PFF vs. FFC
PFF (iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF) is Preferred Stock fund tracking the ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index, while FFC (Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, PFF returned 2.93%/yr vs 4.44%/yr for FFC. Their 0.46 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
PFF vs. FFC - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a 0.89% return, which is significantly lower than FFC's 2.10% return. Over the past 10 years, PFF has underperformed FFC with an annualized return of 2.93%, while FFC has yielded a comparatively higher 4.44% annualized return.
PFF
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- -0.03%
- 6M
- -1.43%
- YTD
- 0.89%
- 1Y
- 3.06%
- 3Y*
- 5.64%
- 5Y*
- 0.71%
- 10Y*
- 2.93%
- ALL TIME*
- 3.72%
FFC
- 1D
- -0.12%
- 1M
- 0.27%
- 6M
- 0.33%
- YTD
- 2.10%
- 1Y
- 6.79%
- 3Y*
- 13.41%
- 5Y*
- 0.12%
- 10Y*
- 4.44%
- ALL TIME*
- 6.93%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.53M | $1.42M | $1.82M | |
| $85.47M | $81.60M | $92.33M |
PFF vs. FFC - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 0.89% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -4.64% | 8.10% |
FFC Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund Inc. | 2.10% | 14.30% | 20.06% | -0.28% | -25.21% | -0.81% | 15.93% | 38.76% | -11.89% | 16.63% |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and FFC is 0.50, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.50 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.56 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.57 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.50 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 30, 2007 | 0.46 |
The correlation between PFF and FFC shifts across timeframes, from 0.46 (all time) to 0.57 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
PFF vs. FFC — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
FFC
PFF vs. FFC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund Inc. (FFC). 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.
| PFF | FFC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.29 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.42 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.07 | 1.14 | -0.07 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.55 | 0.64 | -0.09 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.42 | 2.39 | -0.97 |
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Drawdowns
PFF vs. FFC - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, smaller than the maximum FFC drawdown of -77.72%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and FFC.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | FFC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -77.72% | +12.17% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -10.12% | +4.84% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -10.63% | -13.13% | +2.50% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | -39.36% | +18.31% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | -54.06% | +19.96% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -3.07% | -0.92% | -2.15% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.74% | -10.59% | +4.85% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.05% | 2.71% | -0.66% |
Volatility
PFF vs. FFC - Volatility Comparison
iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund Inc. (FFC) have volatilities of 2.60% and 2.63%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | FFC | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.60% | 2.63% | -0.03% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.87% | 7.98% | -2.11% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 7.31% | 9.46% | -2.15% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.40% | 15.34% | -4.94% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.70% | 22.74% | -10.04% |
Dividends
PFF vs. FFC - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.50%, less than FFC's 7.62% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FFC Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Securities Income Fund Inc. | 7.62% | 7.08% | 6.97% | 7.54% | 9.11% | 7.03% | 6.18% | 6.27% | 8.21% | 7.29% | 8.62% | 8.14% |
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 4.97% | 6.30% | 6.32% | 6.63% | 6.01% | 4.45% | 4.79% | 5.31% | 6.32% | 5.59% | 5.85% | 5.76% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PFF and FFC have a correlation of 0.50, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FFC has higher volatility (2.63%) compared to PFF (2.60%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PFF dropped -65.55% vs FFC's -77.72%.
FFC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.69 vs 0.40), 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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