FPEI vs. QPFF

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

FPEI (First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities & Income ETF) and QPFF (American Century Quality Preferred ETF) are both Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds funds. Both are actively managed. FPEI charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.33%/yr for QPFF.

Performance

FPEI vs. QPFF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPEI) and American Century Quality Preferred ETF (QPFF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

FPEI

• 1D: -0.10%
• 1M: 0.94%
• YTD: 1.56%
• 6M: 1.80%
• 1Y: 8.60%
• 3Y*: 10.69%
• 5Y*: 4.20%
• 10Y*: —

QPFF

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: —
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

FPEI vs. QPFF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)
FPEI First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities & Income ETF	0.61%
QPFF American Century Quality Preferred ETF	0.00%

Return for Risk

FPEI vs. QPFF — Risk / Return Rank

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

FPEI

FPEI Risk / Return Rank: 70
FPEI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 71
FPEI Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
FPEI Omega Ratio Rank: 87
FPEI Calmar Ratio Rank: 48
FPEI Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

FPEI vs. QPFF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPEI) and American Century Quality Preferred ETF (QPFF). 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.

	FPEI	QPFF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.34	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.73	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.54	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.38	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	11.84	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FPEI	QPFF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.34	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.71	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.57	—	—

Drawdowns

FPEI vs. QPFF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FPEI drawdown since its inception was -27.51%, which is greater than QPFF's maximum drawdown of 0.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FPEI and QPFF.

Drawdown Indicators

	FPEI	QPFF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.51%	0.00%	-27.51%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.63%	—	—
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-4.26%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-16.46%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.16%	0.00%	-0.16%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.06%	0.00%	-3.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.73%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	FPEI	QPFF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.95%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	3.06%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.69%	0.00%	+3.69%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	5.97%	0.00%	+5.97%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.86%	0.00%	+8.86%

FPEI vs. QPFF - Expense Ratio Comparison

FPEI has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than QPFF's 0.33% expense ratio.

Dividends

FPEI vs. QPFF - Dividend Comparison

FPEI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.72%, while QPFF has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FPEI First Trust Institutional Preferred Securities & Income ETF	5.72%	5.62%	5.55%	5.76%	5.20%	4.46%	4.90%	5.02%	5.81%	1.50%
QPFF American Century Quality Preferred ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ETF is better, FPEI or QPFF?

On fees, QPFF is cheaper at 0.33% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, FPEI or QPFF?

QPFF is cheaper with a 0.33% expense ratio, compared with 0.85% for FPEI.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, FPEI or QPFF?

FPEI has the higher dividend yield at 5.72%, compared with 0.00% for QPFF.

What is the main difference between FPEI and QPFF?

They also come from different issuers: First Trust and American Century. Their fees differ too: 0.85% for FPEI and 0.33% for QPFF.