PFF vs. PFFA
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA).
PFF and PFFA 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. PFFA is an actively managed fund by Virtus Investment Partners. It was launched on May 15, 2018.
Performance
PFF vs. PFFA - Performance Comparison
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PFF vs. PFFA - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | -1.42% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -3.56% |
PFFA Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF | -3.22% | 8.22% | 16.11% | 26.45% | -20.91% | 23.53% | -7.87% | 31.99% | -7.10% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a -1.42% return, which is significantly higher than PFFA's -3.22% 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%
PFFA
- 1D
- 0.10%
- 1M
- -4.25%
- YTD
- -3.22%
- 6M
- -1.63%
- 1Y
- 5.66%
- 3Y*
- 12.09%
- 5Y*
- 5.84%
- 10Y*
- —
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PFF vs. PFFA - Expense Ratio Comparison
PFF has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is lower than PFFA's 1.47% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
PFF vs. PFFA — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
PFFA
PFF vs. PFFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA). 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 | PFFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.56 | 0.57 | -0.01 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.82 | 0.78 | +0.04 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.11 | 1.12 | -0.02 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.80 | 0.58 | +0.22 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.28 | 2.04 | +0.24 |
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 | PFFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.56 | 0.57 | -0.01 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 | 0.51 | -0.41 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.20 | 0.22 | -0.02 |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and PFFA is 0.76, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
PFF vs. PFFA - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.97%, less than PFFA's 10.06% 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% |
PFFA Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF | 10.06% | 9.47% | 9.18% | 9.56% | 10.75% | 7.64% | 8.54% | 10.02% | 5.15% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Drawdowns
PFF vs. PFFA - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, smaller than the maximum PFFA drawdown of -70.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and PFFA.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | PFFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -70.52% | +4.97% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -8.54% | +3.26% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | -22.70% | +1.65% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.65% | -6.07% | +1.42% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.81% | -6.77% | +0.96% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.84% | 2.41% | -0.57% |
Volatility
PFF vs. PFFA - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) is 2.59%, while Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA) has a volatility of 3.26%. This indicates that PFF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PFFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | PFFA | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.59% | 3.26% | -0.67% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.10% | 5.25% | -0.15% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.32% | 9.98% | -1.66% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.26% | 11.49% | -1.23% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.63% | 32.17% | -19.54% |