NOBOX vs. FEDUX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Northern Bond Index Fund (NOBOX) and Fidelity Education Income Fund (FEDUX).

NOBOX is managed by Northern Funds. It was launched on Feb 27, 2007. FEDUX is managed by Fidelity. It was launched on Mar 16, 2021.

Performance

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Northern Bond Index Fund (NOBOX) and Fidelity Education Income Fund (FEDUX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
NOBOX Northern Bond Index Fund	-0.24%	6.14%	0.82%	4.86%	-13.84%	0.14%
FEDUX Fidelity Education Income Fund	-0.29%	6.40%	-0.29%	1.62%	-8.38%	-1.27%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NOBOX achieves a -0.24% return, which is significantly higher than FEDUX's -0.29% return.

NOBOX

• 1D: 0.44%
• 1M: -2.03%
• YTD: -0.24%
• 6M: 0.78%
• 1Y: 4.05%
• 3Y*: 2.81%
• 5Y*: -0.46%
• 10Y*: 1.21%

FEDUX

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: -1.40%
• YTD: -0.29%
• 6M: 0.82%
• 1Y: 3.87%
• 3Y*: 2.10%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NOBOX has a 0.07% expense ratio, which is higher than FEDUX's 0.00% expense ratio. However, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

NOBOX

Northern Bond Index Fund

FEDUX

Fidelity Education Income Fund

Return for Risk

NOBOX vs. FEDUX — Risk / Return Rank

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

NOBOX

NOBOX Risk / Return Rank: 51
NOBOX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
NOBOX Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
NOBOX Omega Ratio Rank: 38
NOBOX Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
NOBOX Martin Ratio Rank: 47

FEDUX

FEDUX Risk / Return Rank: 88
FEDUX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 85
FEDUX Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
FEDUX Omega Ratio Rank: 82
FEDUX Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
FEDUX Martin Ratio Rank: 89

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.

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Northern Bond Index Fund (NOBOX) and Fidelity Education Income Fund (FEDUX). 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.

	NOBOX	FEDUX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.94	1.64	-0.70
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.40	2.65	-1.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	1.33	-0.15
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.61	2.68	-1.07
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.70	9.90	-5.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NOBOX Sharpe Ratio is 0.94, which is lower than the FEDUX Sharpe Ratio of 1.64. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NOBOX and FEDUX, 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

	NOBOX	FEDUX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.94	1.64	-0.70
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.08	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.59	-0.19	+0.78

Correlation

The correlation between NOBOX and FEDUX is 0.84, 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

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Dividend Comparison

NOBOX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.98%, less than FEDUX's 4.04% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NOBOX Northern Bond Index Fund	3.98%	2.88%	3.46%	2.63%	1.53%	2.10%	3.12%	3.18%	2.80%	2.77%	2.45%	2.61%
FEDUX Fidelity Education Income Fund	4.04%	4.43%	0.36%	0.71%	0.00%	0.13%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NOBOX drawdown since its inception was -20.03%, which is greater than FEDUX's maximum drawdown of -12.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NOBOX and FEDUX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NOBOX	FEDUX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.03%	-12.00%	-8.03%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.80%	-1.72%	-1.08%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.15%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-20.03%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.19%	-3.07%	-3.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.52%	-6.61%	+3.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.96%	0.47%	+0.49%

Volatility

NOBOX vs. FEDUX - Volatility Comparison

Northern Bond Index Fund (NOBOX) has a higher volatility of 1.62% compared to Fidelity Education Income Fund (FEDUX) at 0.80%. This indicates that NOBOX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FEDUX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NOBOX	FEDUX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.62%	0.80%	+0.82%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.87%	1.67%	+1.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.60%	2.69%	+1.91%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.07%	3.14%	+2.93%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	5.01%	3.14%	+1.87%