NFRA vs. IGF

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA) and iShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF).

NFRA and IGF are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NFRA is a passively managed fund by FlexShares that tracks the performance of the STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index. It was launched on Oct 8, 2013. IGF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Global Infrastructure Index. It was launched on Dec 10, 2007. Both NFRA and IGF 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

NFRA vs. IGF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA) and iShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NFRA vs. IGF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NFRA FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund	5.94%	18.42%	4.76%	8.96%	-10.11%	9.61%	2.24%	26.27%	-7.74%	15.92%
IGF iShares Global Infrastructure ETF	9.19%	21.31%	14.81%	6.14%	-1.26%	11.57%	-6.50%	25.82%	-9.95%	19.31%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NFRA achieves a 5.94% return, which is significantly lower than IGF's 9.19% return. Over the past 10 years, NFRA has underperformed IGF with an annualized return of 7.17%, while IGF has yielded a comparatively higher 8.80% annualized return.

NFRA

• 1D: 1.51%
• 1M: -4.83%
• YTD: 5.94%
• 6M: 6.34%
• 1Y: 17.73%
• 3Y*: 11.49%
• 5Y*: 6.00%
• 10Y*: 7.17%

IGF

• 1D: 0.80%
• 1M: -3.42%
• YTD: 9.19%
• 6M: 11.40%
• 1Y: 26.64%
• 3Y*: 15.76%
• 5Y*: 11.38%
• 10Y*: 8.80%

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

NFRA vs. IGF - Expense Ratio Comparison

NFRA has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is higher than IGF's 0.39% expense ratio.

NFRA

FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund

IGF

iShares Global Infrastructure ETF

Return for Risk

NFRA vs. IGF — Risk / Return Rank

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

NFRA

NFRA Risk / Return Rank: 79
NFRA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
NFRA Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
NFRA Omega Ratio Rank: 77
NFRA Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
NFRA Martin Ratio Rank: 80

IGF

IGF Risk / Return Rank: 93
IGF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 93
IGF Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
IGF Omega Ratio Rank: 94
IGF Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
IGF 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.

NFRA vs. IGF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA) and iShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF). 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.

	NFRA	IGF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.42	2.10	-0.68
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.98	2.77	-0.79
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.42	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.31	3.10	-0.79
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.54	15.62	-7.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NFRA vs. IGF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NFRA Sharpe Ratio is 1.42, which is lower than the IGF Sharpe Ratio of 2.10. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NFRA and IGF, 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

	NFRA	IGF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.42	2.10	-0.68
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	0.82	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.53	-0.04
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.47	0.24	+0.23

Correlation

The correlation between NFRA and IGF is 0.88, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

NFRA vs. IGF - Dividend Comparison

NFRA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.69%, more than IGF's 2.95% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NFRA FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund	5.69%	6.00%	3.33%	2.57%	2.28%	2.71%	2.22%	2.27%	3.06%	2.81%	2.98%	2.47%
IGF iShares Global Infrastructure ETF	2.95%	3.23%	3.21%	3.36%	2.67%	2.42%	2.33%	3.27%	3.52%	2.95%	2.98%	3.25%

Drawdowns

NFRA vs. IGF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NFRA drawdown since its inception was -32.49%, smaller than the maximum IGF drawdown of -58.33%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NFRA and IGF.

Drawdown Indicators

	NFRA	IGF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.49%	-58.33%	+25.84%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.84%	-8.74%	+0.90%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.75%	-20.83%	-1.92%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.49%	-42.11%	+9.62%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.83%	-3.42%	-1.41%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.56%	-11.96%	+7.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.12%	1.74%	+0.38%

Volatility

NFRA vs. IGF - Volatility Comparison

FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA) has a higher volatility of 4.51% compared to iShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF) at 4.25%. This indicates that NFRA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IGF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NFRA	IGF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.51%	4.25%	+0.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.58%	7.33%	+0.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.55%	12.73%	-0.18%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.90%	13.89%	-0.99%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.96%	16.81%	-1.85%