Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
PFF vs XLF: how they differ
PFF and XLF hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and XLF returned more over the year.
iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF and State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, PFF and XLF hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in PFF | Only in XLF |
|---|---|
| BOEING COMPANY (THE) 3.99% | Berkshire Hathaway Inc 12.10% |
| STRATEGY INC 2.99% | JPMorgan Chase & Co 11.57% |
| WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 2.37% | Visa Inc 7.51% |
| ORACLE CORP 2.31% | Mastercard Inc 5.47% |
| HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY 1.79% | Bank of America Corp 4.91% |
| BANK OF AMERICA CORP 1.47% | Goldman Sachs Group Inc/The 3.94% |
| CITIGROUP CAPITAL XIII 1.33% | Wells Fargo & Co 3.34% |
| ALBEMARLE CORP 1.31% | Morgan Stanley 3.31% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.
| PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | XLF State Street(R) Financial Select Sector SPDR(R) ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | State Street |
| What it is | Preferred and Income Securities | Financials |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.8% | +7.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.3 pts | −9.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.45% | 0.08% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 21.6% | 100.0% |
| Holdings | 455 | 76 |
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.
XLF in plain words
XLF is an index equity fund tracking the Financials. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +7.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 76 positions, with the top ten at 57.7%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, PFF or XLF?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −0.8% and XLF returned +7.6%, so XLF returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, PFF or XLF?
- PFF charges 0.45% a year and XLF charges 0.08%, so XLF is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do PFF and XLF overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 22% of PFF and 100% of XLF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 0% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
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, PFF against XLF, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/PFF-XLF Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources