Which returned more over the last year, FPE or PFFA?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FPE returned −2.6% and PFFA −3.4%.

Which is cheaper, FPE or PFFA?

FPE is cheaper, by 1.28 percentage points a year. That is about $128 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do FPE and PFFA overlap with the S&P 500?

By their latest filed holdings, 0% of FPE and 1% of PFFA by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

FPE vs PFFA: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, FPE returned −2.6% to PFFA's −3.4%, and FPE charges 0.83% to PFFA's 2.11%.

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Net assets: $5.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF, and $2.5bn on Jul 31, 2026 for Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF.

FPE on its own →PFFA on its own →

At a glance

−2.6%

FPE total return, 1 year

−3.4%

PFFA total return, 1 year

0.83%

FPE expense ratio

2.11%

PFFA expense ratio

Pair scorecard

FPE costs 1.28 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 0.8 points.

FPE vs PFFA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FPE	PFFA
Return
Measure	FPE	PFFA
Total return, 1 year	−2.6%	−3.4%
Drawdown
Measure	FPE	PFFA
Below its high	4.3%, high on Feb 20, 2026	9.2%, high on May 8, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	FPE	PFFA
What it tracks	No index, actively managed	No index, actively managed
Cost and size
Measure	FPE	PFFA
Expense ratio	0.83%	2.11%
Net assets, FPE as of Oct 27, 2026 and PFFA as of Jul 31, 2026	$5.8bn	$2.5bn
Holdings
Measure	FPE	PFFA
Holdings in common	5%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	15.0%	22.9%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jul 31, 2026. Method

Risk and return

May 25, 2018 to Oct 23, 2026 · 439 weekly returns

FPE PFFA

Return

Total return edge PFFA +40.1% +64.9%

Annualized edge PFFA +4.1% +6.1%

Price return edge FPE −12.2% −25.2%

Risk

Volatility edge FPE 12.2% 27.3%

Max drawdown edge FPE −30.1% −59.0%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge PFFA 0.16 0.25

Sortino edge PFFA 0.22 0.37

Calmar edge FPE 0.14 0.10

Reading

PFFA returned more: +64.9% to +40.1%. FPE swung less: 12.2% to 27.3%. FPE fell less at its worst: −30.1% to −59.0%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: FPE vs PFFA: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	FPE	PFFA	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+40.1%	+64.9%	PFFA	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+4.1%	+6.1%	PFFA	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−12.2%	−25.2%	FPE	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	12.2%	27.3%	FPE	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	9.0%	18.6%	FPE	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−30.1%	−59.0%	FPE	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.16	0.25	PFFA	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.22	0.37	PFFA	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.14	0.10	FPE	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 439 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, FPE and PFFA hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

5% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FPE PFFA

XCEL ENERGY INC 6.25% NOTES ISSUED DUE ON OCTOBER 15, 2085 1.23% 1.84%

COREBRIDGE FINANCIAL INC 6.375% JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE DECEMBER 15,2064. 1.05% 1.18%

DTE ENERGY COMPANY 6.250% JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES DUE ON OCTOBER 1, 2085 0.98% 1.40%

F&G ANNUITIES & LIFE INC CALLABLE FIXED FOR LIFE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE JANUARY 15, 2065 0.91% 0.45%

AMERICAN NATIONAL GROUP INC DEPOSITARY SHARE REPRESENTING 1/1000TH, 7.375% FIXED-RATE NON-CUMULATIVE PREFERRED STOCK SERIES D 0.42% 0.66%

TRANSCANADA PIPELINES LTD CALLABLE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 01 NOV 2085 0.21% 0.92%

FORD MOTOR CO 6.000% NOTES DUE DECEMBER 1, 2059 0.20% 0.24%

GLOBAL NET LEASE INC 7.25% SERIES A CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK 0.18% 1.01%

NEXTERA ENERGY CAPITAL HOLDINGS INC PUBLIC OFFERING OF 60NC5 FIXED-FOR-LIFE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES DUE 15-APR-2086 0.16% 0.80%

DIGITALBRIDGE GROUP INC 7.15% SERIES I CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK 0.15% 0.78%

DIGITALBRIDGE GROUP INC CUM RED PERP PFD SHS SER J 0.09% 0.11%

DIGITALBRIDGE GROUP INC 7.125% SERIES H CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED STOCK 0.04% 0.65%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FPE

BAC V6.625 PERP 2.52%

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 7.5% NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE CLASS A PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L 2.08%

BACR V8 PERP 1.67%

JPM V6.875 PERP NN 1.35%

NEXTERA ENERGY CAPITAL HOLDINGS INC SERIES U JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES DUE JUNE 1, 2085 1.33%

BNP V7.2 PERP 144A 1.26%

ACAFP V7.125 PERP 144A 1.21%

C V6.625 PERP 1.20%

Only in PFFA

STRATEGY INC VARIABLE RATE SERIES A PERPETUAL STRETCH PREFERRED STOCK 2.63%

FLAGSTAR BANK NA DEPOSITARY SHARES, EACH REPRESENTING A 1/40TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF WFIXED-TO-FLOATING RATE SERIES A NONCUMULATIVE PERPETUAL PREFERR 2.56%

KKR & CO. INC 6.25% SERIES D MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 2.54%

TELEPHONE & DATA SYSTEMS INC DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/1,000 INTEREST IN A SHARE OF TELEPHONE AND DATA SYSTEMS, INC.S 6.000% SERIES VV C 2.38%

ENERGY TRANSFER LP 9.250% SERIES I FIXED RATE PERPETUAL PREFERRED UNITS 2.34%

BANC OF CALIFORNIA INC DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/40TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF 7.75% NON CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL PREFERRED STOCK SERIES F 2.16%

RLJ LODGING TRUST SERIES A CUMULATIVE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED SHARES 2.08%

GLOBAL NET LEASE INC 7.50% CUM RED PFD SER D 2.07%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

FPE First Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETF PFFA Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer First Trust Virtus

What it is Actively managed Actively managed

Total return, 1 year −2.6% −3.4%

Expense ratio 0.83% 2.11%

Already in the S&P 500 0.0% 0.8%

Holdings 263 194

Net assets, FPE as of Oct 27, 2026 and PFFA as of Jul 31, 2026 $5.8bn $2.5bn

FPE and PFFA on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-043ABD58BA

FPE and PFFA are built for the same job. How do they differ in cost, holdings and results?

Holdings in common. 5% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jul 31, 2026).
Cost. FPE charges 0.83% of assets a year and PFFA 2.11%, a gap of 1.28 points.
What each follows (similar). Both follow No index, actively managed.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

FPE

FPE is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −2.6% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.83% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 263 positions, with the top ten at 15.0%. It sat 4.3% below its high of Feb 20, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

PFFA

PFFA is actively managed and tracks no index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 2.11% a year. By its holdings filed for Jul 31, 2026, 1% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 194 positions, with the top ten at 22.9%. It sat 9.2% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, FPE or PFFA?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, FPE returned −2.6% and PFFA −3.4%.
Which is cheaper, FPE or PFFA?: FPE is cheaper, by 1.28 percentage points a year. That is about $128 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do FPE and PFFA overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 0% of FPE and 1% of PFFA by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

FPE vs PFXF FPE vs VRP FPE vs PFFD FPE vs PREF PFFA vs PGX PFFA vs VRP PFFA vs PFXF PFFA vs PFFD

Where to next

FPE on its own →PFFA on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →FPE dividend history →FPE holdings →PFFA dividend history →PFFA holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FPE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FPE prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

First Trust page for FPE ↗

PFFA filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PFFA prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Virtus website ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, FPE against PFFA, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/fpe-vs-pffa

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