PFF vs. FUND
PFF (iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF) is Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds fund tracking the S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index, while FUND (Sprott Focus Trust, Inc.) is a stock. Over the past 10 years, PFF returned 3.30%/yr vs 13.04%/yr for FUND. At a 0.49 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
PFF vs. FUND - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a 2.93% return, which is significantly lower than FUND's 18.68% return. Over the past 10 years, PFF has underperformed FUND with an annualized return of 3.30%, while FUND has yielded a comparatively higher 13.04% annualized return.
PFF
- 1D
- -0.67%
- 1M
- 0.34%
- YTD
- 2.93%
- 6M
- 3.41%
- 1Y
- 9.35%
- 3Y*
- 6.70%
- 5Y*
- 1.50%
- 10Y*
- 3.30%
FUND
- 1D
- -2.35%
- 1M
- 1.50%
- YTD
- 18.68%
- 6M
- 21.28%
- 1Y
- 48.36%
- 3Y*
- 17.50%
- 5Y*
- 10.91%
- 10Y*
- 13.04%
PFF vs. FUND - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 2.93% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -4.64% | 8.10% |
FUND Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. | 18.68% | 27.57% | -1.08% | 6.94% | -1.16% | 36.20% | 2.44% | 36.27% | -19.56% | 22.23% |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and FUND is 0.55, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.55 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.53 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.55 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.51 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 2, 2007 | 0.49 |
The correlation between PFF and FUND has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.49 to 0.55 - a consistent structural relationship.
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Return for Risk
PFF vs. FUND — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
FUND
PFF vs. FUND - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. (FUND). 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 | FUND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -1.79 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -1.99 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.24 | 1.53 | -0.29 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.78 | 4.71 | -2.93 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.51 | 21.99 | -16.48 |
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 | FUND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.39 | 3.19 | -1.79 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.15 | 0.59 | -0.44 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 | 0.66 | -0.40 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.21 | 0.32 | -0.11 |
Drawdowns
PFF vs. FUND - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, roughly equal to the maximum FUND drawdown of -65.37%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and FUND.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | FUND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -65.37% | -0.18% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -10.32% | +5.04% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -10.63% | -18.25% | +7.62% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | -24.67% | +3.62% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | -43.32% | +9.22% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.11% | -2.35% | +1.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.77% | -12.34% | +6.57% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.70% | 2.21% | -0.51% |
Volatility
PFF vs. FUND - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) is 2.09%, while Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. (FUND) has a volatility of 5.35%. This indicates that PFF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FUND based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | FUND | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.09% | 5.35% | -3.26% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.09% | 12.04% | -6.95% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.75% | 15.30% | -8.55% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.30% | 18.69% | -8.39% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.66% | 19.71% | -7.05% |
Dividends
PFF vs. FUND - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.47%, less than FUND's 5.71% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FUND Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. | 5.71% | 6.65% | 8.27% | 6.22% | 6.72% | 8.79% | 7.93% | 6.30% | 11.92% | 6.59% | 5.76% | 7.59% |
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 5.47% | 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 FUND have a correlation of 0.55, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
FUND has higher volatility (5.35%) compared to PFF (2.09%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PFF dropped -65.55% vs FUND's -65.37%.
FUND currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.19 vs 1.39), 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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