FLC vs. PFF
FLC (Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc) and PFF (iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF) are both funds - FLC is a Financials Equities fund actively managed by Flaherty & Crumrine, while PFF is a Preferred Stock fund tracking the ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index. FLC is actively managed, while PFF is passively managed. Over the past 10 years, FLC returned 4.71%/yr vs 2.99%/yr for PFF. Their 0.45 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. FLC charges 1.64%/yr vs 0.46%/yr for PFF.
Performance
FLC vs. PFF - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FLC achieves a 0.32% return, which is significantly lower than PFF's 1.86% return. Over the past 10 years, FLC has outperformed PFF with an annualized return of 4.71%, while PFF has yielded a comparatively lower 2.99% annualized return.
FLC
- 1D
- 0.84%
- 1M
- -0.14%
- 6M
- -2.01%
- YTD
- 0.32%
- 1Y
- 5.89%
- 3Y*
- 12.97%
- 5Y*
- -0.06%
- 10Y*
- 4.71%
- ALL TIME*
- 6.77%
PFF
- 1D
- 0.96%
- 1M
- 0.93%
- 6M
- -0.32%
- YTD
- 1.86%
- 1Y
- 4.05%
- 3Y*
- 6.21%
- 5Y*
- 0.85%
- 10Y*
- 2.99%
- ALL TIME*
- 3.77%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $369.43K | $310.80K | $359.73K | |
| $86.37M | $81.59M | $92.47M |
FLC vs. PFF - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLC Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc | 0.32% | 12.38% | 23.05% | -0.83% | -25.11% | 2.82% | 14.12% | 38.65% | -14.14% | 17.00% |
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 1.86% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -4.64% | 8.10% |
Correlation
The correlation between FLC and PFF is 0.48, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.48 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.59 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.59 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.48 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 30, 2007 | 0.45 |
The correlation between FLC and PFF shifts across timeframes, from 0.45 (all time) to 0.59 (3 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
FLC vs. PFF — Risk / Return Rank
FLC
PFF
FLC vs. PFF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc (FLC) and iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF). 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| FLC | PFF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.25 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.30 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.15 | 1.10 | +0.05 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.71 | 0.77 | -0.06 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.99 | 1.98 | +0.02 |
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Drawdowns
FLC vs. PFF - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FLC drawdown since its inception was -76.79%, which is greater than PFF's maximum drawdown of -65.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FLC and PFF.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FLC | PFF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -76.79% | -65.55% | -11.24% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -8.34% | -5.28% | -3.06% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -11.81% | -10.63% | -1.18% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -40.14% | -21.05% | -19.09% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -55.27% | -34.10% | -21.17% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.15% | -2.13% | -1.02% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -10.81% | -5.74% | -5.07% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.96% | 2.05% | +0.91% |
Volatility
FLC vs. PFF - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc (FLC) is 2.07%, while iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) has a volatility of 2.77%. This indicates that FLC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PFF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FLC | PFF | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.07% | 2.77% | -0.70% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 6.20% | 5.95% | +0.25% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 7.43% | 7.38% | +0.05% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 14.08% | 10.42% | +3.66% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 21.99% | 12.71% | +9.28% |
FLC vs. PFF - Expense Ratio Comparison
FLC has a 1.64% expense ratio, which is higher than PFF's 0.46% expense ratio.
Dividends
FLC vs. PFF - Dividend Comparison
FLC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.48%, more than PFF's 5.41% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLC Flaherty & Crumrine Total Return Fund Inc | 7.48% | 6.81% | 6.62% | 7.38% | 8.95% | 6.86% | 6.27% | 6.31% | 8.34% | 7.22% | 8.20% | 8.51% |
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 5.41% | 6.30% | 6.32% | 6.63% | 6.01% | 4.45% | 4.79% | 5.31% | 6.32% | 5.59% | 5.85% | 5.76% |
Frequently Asked Questions
FLC and PFF have a correlation of 0.48, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PFF has higher volatility (2.77%) compared to FLC (2.07%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FLC dropped -76.79% vs PFF's -65.55%.
FLC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.80 vs 0.55), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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