Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
GLD vs PFF: how they differ
GLD is a commodity fund and PFF an equity index fund, and over the year GLD returned more, +19.1% against −0.8%.
SPDR Gold Shares and iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF.
| GLD SPDR Gold Shares | PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | State Street | iShares |
| What it is | Gold | Preferred and Income Securities |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.1% | −0.8% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +1.6 pts | −18.3 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.40% | 0.45% |
| Holdings | not filed | 455 |
GLD in plain words
GLD is a commodity fund tracking the Gold. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +19.1% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% a year. It sat 19.6% below its high of Jan 29, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
PFF in plain words
PFF is an index equity fund tracking the Preferred and Income Securities. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned −0.8% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.45% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 455 positions, with the top ten at 19.9%. It sat 3.2% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, GLD or PFF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, GLD returned +19.1% and PFF returned −0.8%, so GLD returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, GLD or PFF?
- GLD charges 0.40% a year and PFF charges 0.45%, so GLD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, GLD against PFF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/GLD-PFF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources