PFFL vs. NRGU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL) and MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU).

PFFL and NRGU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PFFL is a passively managed fund by UBS that tracks the performance of the Solactive Preferred Stock ETF Index (+200%). It was launched on Sep 25, 2018. NRGU is a passively managed fund by BMO that tracks the performance of the Solactive MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index (-300%). It was launched on Apr 9, 2019. Both PFFL and NRGU 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

PFFL vs. NRGU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL) and MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PFFL vs. NRGU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
PFFL ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN	-3.25%	0.33%
NRGU MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN	139.49%	-33.00%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PFFL achieves a -3.25% return, which is significantly lower than NRGU's 139.49% return.

PFFL

• 1D: 1.16%
• 1M: -6.53%
• YTD: -3.25%
• 6M: -4.74%
• 1Y: 2.41%
• 3Y*: 2.52%
• 5Y*: -5.88%
• 10Y*: —

NRGU

• 1D: -10.75%
• 1M: 24.81%
• YTD: 139.49%
• 6M: 107.68%
• 1Y: 69.15%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

PFFL vs. NRGU - Expense Ratio Comparison

PFFL has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is lower than NRGU's 0.95% expense ratio.

NRGU

MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN

PFFL

ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN

Return for Risk

PFFL vs. NRGU — Risk / Return Rank

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

PFFL

PFFL Risk / Return Rank: 15
PFFL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 14
PFFL Sortino Ratio Rank: 14
PFFL Omega Ratio Rank: 14
PFFL Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
PFFL Martin Ratio Rank: 15

NRGU

NRGU Risk / Return Rank: 45
NRGU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 40
NRGU Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
NRGU Omega Ratio Rank: 54
NRGU Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
NRGU Martin Ratio Rank: 30

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.

PFFL vs. NRGU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL) and MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU). 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.

	PFFL	NRGU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.12	0.79	-0.66
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.30	1.48	-1.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	1.21	-0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.17	1.29	-1.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.43	2.64	-2.21
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PFFL vs. NRGU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PFFL Sharpe Ratio is 0.12, which is lower than the NRGU Sharpe Ratio of 0.79. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PFFL and NRGU, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PFFL	NRGU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.12	0.79	-0.66
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.25	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.08	0.61	-0.69

Correlation

The correlation between PFFL and NRGU is 0.18, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

PFFL vs. NRGU - Dividend Comparison

PFFL's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 13.52%, while NRGU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
PFFL ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN	13.52%	13.27%	13.76%	13.71%	13.90%	8.82%	9.75%	11.21%	2.02%
NRGU MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

PFFL vs. NRGU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PFFL drawdown since its inception was -80.68%, which is greater than NRGU's maximum drawdown of -57.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFFL and NRGU.

Drawdown Indicators

	PFFL	NRGU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-80.68%	-57.50%	-23.18%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.92%	-55.24%	+43.32%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-48.51%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-40.40%	-17.40%	-23.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-28.32%	-25.38%	-2.94%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.78%	27.12%	-22.34%

Volatility

PFFL vs. NRGU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL) is 6.91%, while MicroSectors U.S. Big Oil Index 3X Leveraged ETN (NRGU) has a volatility of 23.31%. This indicates that PFFL experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NRGU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PFFL	NRGU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.91%	23.31%	-16.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.32%	50.27%	-37.95%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.43%	88.18%	-68.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	23.54%	87.12%	-63.58%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	55.94%	87.12%	-31.18%