RYSEX vs. PFFD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Royce Special Equity Fund (RYSEX) and Global X U.S. Preferred ETF (PFFD).

RYSEX is managed by Royce Investment Partners. It was launched on May 1, 1998. PFFD is a passively managed fund by Global X that tracks the performance of the ICE BofAML Diversified Core U.S. Preferred Securities Index. It was launched on Sep 11, 2017.

Performance

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Royce Special Equity Fund (RYSEX) and Global X U.S. Preferred ETF (PFFD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
RYSEX Royce Special Equity Fund	3.35%	3.66%	2.93%	12.96%	-6.60%	22.24%	7.43%	12.73%	-9.96%	8.16%
PFFD Global X U.S. Preferred ETF	-1.20%	3.22%	7.07%	6.85%	-20.20%	5.07%	8.90%	17.43%	-3.94%	0.85%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, RYSEX achieves a 3.35% return, which is significantly higher than PFFD's -1.20% return.

RYSEX

• 1D: 0.35%
• 1M: -3.72%
• YTD: 3.35%
• 6M: 5.06%
• 1Y: 17.66%
• 3Y*: 6.41%
• 5Y*: 4.67%
• 10Y*: 7.57%

PFFD

• 1D: 0.49%
• 1M: -3.65%
• YTD: -1.20%
• 6M: -2.91%
• 1Y: 3.43%
• 3Y*: 4.06%
• 5Y*: -0.42%
• 10Y*: —

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

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Expense Ratio Comparison

RYSEX has a 1.20% expense ratio, which is higher than PFFD's 0.23% expense ratio.

RYSEX

Royce Special Equity Fund

PFFD

Global X U.S. Preferred ETF

Return for Risk

RYSEX vs. PFFD — Risk / Return Rank

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

RYSEX

RYSEX Risk / Return Rank: 52
RYSEX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 50
RYSEX Sortino Ratio Rank: 58
RYSEX Omega Ratio Rank: 44
RYSEX Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
RYSEX Martin Ratio Rank: 46

PFFD

PFFD Risk / Return Rank: 23
PFFD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
PFFD Sortino Ratio Rank: 21
PFFD Omega Ratio Rank: 20
PFFD Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
PFFD Martin Ratio Rank: 23

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.

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Royce Special Equity Fund (RYSEX) and Global X U.S. Preferred ETF (PFFD). 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.

	RYSEX	PFFD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.41	+0.55
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.51	0.62	+0.89
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.19	1.08	+0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.41	0.57	+0.83
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.67	1.67	+3.00
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RYSEX Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is higher than the PFFD Sharpe Ratio of 0.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RYSEX and PFFD, 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

	RYSEX	PFFD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.41	+0.55
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.29	-0.04	+0.32
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.44	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.18	+0.33

Correlation

The correlation between RYSEX and PFFD is 0.45, 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

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Dividend Comparison

RYSEX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.96%, more than PFFD's 6.53% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
RYSEX Royce Special Equity Fund	11.96%	12.36%	16.35%	5.32%	12.34%	16.53%	3.70%	11.56%	13.11%	8.24%	7.72%	11.68%
PFFD Global X U.S. Preferred ETF	6.53%	6.37%	6.42%	6.49%	6.63%	5.09%	5.17%	5.48%	6.21%	1.94%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RYSEX drawdown since its inception was -43.25%, which is greater than PFFD's maximum drawdown of -30.93%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RYSEX and PFFD.

Drawdown Indicators

	RYSEX	PFFD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-43.25%	-30.93%	-12.32%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.97%	-5.97%	-5.00%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.03%	-24.45%	+1.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.13%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.33%	-6.97%	+0.64%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.39%	-6.64%	+0.25%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.30%	2.06%	+1.24%

Volatility

RYSEX vs. PFFD - Volatility Comparison

Royce Special Equity Fund (RYSEX) has a higher volatility of 3.43% compared to Global X U.S. Preferred ETF (PFFD) at 2.95%. This indicates that RYSEX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PFFD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	RYSEX	PFFD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.43%	2.95%	+0.48%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.64%	5.59%	+4.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.16%	8.41%	+9.75%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.43%	10.95%	+5.48%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.40%	12.84%	+4.56%