FPE vs. PQDI
Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE) and Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF (PQDI).
FPE and PQDI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FPE is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Feb 12, 2013. PQDI is a passively managed fund by Principal that tracks the performance of the ICE BofA 7% Constrained DRD Eligible Preferred Securities Index. It was launched on Jun 16, 2020.
Performance
FPE vs. PQDI - Performance Comparison
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FPE vs. PQDI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF | -1.22% | 9.21% | 11.17% | 6.84% | -12.77% | 5.24% | 11.15% |
PQDI Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF | -0.68% | 8.46% | 9.99% | 6.24% | -9.61% | 3.10% | 9.81% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, FPE achieves a -1.22% return, which is significantly lower than PQDI's -0.68% return.
FPE
- 1D
- 0.74%
- 1M
- -2.57%
- YTD
- -1.22%
- 6M
- 0.25%
- 1Y
- 7.01%
- 3Y*
- 9.91%
- 5Y*
- 3.03%
- 10Y*
- 5.23%
PQDI
- 1D
- 0.88%
- 1M
- -2.06%
- YTD
- -0.68%
- 6M
- 0.73%
- 1Y
- 6.50%
- 3Y*
- 8.85%
- 5Y*
- 3.26%
- 10Y*
- —
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FPE vs. PQDI - Expense Ratio Comparison
FPE has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than PQDI's 0.60% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
FPE vs. PQDI — Risk / Return Rank
FPE
PQDI
FPE vs. PQDI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE) and Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF (PQDI). 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.
| FPE | PQDI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.32 | 2.03 | -0.71 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.82 | 2.75 | -0.92 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.43 | -0.13 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.72 | 1.93 | -0.21 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.99 | 8.63 | -1.64 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| FPE | PQDI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.32 | 2.03 | -0.71 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.46 | 0.71 | -0.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.52 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.51 | 0.98 | -0.47 |
Correlation
The correlation between FPE and PQDI is 0.70, 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
FPE vs. PQDI - Dividend Comparison
FPE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.95%, more than PQDI's 5.16% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF | 5.95% | 5.81% | 5.68% | 6.03% | 5.67% | 4.48% | 4.88% | 5.32% | 6.14% | 5.39% | 5.97% | 5.49% |
PQDI Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF | 5.16% | 5.02% | 4.93% | 5.35% | 5.60% | 5.21% | 2.69% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
FPE vs. PQDI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum FPE drawdown since its inception was -33.35%, which is greater than PQDI's maximum drawdown of -17.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FPE and PQDI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| FPE | PQDI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -33.35% | -17.41% | -15.94% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -4.08% | -3.31% | -0.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -19.65% | -17.41% | -2.24% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -33.35% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.99% | -2.46% | -0.53% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.36% | -3.59% | +0.23% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.00% | 0.74% | +0.26% |
Volatility
FPE vs. PQDI - Volatility Comparison
First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE) has a higher volatility of 2.24% compared to Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF (PQDI) at 1.87%. This indicates that FPE's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PQDI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| FPE | PQDI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.24% | 1.87% | +0.37% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 3.13% | 2.49% | +0.64% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 5.33% | 3.22% | +2.11% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 6.59% | 4.64% | +1.95% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 10.16% | 4.57% | +5.59% |