%, compared with 0.00% for BUFI.
FEDM is categorized as Foreign Large Cap Equities, while BUFI is Defined Outcome. They also come from different issuers: FlexShares and AllianceBernstein. Their fees differ too: 0.12% for FEDM and 0.69% for BUFI.
BUFI currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.52 vs 1.04), 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.
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