PFF vs. LQD
PFF (iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF) and LQD (iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - PFF is a Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds fund tracking the ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index, while LQD is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 10 years, PFF returned 3.35%/yr vs 2.54%/yr for LQD. At a 0.30 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. PFF charges 0.46%/yr vs 0.15%/yr for LQD.
Performance
PFF vs. LQD - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a 2.40% return, which is significantly higher than LQD's 0.82% return. Over the past 10 years, PFF has outperformed LQD with an annualized return of 3.35%, while LQD has yielded a comparatively lower 2.54% annualized return.
PFF
- 1D
- 0.16%
- 1M
- -1.18%
- YTD
- 2.40%
- 6M
- 2.42%
- 1Y
- 8.18%
- 3Y*
- 6.77%
- 5Y*
- 1.32%
- 10Y*
- 3.35%
LQD
- 1D
- -0.06%
- 1M
- 0.74%
- YTD
- 0.82%
- 6M
- 1.24%
- 1Y
- 5.16%
- 3Y*
- 5.30%
- 5Y*
- -0.21%
- 10Y*
- 2.54%
PFF vs. LQD - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 2.40% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -4.64% | 8.10% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.82% | 7.90% | 0.86% | 9.40% | -17.92% | -1.84% | 10.97% | 17.37% | -3.79% | 7.06% |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and LQD is 0.56, 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 | 0.56 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.62 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.56 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.47 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 30, 2007 | 0.30 |
Over the past year, PFF and LQD have become more correlated (0.56) than their long-term average of 0.30, meaning their price movements have been converging.
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Return for Risk
PFF vs. LQD — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
LQD
PFF vs. LQD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD). 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 | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.22 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.29 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.21 | 1.17 | +0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.56 | 1.55 | 0.00 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.75 | 4.37 | +0.38 |
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Drawdowns
PFF vs. LQD - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, which is greater than LQD's maximum drawdown of -24.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and LQD.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -24.95% | -40.60% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -3.34% | -1.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -10.63% | -8.43% | -2.20% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | -24.95% | +3.90% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | -24.95% | -9.15% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.62% | -3.37% | +1.75% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.76% | -3.99% | -1.77% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.73% | 1.19% | +0.54% |
Volatility
PFF vs. LQD - Volatility Comparison
iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) has a higher volatility of 2.29% compared to iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF (LQD) at 1.78%. This indicates that PFF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than LQD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | LQD | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.29% | 1.78% | +0.51% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.21% | 4.02% | +1.19% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 6.88% | 5.37% | +1.51% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.32% | 8.65% | +1.67% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.67% | 8.69% | +3.98% |
PFF vs. LQD - Expense Ratio Comparison
PFF has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is higher than LQD's 0.15% expense ratio.
Dividends
PFF vs. LQD - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.50%, more than LQD's 4.55% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.55% | 4.48% | 4.45% | 3.99% | 3.30% | 2.30% | 2.66% | 3.29% | 3.67% | 3.10% | 3.34% | 3.47% |
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | 5.50% | 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 LQD have a correlation of 0.56, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PFF has higher volatility (2.29%) compared to LQD (1.78%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PFF dropped -65.55% vs LQD's -24.95%.
On 10-year performance, PFF leads with 3.35% vs 2.54% for LQD. On fees, LQD is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, LQD has been the lower-risk option at 1.78%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, PFF has performed better with a 3.35% return vs 2.54%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
LQD is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.46% for PFF.
PFF has the higher dividend yield at 5.50%, compared with 4.55% for LQD.
PFF is categorized as Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds, while LQD is Corporate Bonds. PFF tracks ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index, while LQD tracks iBoxx $ Liquid Investment Grade Index. Their fees differ too: 0.46% for PFF and 0.15% for LQD.
PFF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.19 vs 0.97), 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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