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GSL vs. PFFA
Performance
Return for Risk
Drawdowns
Volatility
Dividends

GSL vs. PFFA

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

GSL (Global Ship Lease, Inc.) is a stock, while PFFA (Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF) is Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds fund actively managed by Virtus Investment Partners. Over the past 5 years, GSL returned 27.89%/yr vs 6.64%/yr for PFFA. At a 0.30 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

GSL vs. PFFA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL) and Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

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Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GSL achieves a 11.66% return, which is significantly higher than PFFA's 3.42% return.

GSL

1D
1.04%
1M
-7.21%
YTD
11.66%
6M
7.91%
1Y
60.37%
3Y*
37.38%
5Y*
27.89%
10Y*
15.49%

PFFA

1D
0.33%
1M
-0.26%
YTD
3.42%
6M
4.32%
1Y
14.72%
3Y*
14.52%
5Y*
6.64%
10Y*
—
*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

GSL vs. PFFA - Yearly Performance Comparison

2026 (YTD)20252024202320222021202020192018
GSL
Global Ship Lease, Inc.		11.66%73.47%18.09%28.97%-22.16%100.35%34.65%78.02%-57.24%
PFFA
Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF		3.42%8.22%16.11%26.45%-20.91%23.53%-7.87%31.99%-7.10%

Correlation

The correlation between GSL and PFFA is 0.29, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

Correlation
Correlation (1Y)
Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

0.29

Correlation (3Y)
Calculated over the trailing 3-year period

0.25

Correlation (5Y)
Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.29

Correlation (All Time)
Calculated using the full available price history since May 17, 2018

0.30

Compare stocks, funds, or ETFs

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Global Ship Lease, Inc.

Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF

Often compared with GSL:
GSL vs. ZIMGSL vs. LPGGSL vs. ASCGSL vs. DHTGSL vs. ACMRGSL vs. SFLGSL vs. JXN
Often compared with PFFA:
PFFA vs. PFFPFFA vs. PFXFPFFA vs. PFFVPFFA vs. JEPIPFFA vs. SCHDPFFA vs. PGXPFFA vs. SPY

Return for Risk

GSL vs. PFFA — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.
GSL
GSL Risk / Return Rank: 8787
Overall Rank
GSL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 9090
Sharpe Ratio Rank
GSL Sortino Ratio Rank: 8787
Sortino Ratio Rank
GSL Omega Ratio Rank: 8585
Omega Ratio Rank
GSL Calmar Ratio Rank: 8686
Calmar Ratio Rank
GSL Martin Ratio Rank: 8989
Martin Ratio Rank
PFFA
PFFA Risk / Return Rank: 5858
Overall Rank
PFFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 6565
Sharpe Ratio Rank
PFFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 6666
Sortino Ratio Rank
PFFA Omega Ratio Rank: 6767
Omega Ratio Rank
PFFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 4747
Calmar Ratio Rank
PFFA Martin Ratio Rank: 4747
Martin Ratio Rank
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.

GSL vs. PFFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL) and Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA). 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.

GSLPFFADifference
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility
2.19
2.11

+0.09

Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk
2.89
2.98

-0.10

Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability

1.35

1.39

-0.04

Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown

3.55

2.28

+1.27

Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown

10.96

7.75

+3.21

Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GSL vs. PFFA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GSL Sharpe Ratio is 2.19, which is comparable to the PFFA Sharpe Ratio of 2.11. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GSL and PFFA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

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Sharpe Ratios by Period

GSLPFFADifference

Sharpe Ratio (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

2.19

2.11

+0.09

Sharpe Ratio (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period

0.75

0.58

+0.17

Sharpe Ratio (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period

0.28

—

—

Sharpe Ratio (All Time)

Calculated using the full available price history

0.01

0.24

-0.23

Drawdowns

GSL vs. PFFA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GSL drawdown since its inception was -95.26%, which is greater than PFFA's maximum drawdown of -70.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GSL and PFFA.

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Drawdown Indicators

GSLPFFADifference

Max Drawdown

Largest peak-to-trough decline

-95.26%

-70.52%

-24.74%

Max Drawdown (1Y)

Largest decline over 1 year

-17.09%

-6.49%

-10.60%

Max Drawdown (3Y)

Largest decline over 3 years

-35.82%

-12.15%

-23.67%

Max Drawdown (5Y)

Largest decline over 5 years

-47.50%

-22.70%

-24.80%

Max Drawdown (10Y)

Largest decline over 10 years

-86.50%

—

—

Current Drawdown

Current decline from peak

-8.94%

-1.17%

-7.77%

Average Drawdown

Average peak-to-trough decline

-58.79%

-6.65%

-52.14%

Ulcer Index

Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks

5.53%

1.90%

+3.63%

Volatility

GSL vs. PFFA - Volatility Comparison

Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL) has a higher volatility of 9.27% compared to Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA) at 1.87%. This indicates that GSL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PFFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

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Volatility by Period

GSLPFFADifference

Volatility (1M)

Calculated over the trailing 1-month period

9.27%

1.87%

+7.40%

Volatility (6M)

Calculated over the trailing 6-month period

20.64%

5.69%

+14.95%

Volatility (1Y)

Calculated over the trailing 1-year period

27.67%

7.03%

+20.64%

Volatility (5Y)

Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized

37.51%

11.51%

+26.00%

Volatility (10Y)

Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized

54.82%

31.84%

+22.98%

Dividends

GSL vs. PFFA - Dividend Comparison

GSL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.33%, less than PFFA's 9.59% yield.

PositionTTM20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
GSL
Global Ship Lease, Inc.		6.33%6.06%7.56%7.57%8.26%3.27%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%0.00%7.69%
PFFA
Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF		9.59%9.47%9.18%9.56%10.75%7.64%8.54%10.02%5.15%0.00%0.00%0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

GSL and PFFA have a correlation of 0.29, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

GSL has higher volatility (9.27%) compared to PFFA (1.87%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GSL dropped -95.26% vs PFFA's -70.52%.

GSL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.19 vs 2.11), 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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