NPFI vs. PQDI

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF (NPFI) and Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF (PQDI).

NPFI and PQDI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NPFI is an actively managed fund by Nuveen. It was launched on Mar 5, 2024. 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

NPFI vs. PQDI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF (NPFI) and Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF (PQDI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NPFI vs. PQDI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
NPFI Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF	-0.72%	9.21%	6.56%
PQDI Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF	-0.68%	8.46%	7.29%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NPFI achieves a -0.72% return, which is significantly lower than PQDI's -0.68% return.

NPFI

• 1D: 0.95%
• 1M: -1.84%
• YTD: -0.72%
• 6M: 0.56%
• 1Y: 6.76%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

PQDI

• 1D: 0.88%
• 1M: -2.06%
• YTD: -0.68%
• 6M: 0.73%
• 1Y: 6.50%
• 3Y*: 8.85%
• 5Y*: 3.26%
• 10Y*: —

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

NPFI vs. PQDI - Expense Ratio Comparison

NPFI has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is lower than PQDI's 0.60% expense ratio.

PQDI

Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF

NPFI

Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF

Return for Risk

NPFI vs. PQDI — Risk / Return Rank

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

NPFI

NPFI Risk / Return Rank: 88
NPFI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 92
NPFI Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
NPFI Omega Ratio Rank: 96
NPFI Calmar Ratio Rank: 79
NPFI Martin Ratio Rank: 81

PQDI

PQDI Risk / Return Rank: 86
PQDI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
PQDI Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
PQDI Omega Ratio Rank: 94
PQDI Calmar Ratio Rank: 75
PQDI 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.

NPFI vs. PQDI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF (NPFI) 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.

	NPFI	PQDI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.08	2.03	+0.06
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.86	2.75	+0.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.48	1.43	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.13	1.93	+0.20
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.72	8.63	+0.09
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NPFI vs. PQDI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NPFI Sharpe Ratio is 2.08, which is comparable to the PQDI Sharpe Ratio of 2.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NPFI and PQDI, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NPFI	PQDI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.08	2.03	+0.06
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.71	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	2.54	0.98	+1.56

Correlation

The correlation between NPFI and PQDI is 0.66, 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

NPFI vs. PQDI - Dividend Comparison

NPFI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.52%, more than PQDI's 5.16% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
NPFI Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF	6.52%	6.33%	5.10%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
PQDI Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF	5.16%	5.02%	4.93%	5.35%	5.60%	5.21%	2.69%

Drawdowns

NPFI vs. PQDI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NPFI drawdown since its inception was -3.18%, smaller than the maximum PQDI drawdown of -17.41%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NPFI and PQDI.

Drawdown Indicators

	NPFI	PQDI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.18%	-17.41%	+14.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.18%	-3.31%	+0.13%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-17.41%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.26%	-2.46%	+0.20%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.32%	-3.59%	+3.27%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.78%	0.74%	+0.04%

Volatility

NPFI vs. PQDI - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Nuveen Preferred And Income ETF (NPFI) is 1.67%, while Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF (PQDI) has a volatility of 1.87%. This indicates that NPFI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PQDI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NPFI	PQDI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.67%	1.87%	-0.20%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.15%	2.49%	-0.34%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.26%	3.22%	+0.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	2.86%	4.64%	-1.78%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	2.86%	4.57%	-1.71%