IDGT vs. NXTG

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

IDGT (iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF) and NXTG (First Trust IndXX NextG ETF) are both Technology Equities funds - IDGT tracks the S&P Data Center, Tower REIT and Communications Equipment Index - Benchmark TR Gross while NXTG tracks the Indxx 5G & NextG Thematic Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, IDGT returned 14.38%/yr vs 17.94%/yr for NXTG. A 0.70 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined. IDGT charges 0.41%/yr vs 0.70%/yr for NXTG.

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.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with IDGT having a 53.90% return and NXTG slightly higher at 54.54%. Over the past 10 years, IDGT has underperformed NXTG with an annualized return of 14.38%, while NXTG has yielded a comparatively higher 17.94% annualized return.

IDGT

• 1D: -1.58%
• 1M: 8.43%
• YTD: 53.90%
• 6M: 49.82%
• 1Y: 63.37%
• 3Y*: 25.08%
• 5Y*: 13.30%
• 10Y*: 14.38%

NXTG

• 1D: -0.82%
• 1M: 22.84%
• YTD: 54.54%
• 6M: 55.39%
• 1Y: 82.82%
• 3Y*: 35.56%
• 5Y*: 19.17%
• 10Y*: 17.94%

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

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	53.90%	6.79%	26.71%	-6.09%	-17.90%	42.14%	8.78%	17.39%	-1.97%	11.81%
NXTG First Trust IndXX NextG ETF	54.54%	28.46%	12.85%	28.74%	-24.70%	21.81%	27.58%	29.58%	-17.25%	28.02%

Correlation

The correlation between IDGT and NXTG is 0.77, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.77
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.76
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.78
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.73
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 22, 2011	0.70

The correlation between IDGT and NXTG has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.70 to 0.78 - a consistent structural relationship.

IDGT vs. NXTG - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	IDGT	NXTG
Technology	60.7%	66.1%
Real Estate	34.3%	7.5%
Communication Services	4.8%	21.7%
Basic Materials	-	-
Consumer Cyclical	-	0.4%
Consumer Defensive	-	-
Energy	-	-
Financial Services	-	-
Healthcare	-	-
Industrials	-	4.3%
Utilities	-	-

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: 89
IDGT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
IDGT Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
IDGT Omega Ratio Rank: 84
IDGT Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
IDGT Martin Ratio Rank: 91

NXTG

NXTG Risk / Return Rank: 96
NXTG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
NXTG Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
NXTG Omega Ratio Rank: 96
NXTG Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
NXTG Martin Ratio Rank: 95

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	3.13	4.52	-1.39
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.96	5.69	-1.73
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.52	1.77	-0.25
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	7.54	8.10	-0.56
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	22.58	31.73	-9.15
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 3.13, which is lower than the NXTG Sharpe Ratio of 4.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IDGT and NXTG, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	IDGT	NXTG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.13	4.52	-1.39
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.58	1.08	-0.50
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.62	0.95	-0.33
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.18	0.69	-0.50

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	-8.45%	-10.28%	+1.83%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-23.74%	-17.75%	-5.99%
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	-1.58%	-0.82%	-0.76%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-19.91%	-7.87%	-12.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.81%	2.62%	+0.19%

Volatility

IDGT vs. NXTG - Volatility Comparison

iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF (IDGT) and First Trust IndXX NextG ETF (NXTG) have volatilities of 7.87% and 8.27%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. 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	7.87%	8.27%	-0.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.35%	15.26%	+1.09%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	20.41%	18.44%	+1.97%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.20%	17.93%	+5.27%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.29%	18.88%	+4.41%

IDGT vs. NXTG - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

Dividends

IDGT vs. NXTG - Dividend Comparison

IDGT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.72%, less than NXTG's 1.11% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
IDGT iShares U.S. Digital Infrastructure and Real Estate ETF	0.72%	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	1.11%	1.56%	1.51%	2.15%	2.04%	1.97%	1.04%	0.77%	1.27%	1.65%	1.23%	1.11%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IDGT and NXTG in my portfolio?

IDGT and NXTG have a correlation of 0.77, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, IDGT or NXTG?

NXTG has higher volatility (8.27%) compared to IDGT (7.87%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IDGT dropped -77.95% vs NXTG's -33.61%.

Which ETF is better, IDGT or NXTG?

On 10-year performance, NXTG leads with 17.94% vs 14.38% for IDGT. On fees, IDGT is cheaper at 0.41% per year. On volatility, IDGT has been the lower-risk option at 7.87%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF has performed better, IDGT or NXTG?

Over the 10-year period, NXTG has performed better with a 17.94% return vs 14.38%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.

Which ETF is cheaper, IDGT or NXTG?

IDGT is cheaper with a 0.41% expense ratio, compared with 0.70% for NXTG.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, IDGT or NXTG?

NXTG has the higher dividend yield at 1.11%, compared with 0.72% for IDGT.

What is the main difference between IDGT and NXTG?

IDGT tracks S&P Data Center, Tower REIT and Communications Equipment Index - Benchmark TR Gross, while NXTG tracks Indxx 5G & NextG Thematic Index. They also come from different issuers: iShares and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.41% for IDGT and 0.70% for NXTG.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NXTG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (4.52 vs 3.13), 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.