MNA vs. BGLD
Compare and contrast key facts about IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) and FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF (BGLD).
MNA and BGLD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. MNA is a passively managed fund by New York Life that tracks the performance of the IQ Merger Arbitrage Index. It was launched on Nov 17, 2009. BGLD is an actively managed fund by FT Vest. It was launched on Jan 20, 2021.
Performance
MNA vs. BGLD - Performance Comparison
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MNA vs. BGLD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MNA IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF | 1.56% | 8.59% | 4.93% | 0.18% | -1.61% | -3.41% |
BGLD FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | 0.18% | 33.03% | 21.80% | 13.24% | -2.42% | -5.57% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, MNA achieves a 1.56% return, which is significantly higher than BGLD's 0.18% return.
MNA
- 1D
- 0.44%
- 1M
- 0.17%
- YTD
- 1.56%
- 6M
- 1.25%
- 1Y
- 5.98%
- 3Y*
- 5.16%
- 5Y*
- 2.20%
- 10Y*
- 2.73%
BGLD
- 1D
- 2.63%
- 1M
- -6.42%
- YTD
- 0.18%
- 6M
- 2.66%
- 1Y
- 16.42%
- 3Y*
- 20.21%
- 5Y*
- 12.18%
- 10Y*
- —
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MNA vs. BGLD - Expense Ratio Comparison
MNA has a 0.77% expense ratio, which is lower than BGLD's 0.91% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
MNA vs. BGLD — Risk / Return Rank
MNA
BGLD
MNA vs. BGLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) and FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF (BGLD). 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.
| MNA | BGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.20 | 1.37 | -0.17 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.83 | 1.89 | -0.06 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.28 | -0.04 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.69 | 1.51 | +1.18 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.69 | 7.80 | +2.89 |
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
| MNA | BGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.20 | 1.37 | -0.17 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.44 | 1.24 | -0.80 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.42 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.36 | 1.09 | -0.73 |
Correlation
The correlation between MNA and BGLD is 0.15, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.
Dividends
MNA vs. BGLD - Dividend Comparison
MNA has not paid dividends to shareholders, while BGLD's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 44.24%.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MNA IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 1.20% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 2.30% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.21% | 0.87% |
BGLD FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF | 44.24% | 44.32% | 25.04% | 10.49% | 0.40% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
MNA vs. BGLD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum MNA drawdown since its inception was -16.68%, roughly equal to the maximum BGLD drawdown of -16.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MNA and BGLD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| MNA | BGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -16.68% | -16.19% | -0.49% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.21% | -11.11% | +8.90% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -10.74% | -16.19% | +5.45% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -16.68% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.47% | -7.35% | +6.88% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -2.86% | -3.54% | +0.68% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.56% | 2.15% | -1.59% |
Volatility
MNA vs. BGLD - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for IQ Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) is 1.70%, while FT Vest Gold Strategy Quarterly Buffer ETF (BGLD) has a volatility of 6.83%. This indicates that MNA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than BGLD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| MNA | BGLD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 1.70% | 6.83% | -5.13% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.01% | 9.28% | -6.27% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.00% | 12.06% | -7.06% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 4.97% | 9.88% | -4.91% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 6.55% | 9.87% | -3.32% |