PFF vs. IBIT
PFF (iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF) and IBIT (iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - PFF is a Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds fund tracking the S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index, while IBIT is a Cryptocurrency fund tracking the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, PFF returned 9.35% vs -38.74% for IBIT. At a 0.34 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. PFF charges 0.46%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for IBIT.
Performance
PFF vs. IBIT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a 2.93% return, which is significantly higher than IBIT's -25.48% 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%
IBIT
- 1D
- -2.76%
- 1M
- -18.50%
- YTD
- -25.48%
- 6M
- -29.84%
- 1Y
- -38.74%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
PFF vs. IBIT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 2.93% | 4.87% | 6.15% |
IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | -25.48% | -6.41% | 99.21% |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and IBIT is 0.47, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 12, 2024 | 0.34 |
The correlation between PFF and IBIT shifts across timeframes, from 0.34 (all time) to 0.47 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
PFF vs. IBIT — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
IBIT
PFF vs. IBIT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT). 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 | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +2.28 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +3.24 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.24 | 0.86 | +0.38 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.78 | -0.79 | +2.57 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.51 | -1.36 | +6.88 |
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 | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.39 | -0.89 | +2.28 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.15 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.21 | 0.30 | -0.09 |
Drawdowns
PFF vs. IBIT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, which is greater than IBIT's maximum drawdown of -49.36%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and IBIT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -49.36% | -16.19% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -49.36% | +44.08% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -10.63% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.11% | -48.10% | +46.99% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.77% | -16.02% | +10.25% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.70% | 28.44% | -26.74% |
Volatility
PFF vs. IBIT - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) is 2.09%, while iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) has a volatility of 9.50%. This indicates that PFF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IBIT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.09% | 9.50% | -7.41% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.09% | 34.44% | -29.35% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.75% | 43.73% | -36.98% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.30% | 50.19% | -39.89% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.66% | 50.19% | -37.53% |
PFF vs. IBIT - Expense Ratio Comparison
PFF has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is higher than IBIT's 0.25% expense ratio.
Dividends
PFF vs. IBIT - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.47%, while IBIT has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
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 IBIT have a correlation of 0.47, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IBIT has higher volatility (9.50%) compared to PFF (2.09%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PFF dropped -65.55% vs IBIT's -49.36%.
On 1-year performance, PFF leads with 9.35% vs -38.74% for IBIT. On fees, IBIT is cheaper at 0.25% per year. On volatility, PFF has been the lower-risk option at 2.09%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, PFF has performed better with a 9.35% return vs -38.74%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IBIT is cheaper with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with 0.46% for PFF.
PFF has the higher dividend yield at 5.47%, compared with 0.00% for IBIT.
PFF is categorized as Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds, while IBIT is Cryptocurrency. PFF tracks S&P U.S. Preferred Stock Index, while IBIT tracks CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant. Their fees differ too: 0.46% for PFF and 0.25% for IBIT.
PFF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.39 vs -0.89), 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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