NFRA vs. JXI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

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

NFRA and JXI 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. JXI is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P Global Utilities Index. It was launched on Sep 21, 2006. Both NFRA and JXI 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. JXI - 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 Utilities ETF (JXI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NFRA vs. JXI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NFRA FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund	5.93%	18.42%	4.76%	8.96%	-10.11%	9.61%	2.24%	26.27%	-7.74%	15.92%
JXI iShares Global Utilities ETF	10.76%	25.91%	13.14%	0.63%	-4.17%	10.88%	5.19%	23.94%	2.31%	14.79%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NFRA achieves a 5.93% return, which is significantly lower than JXI's 10.76% return. Over the past 10 years, NFRA has underperformed JXI with an annualized return of 7.17%, while JXI has yielded a comparatively higher 9.66% annualized return.

NFRA

• 1D: -0.02%
• 1M: -4.05%
• YTD: 5.93%
• 6M: 6.24%
• 1Y: 17.36%
• 3Y*: 11.49%
• 5Y*: 6.00%
• 10Y*: 7.17%

JXI

• 1D: 0.89%
• 1M: -1.70%
• YTD: 10.76%
• 6M: 12.58%
• 1Y: 28.98%
• 3Y*: 16.49%
• 5Y*: 10.83%
• 10Y*: 9.66%

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

NFRA vs. JXI - Expense Ratio Comparison

NFRA has a 0.47% expense ratio, which is higher than JXI's 0.46% expense ratio.

NFRA

FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund

JXI

iShares Global Utilities ETF

Return for Risk

NFRA vs. JXI — Risk / Return Rank

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

NFRA

NFRA Risk / Return Rank: 75
NFRA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
NFRA Sortino Ratio Rank: 74
NFRA Omega Ratio Rank: 72
NFRA Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
NFRA Martin Ratio Rank: 74

JXI

JXI Risk / Return Rank: 91
JXI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
JXI Sortino Ratio Rank: 90
JXI Omega Ratio Rank: 89
JXI Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
JXI Martin Ratio Rank: 93

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. JXI - 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 Utilities ETF (JXI). 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	JXI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.39	2.04	-0.65
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.94	2.60	-0.66
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.28	1.38	-0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.26	3.61	-1.35
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.27	14.00	-5.73
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. JXI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NFRA Sharpe Ratio is 1.39, which is lower than the JXI Sharpe Ratio of 2.04. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NFRA and JXI, 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	JXI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.39	2.04	-0.65
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.47	0.71	-0.25
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.48	0.57	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.47	0.34	+0.13

Correlation

The correlation between NFRA and JXI is 0.78, 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. JXI - Dividend Comparison

NFRA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.69%, more than JXI's 2.31% 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%
JXI iShares Global Utilities ETF	2.31%	2.56%	3.02%	3.58%	3.13%	2.78%	2.65%	3.43%	3.16%	3.62%	4.77%	3.78%

Drawdowns

NFRA vs. JXI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NFRA drawdown since its inception was -32.49%, smaller than the maximum JXI drawdown of -50.23%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NFRA and JXI.

Drawdown Indicators

	NFRA	JXI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-32.49%	-50.23%	+17.74%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.84%	-8.17%	+0.33%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.75%	-22.45%	-0.30%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.49%	-34.20%	+1.71%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.84%	-2.47%	-2.37%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.56%	-12.90%	+8.34%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.14%	2.11%	+0.03%

Volatility

NFRA vs. JXI - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for FlexShares STOXX Global Broad Infrastructure Index Fund (NFRA) is 4.41%, while iShares Global Utilities ETF (JXI) has a volatility of 5.23%. This indicates that NFRA experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than JXI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NFRA	JXI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.41%	5.23%	-0.82%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.57%	8.93%	-1.36%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.55%	14.26%	-1.71%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.89%	15.23%	-2.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.95%	16.94%	-1.99%