PFF vs. SPY
Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
PFF and SPY 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. SPY is a passively managed fund by State Street that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 Index. It was launched on Jan 22, 1993. Both PFF and SPY are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.
Performance
PFF vs. SPY - Performance Comparison
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PFF vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | -1.42% | 4.87% | 7.24% | 9.22% | -18.19% | 7.15% | 7.89% | 15.93% | -4.64% | 8.10% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | -4.37% | 17.72% | 24.89% | 26.18% | -18.18% | 28.73% | 18.33% | 31.22% | -4.57% | 21.71% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PFF achieves a -1.42% return, which is significantly higher than SPY's -4.37% return. Over the past 10 years, PFF has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 3.24%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 13.98% annualized 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%
SPY
- 1D
- 2.91%
- 1M
- -4.94%
- YTD
- -4.37%
- 6M
- -1.82%
- 1Y
- 17.59%
- 3Y*
- 18.19%
- 5Y*
- 11.69%
- 10Y*
- 13.98%
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PFF vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison
PFF has a 0.46% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
PFF vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank
PFF
SPY
PFF vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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 | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.56 | 0.93 | -0.37 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 0.82 | 1.45 | -0.63 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.11 | 1.22 | -0.12 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.80 | 1.53 | -0.73 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 2.28 | 7.30 | -5.02 |
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 | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.56 | 0.93 | -0.37 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 | 0.69 | -0.59 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 | 0.78 | -0.53 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.20 | 0.56 | -0.36 |
Correlation
The correlation between PFF and SPY is 0.55, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.
Dividends
PFF vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison
PFF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.97%, more than SPY's 1.14% 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% |
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 1.14% | 1.07% | 1.21% | 1.40% | 1.65% | 1.20% | 1.52% | 1.75% | 2.04% | 1.80% | 2.03% | 2.06% |
Drawdowns
PFF vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PFF drawdown since its inception was -65.55%, which is greater than SPY's maximum drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFF and SPY.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PFF | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -65.55% | -55.19% | -10.36% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.28% | -12.05% | +6.77% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.05% | -24.50% | +3.45% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -34.10% | -33.72% | -0.38% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -4.65% | -6.24% | +1.59% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -5.81% | -9.09% | +3.28% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.84% | 2.52% | -0.68% |
Volatility
PFF vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF (PFF) is 2.59%, while State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) has a volatility of 5.31%. This indicates that PFF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PFF | SPY | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.59% | 5.31% | -2.72% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 5.10% | 9.47% | -4.37% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 8.32% | 19.05% | -10.73% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 10.26% | 17.06% | -6.80% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 12.63% | 17.92% | -5.29% |