PTA vs. PFFA

Last updated Jun 23, 2026

PTA (Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities and Income Fund) and PFFA (Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF) are both Preferred Stock/Convertible Bonds funds. Over the past 5 years, PTA returned 2.59%/yr vs 6.09%/yr for PFFA. At a 0.47 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PTA vs. PFFA - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities and Income Fund (PTA) and Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PTA achieves a 2.77% return, which is significantly higher than PFFA's 2.26% return.

PTA

• 1D: -0.21%
• 1M: -0.76%
• YTD: 2.77%
• 6M: 3.04%
• 1Y: 5.35%
• 3Y*: 12.75%
• 5Y*: 2.59%
• 10Y*: —

PFFA

• 1D: -0.28%
• 1M: -0.23%
• YTD: 2.26%
• 6M: 1.93%
• 1Y: 11.54%
• 3Y*: 14.10%
• 5Y*: 6.09%
• 10Y*: —

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

PTA vs. PFFA - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
PTA Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities and Income Fund	2.77%	9.04%	15.82%	11.58%	-20.50%	-0.95%	4.49%
PFFA Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	2.26%	8.22%	16.11%	26.45%	-20.91%	23.53%	13.63%

Correlation

The correlation between PTA and PFFA is 0.54, 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	0.54
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.47
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.50
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 28, 2020	0.47

The correlation between PTA and PFFA has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.47 to 0.54 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

PTA vs. PFFA — Risk / Return Rank

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

PTA

PTA Risk / Return Rank: 7
PTA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
PTA Sortino Ratio Rank: 7
PTA Omega Ratio Rank: 7
PTA Calmar Ratio Rank: 6
PTA Martin Ratio Rank: 6

PFFA

PFFA Risk / Return Rank: 44
PFFA Sharpe Ratio Rank: 49
PFFA Sortino Ratio Rank: 48
PFFA Omega Ratio Rank: 48
PFFA Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
PFFA Martin Ratio Rank: 39

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.

PTA vs. PFFA - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities and Income Fund (PTA) 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.

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.

	PTA	PFFA	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.51	1.62	-1.11
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	0.78	2.32	-1.53
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.10	1.30	-0.20
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.57	1.79	-1.22
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.52	5.90	-4.39

PTA vs. PFFA - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PTA Sharpe Ratio is 0.51, which is lower than the PFFA Sharpe Ratio of 1.62. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PTA and PFFA, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

PTA vs. PFFA - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PTA drawdown since its inception was -28.71%, smaller than the maximum PFFA drawdown of -70.52%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PTA and PFFA.

Drawdown Indicators

	PTA	PFFA	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.71%	-70.52%	+41.81%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.49%	-6.49%	-3.00%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-13.03%	-12.15%	-0.88%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-28.71%	-22.70%	-6.01%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.01%	-2.28%	-0.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.94%	-6.62%	-2.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.54%	1.96%	+1.58%

Volatility

PTA vs. PFFA - Volatility Comparison

Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities and Income Fund (PTA) has a higher volatility of 2.91% compared to Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA) at 2.13%. This indicates that PTA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PFFA based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PTA	PFFA	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.91%	2.13%	+0.78%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.28%	5.91%	+2.37%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.55%	7.16%	+3.39%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.64%	11.54%	+3.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.01%	31.74%	-17.73%

Dividends

PTA vs. PFFA - Dividend Comparison

PTA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.45%, less than PFFA's 9.79% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
PFFA Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF	9.79%	9.47%	9.18%	9.56%	10.75%	7.64%	8.54%	10.02%	5.15%
PTA Cohen & Steers Tax-Advantaged Preferred Securities and Income Fund	8.45%	8.33%	8.37%	8.93%	8.83%	7.10%	0.50%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PTA and PFFA in my portfolio?

PTA and PFFA have a correlation of 0.54, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PTA or PFFA?

PTA has higher volatility (2.91%) compared to PFFA (2.13%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PTA dropped -28.71% vs PFFA's -70.52%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PFFA currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.62 vs 0.51), 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.