VENAX vs. IFRA

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (VENAX) and iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA).

VENAX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Oct 7, 2004. 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.

Performance

VENAX vs. IFRA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (VENAX) and iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VENAX vs. IFRA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
VENAX Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares	38.19%	7.29%	6.57%	0.05%	62.94%	55.57%	-33.27%	9.36%	-16.26%
IFRA iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF	10.16%	15.90%	17.02%	13.42%	-3.32%	29.81%	7.37%	27.00%	-8.57%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, VENAX achieves a 38.19% return, which is significantly higher than IFRA's 10.16% return.

VENAX

• 1D: -1.12%
• 1M: 8.14%
• YTD: 38.19%
• 6M: 39.18%
• 1Y: 36.70%
• 3Y*: 18.45%
• 5Y*: 24.13%
• 10Y*: 11.16%

IFRA

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

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

VENAX vs. IFRA - Expense Ratio Comparison

VENAX has a 0.10% expense ratio, which is lower than IFRA's 0.30% expense ratio.

IFRA

iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF

VENAX

Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares

Return for Risk

VENAX vs. IFRA — Risk / Return Rank

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

VENAX

VENAX Risk / Return Rank: 74
VENAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
VENAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
VENAX Omega Ratio Rank: 74
VENAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
VENAX Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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

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.

VENAX vs. IFRA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (VENAX) and iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA). 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.

	VENAX	IFRA	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.51	1.75	-0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.93	2.47	-0.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.31	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.05	2.84	-0.80
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.86	12.10	-6.24
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VENAX vs. IFRA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VENAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.51, which is comparable to the IFRA Sharpe Ratio of 1.75. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VENAX and IFRA, 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

	VENAX	IFRA	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.51	1.75	-0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.91	0.72	+0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.37	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.29	0.61	-0.32

Correlation

The correlation between VENAX and IFRA is 0.60, 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

VENAX vs. IFRA - Dividend Comparison

VENAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.27%, more than IFRA's 1.69% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
VENAX Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares	2.27%	3.10%	3.24%	3.34%	3.65%	3.80%	4.76%	3.41%	3.35%	2.90%	2.31%	3.17%
IFRA iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF	1.69%	1.84%	1.75%	1.98%	1.98%	1.63%	2.08%	1.68%	2.50%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

VENAX vs. IFRA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VENAX drawdown since its inception was -74.42%, which is greater than IFRA's maximum drawdown of -41.06%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for VENAX and IFRA.

Drawdown Indicators

	VENAX	IFRA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-74.42%	-41.06%	-33.36%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.04%	-10.68%	-8.36%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.59%	-19.93%	-6.66%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-69.58%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.23%	-4.27%	+2.04%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-20.09%	-5.21%	-14.88%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.65%	2.51%	+4.14%

Volatility

VENAX vs. IFRA - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Vanguard Energy Index Fund Admiral Shares (VENAX) is 4.98%, while iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) has a volatility of 5.38%. This indicates that VENAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IFRA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	VENAX	IFRA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.98%	5.38%	-0.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.84%	10.33%	+3.51%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.98%	17.14%	+7.84%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.55%	17.80%	+8.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	30.17%	21.44%	+8.73%