ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO

Last updated Jul 25, 2026

ISIF.TO (IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund) and PYF.TO (Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF) are both Diversified Portfolio funds. Both are actively managed. Over the past 5 years, ISIF.TO returned 7.01%/yr vs 6.00%/yr for PYF.TO. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. ISIF.TO charges 0.94%/yr vs 0.78%/yr for PYF.TO.

Performance

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund (ISIF.TO) and Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF (PYF.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ISIF.TO achieves a 6.17% return, which is significantly higher than PYF.TO's 2.39% return.

ISIF.TO

• 1D: -0.37%
• 1M: 0.68%
• 6M: 5.28%
• YTD: 6.17%
• 1Y: 10.95%
• 3Y*: 11.09%
• 5Y*: 7.01%
• 10Y*: —
• ALL TIME*: 7.42%

PYF.TO

• 1D: 0.24%
• 1M: 0.91%
• 6M: 2.14%
• YTD: 2.39%
• 1Y: 3.22%
• 3Y*: 6.37%
• 5Y*: 6.00%
• 10Y*: 4.61%
• ALL TIME*: 4.66%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
ISIF.TO IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund	CA$409.30	CA$5.79K	CA$2.57K
PYF.TO Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF	CA$132.75K	CA$156.88K	CA$433.79K

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
ISIF.TO IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund	6.17%	12.42%	11.91%	6.17%	-5.63%	17.60%	0.18%	2.55%
PYF.TO Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF	2.39%	5.45%	7.42%	8.40%	5.25%	4.95%	-1.59%	0.83%

Correlation

The correlation between ISIF.TO and PYF.TO is -0.05, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.05
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	-0.01
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.07
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 4, 2019	0.05

The correlation between ISIF.TO and PYF.TO shifts across timeframes, from -0.05 (1 year) to 0.07 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

ISIF.TO

ISIF.TO Risk / Return Rank: 73
ISIF.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
ISIF.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 71
ISIF.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 76
ISIF.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
ISIF.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 79

PYF.TO

PYF.TO Risk / Return Rank: 40
PYF.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
PYF.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
PYF.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 41
PYF.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
PYF.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 39

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.

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund (ISIF.TO) and Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF (PYF.TO). 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.

	ISIF.TO	PYF.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.54	0.99	+0.56
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.33	1.44	+0.89
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.19	+0.13
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.49	1.53	+0.96
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	10.30	4.07	+6.23

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ISIF.TO Sharpe Ratio is 1.54, which is higher than the PYF.TO Sharpe Ratio of 0.99. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ISIF.TO and PYF.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ISIF.TO drawdown since its inception was -18.65%, smaller than the maximum PYF.TO drawdown of -20.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ISIF.TO and PYF.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ISIF.TO	PYF.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.65%	-20.53%	+1.88%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-4.64%	-2.11%	-2.53%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-8.40%	-5.57%	-2.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-11.47%	-5.57%	-5.90%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-20.53%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.58%	-0.06%	-0.52%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.04%	-0.97%	-2.07%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.12%	0.79%	+0.33%

Volatility

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Volatility Comparison

IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund (ISIF.TO) has a higher volatility of 5.06% compared to Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF (PYF.TO) at 1.11%. This indicates that ISIF.TO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PYF.TO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ISIF.TO	PYF.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.06%	1.11%	+3.95%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.64%	2.81%	+3.83%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.48%	3.28%	+4.20%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.60%	5.26%	+4.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	10.25%	6.67%	+3.58%

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Expense Ratio Comparison

ISIF.TO has a 0.94% expense ratio, which is higher than PYF.TO's 0.78% expense ratio.

Dividends

ISIF.TO vs. PYF.TO - Dividend Comparison

ISIF.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.78%, less than PYF.TO's 7.19% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
ISIF.TO IA Clarington Strategic Income Fund	2.78%	2.83%	2.85%	2.58%	2.98%	1.59%	2.68%	0.44%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
PYF.TO Purpose Premium Yield Fund Series ETF	7.19%	7.84%	7.66%	7.47%	5.78%	5.74%	5.69%	5.29%	5.38%	5.83%	6.59%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ISIF.TO and PYF.TO in my portfolio?

ISIF.TO and PYF.TO have a correlation of -0.05, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which ETF is better, ISIF.TO or PYF.TO?

On fees, PYF.TO is cheaper at 0.78% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, ISIF.TO or PYF.TO?

PYF.TO is cheaper with a 0.78% expense ratio, compared with 0.94% for ISIF.TO.

What is the main difference between ISIF.TO and PYF.TO?

They also come from different issuers: IA Clarington Investments Inc. and Purpose Investments. Their fees differ too: 0.94% for ISIF.TO and 0.78% for PYF.TO.