Is iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Making its debut on 04/03/2018, smart beta exchange traded fund iShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF (IFRA) provides investors broad exposure to the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

However, some investors believe in the possibility of beating the market through exceptional stock selection, and choose a different type of fund that tracks non-cap weighted strategies: smart beta.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.

Fund Sponsor & Index

IFRA is managed by Blackrock, and this fund has amassed over $2.46 billion, which makes it one of the larger ETFs in the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs. Before fees and expenses, IFRA seeks to match the performance of the NYSE FACTSET U.S. INFRASTRUCTURE INDEX .

The NYSE FactSet U.S. Infrastructure Index comprises of equities of U.S. companies that have infrastructure exposure and that could benefit from a potential increase in domestic infrastructure activities.

Cost & Other Expenses

Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.

Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.30%, making it one of the cheaper products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.89%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

ETFs offer diversified exposure and thus minimize single stock risk, but it is still important to delve into a fund's holdings before investing. Most ETFs are very transparent products and many disclose their holdings on a daily basis.

This ETF has heaviest allocation in the Utilities sector - about 41.50% of the portfolio. Industrials and Materials round out the top three.

Looking at individual holdings, Nrg Energy Inc (NRG) accounts for about 0.99% of total assets, followed by Compass Minerals International Inc (CMP) and Constellation Energy Corp (CEG).

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 6.35% of IFRA's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF has gained about 5.42% so far this year and is up roughly 13.05% in the last one year (as of 06/04/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $40.97 and $51.71.

IFRA has a beta of 0.97 and standard deviation of 18.83% for the trailing three-year period. With about 162 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

IShares U.S. Infrastructure ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.

IShares Global Infrastructure ETF (IGF) tracks S&P Global Infrastructure Index and the Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE) tracks INDXX U.S. Infrastructure Development Index. IShares Global Infrastructure ETF has $7.10 billion in assets, Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF has $8.31 billion. IGF has an expense ratio of 0.42% and PAVE charges 0.47%.

Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Utilities/Infrastructure ETFs.

Bottom Line

To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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