STLG vs. PFFL

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF (STLG) and ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL).

STLG and PFFL are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. STLG is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the Russell US Large Cap Factors Growth Style Index. It was launched on Jan 14, 2020. 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. Both STLG and PFFL 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

STLG vs. PFFL - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF (STLG) and ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

STLG vs. PFFL - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
STLG iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF	-6.01%	21.49%	37.42%	42.86%	-26.75%	27.99%	26.51%
PFFL ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN	-4.36%	2.18%	4.77%	8.65%	-39.15%	7.52%	-17.20%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, STLG achieves a -6.01% return, which is significantly lower than PFFL's -4.36% return.

STLG

• 1D: 3.86%
• 1M: -5.81%
• YTD: -6.01%
• 6M: -2.39%
• 1Y: 25.79%
• 3Y*: 25.22%
• 5Y*: 15.18%
• 10Y*: —

PFFL

• 1D: 0.68%
• 1M: -7.39%
• YTD: -4.36%
• 6M: -7.76%
• 1Y: 0.89%
• 3Y*: 2.13%
• 5Y*: -6.10%
• 10Y*: —

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

STLG vs. PFFL - Expense Ratio Comparison

STLG has a 0.25% expense ratio, which is lower than PFFL's 0.85% expense ratio.

PFFL

ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN

STLG

iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF

Return for Risk

STLG vs. PFFL — Risk / Return Rank

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

STLG

STLG Risk / Return Rank: 67
STLG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
STLG Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
STLG Omega Ratio Rank: 63
STLG Calmar Ratio Rank: 74
STLG Martin Ratio Rank: 70

PFFL

PFFL Risk / Return Rank: 13
PFFL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
PFFL Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
PFFL Omega Ratio Rank: 13
PFFL Calmar Ratio Rank: 12
PFFL Martin Ratio Rank: 12

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.

STLG vs. PFFL - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF (STLG) and ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL). 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.

	STLG	PFFL	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.06	0.05	+1.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.62	0.20	+1.42
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.03	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.87	-0.01	+1.88
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.91	-0.02	+6.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

STLG vs. PFFL - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current STLG Sharpe Ratio is 1.06, which is higher than the PFFL Sharpe Ratio of 0.05. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of STLG and PFFL, 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

	STLG	PFFL	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.06	0.05	+1.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.70	-0.26	+0.96
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.71	-0.08	+0.79

Correlation

The correlation between STLG and PFFL is 0.47, 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

STLG vs. PFFL - Dividend Comparison

STLG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.32%, less than PFFL's 13.68% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
STLG iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF	0.32%	0.31%	0.38%	0.75%	1.85%	0.67%	0.75%	0.00%	0.00%
PFFL ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN	13.68%	13.27%	13.76%	13.71%	13.90%	8.82%	9.75%	11.21%	2.02%

Drawdowns

STLG vs. PFFL - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum STLG drawdown since its inception was -31.34%, smaller than the maximum PFFL drawdown of -80.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for STLG and PFFL.

Drawdown Indicators

	STLG	PFFL	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-31.34%	-80.68%	+49.34%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.69%	-11.92%	-1.77%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-30.61%	-48.51%	+17.90%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.35%	-41.08%	+30.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.53%	-28.32%	+20.79%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.71%	4.74%	-1.03%

Volatility

STLG vs. PFFL - Volatility Comparison

iShares Factors US Growth Style ETF (STLG) has a higher volatility of 7.52% compared to ETRACS 2xMonthly Pay Leveraged Preferred Stock Index ETN (PFFL) at 6.74%. This indicates that STLG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PFFL based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	STLG	PFFL	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.52%	6.74%	+0.78%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.44%	12.28%	+2.16%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	24.39%	19.42%	+4.97%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.86%	23.54%	-1.68%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	24.02%	55.95%	-31.93%