IFRA vs. MISL

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) and First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL).

IFRA and MISL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. IFRA is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the NYSE FactSet U.S. Infrastructure Index. It was launched on Apr 3, 2018. MISL is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Indxx US Aerospace & Defense Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Oct 25, 2022. Both IFRA and MISL 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

IFRA vs. MISL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) and First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

IFRA vs. MISL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
IFRA iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF	10.16%	15.90%	17.02%	13.42%	4.84%
MISL First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF	6.94%	41.24%	20.48%	14.78%	8.22%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IFRA achieves a 10.16% return, which is significantly higher than MISL's 6.94% return.

IFRA

• 1D: 0.86%
• 1M: -4.27%
• YTD: 10.16%
• 6M: 10.80%
• 1Y: 29.85%
• 3Y*: 17.88%
• 5Y*: 12.78%
• 10Y*: —

MISL

• 1D: 2.28%
• 1M: -9.73%
• YTD: 6.94%
• 6M: 9.60%
• 1Y: 51.50%
• 3Y*: 27.55%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

IFRA vs. MISL - Expense Ratio Comparison

IFRA has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than MISL's 0.60% expense ratio.

MISL

First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF

IFRA

iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF

Return for Risk

IFRA vs. MISL — Risk / Return Rank

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

IFRA

IFRA Risk / Return Rank: 86
IFRA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
IFRA Sortino Ratio Rank: 88
IFRA Omega Ratio Rank: 80
IFRA Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
IFRA Martin Ratio Rank: 90

MISL

MISL Risk / Return Rank: 91
MISL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
MISL Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
MISL Omega Ratio Rank: 88
MISL Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
MISL Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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.

IFRA vs. MISL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) and First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL). 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.

	IFRA	MISL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.75	2.15	-0.40
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.47	2.87	-0.40
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.31	1.37	-0.06
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.84	3.34	-0.50
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	12.10	12.29	-0.19
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IFRA vs. MISL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IFRA Sharpe Ratio is 1.75, which is comparable to the MISL Sharpe Ratio of 2.15. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IFRA and MISL, 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

	IFRA	MISL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.75	2.15	-0.40
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.72	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.61	1.45	-0.84

Correlation

The correlation between IFRA and MISL is 0.65, 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

IFRA vs. MISL - Dividend Comparison

IFRA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.69%, more than MISL's 0.36% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
IFRA iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF	1.69%	1.84%	1.75%	1.98%	1.98%	1.63%	2.08%	1.68%	2.50%
MISL First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF	0.36%	0.40%	0.74%	0.63%	0.08%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

IFRA vs. MISL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IFRA drawdown since its inception was -41.06%, which is greater than MISL's maximum drawdown of -17.91%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IFRA and MISL.

Drawdown Indicators

	IFRA	MISL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-41.06%	-17.91%	-23.15%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.68%	-15.45%	+4.77%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.93%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.27%	-10.30%	+6.03%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.21%	-3.17%	-2.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.51%	4.20%	-1.69%

Volatility

IFRA vs. MISL - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) is 5.38%, while First Trust Indxx Aerospace & Defense ETF (MISL) has a volatility of 8.47%. This indicates that IFRA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than MISL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IFRA	MISL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.38%	8.47%	-3.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.33%	17.76%	-7.43%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.14%	24.09%	-6.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.80%	18.70%	-0.90%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.44%	18.70%	+2.74%