PFF vs. FPE
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE).
PFF and FPE are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PFF is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index. It was launched on Mar 30, 2007. FPE is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Feb 12, 2013.
Performance
PFF vs. FPE - Performance Comparison
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PFF vs. FPE - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | -1.42% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -4.64% | 8.10% |
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF | -1.22% | 9.21% | 11.17% | 6.84% | -12.77% | 5.24% | 6.00% | 18.15% | -4.98% | 11.26% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a -1.42% return, which is significantly lower than FPE's -1.22% return. Over the past 10 years, PFF has underperformed FPE with an annualized return of 3.24%, while FPE has yielded a comparatively higher 5.23% annualized return.
PFF
- 1D
- 0.66%
- 1M
- -3.37%
- YTD
- -1.42%
- 6M
- -1.65%
- 1Y
- 4.61%
- 3Y*
- 5.39%
- 5Y*
- 1.02%
- 10Y*
- 3.24%
FPE
- 1D
- 0.74%
- 1M
- -2.57%
- YTD
- -1.22%
- 6M
- 0.25%
- 1Y
- 7.01%
- 3Y*
- 9.91%
- 5Y*
- 3.03%
- 10Y*
- 5.23%
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PFF vs. FPE - Expense Ratio Comparison
PFF has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is lower than FPE's 0.85% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
PFF vs. FPE — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
FPE
PFF vs. FPE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE). 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.
| PFF | FPE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.56 | 1.32 | -0.76 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.82 | 1.82 | -1.00 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.11 | 1.31 | -0.20 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.80 | 1.72 | -0.92 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.28 | 6.99 | -4.71 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| PFF | FPE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.56 | 1.32 | -0.76 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 | 0.46 | -0.36 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 | 0.52 | -0.26 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.20 | 0.51 | -0.31 |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and FPE is 0.63, 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
PFF vs. FPE - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.97%, which matches FPE's 5.95% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 5.97% | 6.30% | 6.32% | 6.63% | 6.01% | 4.45% | 4.79% | 5.31% | 6.32% | 5.59% | 5.85% | 5.76% |
FPE First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF | 5.95% | 5.81% | 5.68% | 6.03% | 5.67% | 4.48% | 4.88% | 5.32% | 6.14% | 5.39% | 5.97% | 5.49% |
Drawdowns
PFF vs. FPE - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, which is greater than FPE's maximum drawdown of -33.35%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and FPE.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | FPE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -33.35% | -32.20% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -4.08% | -1.20% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | -19.65% | -1.40% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | -33.35% | -0.75% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.65% | -2.99% | -1.66% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.81% | -3.36% | -2.45% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.84% | 1.00% | +0.84% |
Volatility
PFF vs. FPE - Volatility Comparison
iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) has a higher volatility of 2.59% compared to First Trust Preferred Securities & Income ETF (FPE) at 2.24%. This indicates that PFF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FPE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | FPE | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.59% | 2.24% | +0.35% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.10% | 3.13% | +1.97% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.32% | 5.33% | +2.99% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.26% | 6.59% | +3.67% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.63% | 10.16% | +2.47% |