IDGT vs. NXTG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (IDGT) and First Trust IndXX NextG ETF (NXTG).

IDGT and NXTG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IDGT is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Data Center, Tower REIT and Communications Equipment Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Jul 10, 2001. NXTG is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Indxx 5G & NextG Thematic Index. It was launched on Feb 17, 2011. Both IDGT and NXTG 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

IDGT vs. NXTG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (IDGT) and First Trust IndXX NextG ETF (NXTG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IDGT vs. NXTG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
IDGT iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF	17.03%	6.79%	26.71%	-6.09%	-17.90%	42.14%	8.78%	17.39%	-1.97%	11.81%
NXTG First Trust IndXX NextG ETF	5.29%	28.46%	12.85%	28.74%	-24.70%	21.81%	27.58%	29.58%	-17.25%	28.02%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IDGT achieves a 17.03% return, which is significantly higher than NXTG's 5.29% return. Over the past 10 years, IDGT has underperformed NXTG with an annualized return of 11.32%, while NXTG has yielded a comparatively higher 13.76% annualized return.

IDGT

• 1D: 1.53%
• 1M: 1.01%
• YTD: 17.03%
• 6M: 14.68%
• 1Y: 34.93%
• 3Y*: 12.85%
• 5Y*: 8.66%
• 10Y*: 11.32%

NXTG

• 1D: 1.18%
• 1M: -5.32%
• YTD: 5.29%
• 6M: 9.14%
• 1Y: 35.19%
• 3Y*: 19.89%
• 5Y*: 11.01%
• 10Y*: 13.76%

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

IDGT vs. NXTG - Expense Ratio Comparison

IDGT has a 0.41% expense ratio, which is lower than NXTG's 0.70% expense ratio.

NXTG

First Trust IndXX NextG ETF

IDGT

iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF

Return for Risk

IDGT vs. NXTG — Risk / Return Rank

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

IDGT

IDGT Risk / Return Rank: 83
IDGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 82
IDGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
IDGT Omega Ratio Rank: 77
IDGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 88
IDGT Martin Ratio Rank: 88

NXTG

NXTG Risk / Return Rank: 87
NXTG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
NXTG Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
NXTG Omega Ratio Rank: 85
NXTG Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
NXTG 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.

IDGT vs. NXTG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (IDGT) and First Trust IndXX NextG ETF (NXTG). 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.

	IDGT	NXTG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.63	1.78	-0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.20	2.47	-0.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.30	1.35	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.94	2.87	+0.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.26	12.13	-0.87
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IDGT vs. NXTG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IDGT Sharpe Ratio is 1.63, which is comparable to the NXTG Sharpe Ratio of 1.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IDGT and NXTG, 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

	IDGT	NXTG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.63	1.78	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.38	0.63	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.74	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.15	0.55	-0.41

Correlation

The correlation between IDGT and NXTG is 0.69, 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

IDGT vs. NXTG - Dividend Comparison

IDGT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.95%, less than NXTG's 1.62% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IDGT iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF	0.95%	1.17%	1.64%	0.37%	0.30%	0.28%	0.60%	0.42%	0.65%	0.57%	0.75%	0.72%
NXTG First Trust IndXX NextG ETF	1.62%	1.56%	1.51%	2.15%	2.04%	1.97%	1.04%	0.77%	1.27%	1.65%	1.23%	1.11%

Drawdowns

IDGT vs. NXTG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IDGT drawdown since its inception was -77.95%, which is greater than NXTG's maximum drawdown of -33.61%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IDGT and NXTG.

Drawdown Indicators

	IDGT	NXTG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-77.95%	-33.61%	-44.34%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.23%	-12.49%	+0.26%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-35.83%	-33.61%	-2.22%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.88%	-33.61%	-3.27%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.06%	-6.09%	+5.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.04%	-7.95%	-12.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.20%	2.95%	+0.25%

Volatility

IDGT vs. NXTG - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (IDGT) has a higher volatility of 8.17% compared to First Trust IndXX NextG ETF (NXTG) at 7.61%. This indicates that IDGT's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NXTG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IDGT	NXTG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.17%	7.61%	+0.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	15.15%	13.28%	+1.87%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.60%	19.90%	+1.70%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.03%	17.42%	+5.61%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.14%	18.64%	+4.50%