FRA vs. RPIFX

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

FRA (BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc) and RPIFX (T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund) are both Bank Loan funds. Over the past 10 years, FRA returned 6.38%/yr vs 4.82%/yr for RPIFX. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. FRA charges 2.17%/yr vs 0.57%/yr for RPIFX.

Performance

FRA vs. RPIFX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA) and T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund (RPIFX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FRA achieves a -1.74% return, which is significantly lower than RPIFX's 1.37% return. Over the past 10 years, FRA has outperformed RPIFX with an annualized return of 6.38%, while RPIFX has yielded a comparatively lower 4.82% annualized return.

FRA

• 1D: -0.18%
• 1M: -0.07%
• YTD: -1.74%
• 6M: -1.53%
• 1Y: -2.59%
• 3Y*: 9.06%
• 5Y*: 6.67%
• 10Y*: 6.38%

RPIFX

• 1D: -0.11%
• 1M: 0.25%
• YTD: 1.37%
• 6M: 1.98%
• 1Y: 5.72%
• 3Y*: 7.81%
• 5Y*: 5.29%
• 10Y*: 4.82%

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

FRA vs. RPIFX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
FRA BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc	-1.74%	-3.75%	21.56%	25.46%	-10.59%	17.81%	-2.38%	20.82%	-8.27%	0.76%
RPIFX T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund	1.37%	6.71%	8.47%	10.13%	-1.96%	4.67%	2.42%	8.82%	0.39%	3.78%

Correlation

The correlation between FRA and RPIFX is 0.36, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.36
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.24
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.28
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 4, 2008	0.23

The correlation between FRA and RPIFX shifts across timeframes, from 0.23 (all time) to 0.36 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

FRA vs. RPIFX — Risk / Return Rank

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

FRA

FRA Risk / Return Rank: 2
FRA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
FRA Sortino Ratio Rank: 2
FRA Omega Ratio Rank: 2
FRA Calmar Ratio Rank: 2
FRA Martin Ratio Rank: 2

RPIFX

RPIFX Risk / Return Rank: 86
RPIFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
RPIFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
RPIFX Omega Ratio Rank: 97
RPIFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
RPIFX Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

FRA vs. RPIFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA) and T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund (RPIFX). 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.

	FRA	RPIFX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.26	2.43	-2.69
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.31	5.86	-6.17
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.96	1.93	-0.97
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.17	3.99	-4.16
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.35	14.77	-15.12
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FRA vs. RPIFX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FRA Sharpe Ratio is -0.26, which is lower than the RPIFX Sharpe Ratio of 2.43. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FRA and RPIFX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FRA	RPIFX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.26	2.43	-2.69
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.52	1.93	-1.41
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41	1.27	-0.86
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	1.29	-0.98

Drawdowns

FRA vs. RPIFX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FRA drawdown since its inception was -51.43%, which is greater than RPIFX's maximum drawdown of -25.10%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FRA and RPIFX.

Drawdown Indicators

	FRA	RPIFX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-51.43%	-25.10%	-26.33%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.47%	-1.44%	-14.03%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-18.77%	-2.28%	-16.49%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-18.77%	-5.90%	-12.87%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-42.80%	-19.67%	-23.13%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.11%	-0.11%	-10.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.21%	-1.34%	-5.87%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.51%	0.39%	+7.12%

Volatility

FRA vs. RPIFX - Volatility Comparison

BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc (FRA) has a higher volatility of 2.05% compared to T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund (RPIFX) at 0.57%. This indicates that FRA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than RPIFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FRA	RPIFX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.05%	0.57%	+1.48%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.25%	1.73%	+6.52%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	9.96%	2.37%	+7.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	12.90%	2.76%	+10.14%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.52%	3.80%	+11.72%

FRA vs. RPIFX - Expense Ratio Comparison

FRA has a 2.17% expense ratio, which is higher than RPIFX's 0.57% expense ratio.

Dividends

FRA vs. RPIFX - Dividend Comparison

FRA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.56%, more than RPIFX's 7.00% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FRA BlackRock Floating Rate Income Strategies Fund Inc	13.56%	12.62%	10.81%	10.44%	6.88%	5.96%	7.61%	6.44%	6.90%	5.31%	5.65%	6.17%
RPIFX T. Rowe Price Institutional Floating Rate Fund	7.00%	7.22%	7.77%	6.53%	4.12%	3.94%	4.29%	5.12%	5.16%	4.32%	4.31%	4.45%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both FRA and RPIFX in my portfolio?

FRA and RPIFX have a correlation of 0.36, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, FRA or RPIFX?

FRA has higher volatility (2.05%) compared to RPIFX (0.57%). In terms of maximum drawdown, FRA dropped -51.43% vs RPIFX's -25.10%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

RPIFX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.43 vs -0.26), 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.