PFF vs. QPFF

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

PFF (iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF) and QPFF (American Century Quality Preferred ETF) are both Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds funds. PFF is passively managed, while QPFF is actively managed. PFF charges 0.46%/yr vs 0.33%/yr for QPFF.

Performance

PFF vs. QPFF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and American Century Quality Preferred ETF (QPFF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

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%

QPFF

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: —
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

PFF vs. QPFF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF	0.69%
QPFF American Century Quality Preferred ETF	0.00%

PFF vs. QPFF - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	PFF	QPFF
Financial Services	52.3%	51.6%
Real Estate	10.7%	4.1%
Utilities	8.9%	5.5%
Industrials	5.5%	1.2%
Technology	4.4%	-
Communication Services	3.5%	3.6%
Basic Materials	1.6%	0.3%
Consumer Cyclical	1.3%	2.1%
Healthcare	1.3%	-
Consumer Defensive	1.2%	-
Energy	0.4%	-

Return for Risk

PFF vs. QPFF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

PFF

PFF Risk / Return Rank: 36
PFF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
PFF Sortino Ratio Rank: 38
PFF Omega Ratio Rank: 35
PFF Calmar Ratio Rank: 35
PFF Martin Ratio Rank: 35

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

PFF vs. QPFF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and American Century Quality Preferred ETF (QPFF). 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	QPFF	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.39	—	—
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.01	—	—
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	—	—
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.78	—	—
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	5.51	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PFF	QPFF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.39	—	—
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	—	—

Drawdowns

PFF vs. QPFF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, which is greater than QPFF's maximum drawdown of 0.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and QPFF.

Drawdown Indicators

	PFF	QPFF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-65.55%	0.00%	-65.55%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.28%	—	—
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 Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.11%	0.00%	-1.11%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.77%	0.00%	-5.77%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.70%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	PFF	QPFF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.09%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	5.09%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.75%	0.00%	+6.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	10.30%	0.00%	+10.30%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.66%	0.00%	+12.66%

PFF vs. QPFF - Expense Ratio Comparison

PFF has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is higher than QPFF's 0.33% expense ratio.

Dividends

PFF vs. QPFF - Dividend Comparison

PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.47%, while QPFF has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
QPFF American Century Quality Preferred 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%

Frequently Asked Questions

Which ETF is better, PFF or QPFF?

On fees, QPFF is cheaper at 0.33% per year. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.

Which ETF is cheaper, PFF or QPFF?

QPFF is cheaper with a 0.33% expense ratio, compared with 0.46% for PFF.

Which ETF pays a higher dividend yield, PFF or QPFF?

PFF has the higher dividend yield at 5.47%, compared with 0.00% for QPFF.

What is the main difference between PFF and QPFF?

They also come from different issuers: iShares and American Century. Their fees differ too: 0.46% for PFF and 0.33% for QPFF.