Which returned more over the last year, PFF or PFXF?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and PFXF +0.5%.

Which is cheaper, PFF or PFXF?

PFXF is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

How much do PFF and PFXF overlap with the S&P 500?

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

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

PFF vs PFXF: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, PFF returned −4.2% to PFXF's +0.5%, and PFXF charges 0.40% to PFF's 0.45%.

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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $11.8bn for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF and $2.2bn for VanEck Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF.

PFF on its own →PFXF on its own →

At a glance

−4.2%

PFF total return, 1 year

+0.5%

PFXF total return, 1 year

0.45%

PFF expense ratio

0.40%

PFXF expense ratio

Pair scorecard

PFXF costs 0.05 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 4.7 points; PFF is 5.4 times larger.

PFF vs PFXF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	PFF	PFXF
Return
Measure	PFF	PFXF
Total return, 1 year	−4.2%	+0.5%
Drawdown
Measure	PFF	PFXF
Below its high	7.1%, high on May 8, 2026	8.4%, high on Jun 2, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	PFF	PFXF
What it tracks	ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index	ICE Exchange-Listed Fixed & Adjustable Rate Non-Financial Preferred Securities Index
Cost and size
Measure	PFF	PFXF
Expense ratio	0.45%	0.40%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$11.8bn	$2.2bn
Holdings
Measure	PFF	PFXF
Holdings in common	41%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	22.7%	46.1%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Jun 30, 2026. Method

Risk and return

Jul 27, 2012 to Oct 23, 2026 · 743 weekly returns

PFF PFXF

Return

Total return edge PFXF +66.4% +98.4%

Annualized edge PFXF +3.6% +4.9%

Price return edge PFXF −27.0% −16.2%

Risk

Volatility edge PFF (slight) 10.8% 11.9%

Max drawdown edge PFF (slight) −27.2% −29.2%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge PFXF 0.22 0.31

Sortino edge PFXF 0.31 0.45

Calmar edge PFXF 0.13 0.17

Reading

PFXF returned more: +98.4% to +66.4%. PFF swung slightly less: 10.8% to 11.9%. PFF fell slightly less at its worst: −27.2% to −29.2%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: PFF vs PFXF: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	PFF	PFXF	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+66.4%	+98.4%	PFXF	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+3.6%	+4.9%	PFXF	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−27.0%	−16.2%	PFXF	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	10.8%	11.9%	PFF (slight)	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	7.6%	8.3%	PFF (slight)	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−27.2%	−29.2%	PFF (slight)	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.22	0.31	PFXF	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	0.31	0.45	PFXF	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	0.13	0.17	PFXF	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 743 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

41%

By the books each fund has filed, PFF and PFXF hold 41% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

41% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first PFF PFXF

BOEING COMPANY (THE) 6% SER A DEP SHS REPSTG 1/20TH INT MANDATORY CONV PFD 3.93% 9.67%

STRATEGY INC VARIABLE RATE SERIES A PERPETUAL STRETCH PREFERRED STOCK 2.95% 6.27%

ORACLE CORP DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/2,000TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF 6.50% SERIES D MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 2.28% 5.61%

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY 7.625% SERIES C MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.76% 4.33%

ALBEMARLE CORP DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/20TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF 7.25% SERIES A MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.29% 3.18%

MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC 7.50 % DEP SHS REPSTG 1/20TH PFD CONV SER A 1.16% 2.85%

NEE 7.375 02/15/29 1.12% 2.75%

NEE 7.299 06/01/27 1.08% 2.65%

SO 7.125 12/15/28 A 1.01% 2.49%

BTSG 6.75 02/01/27 0.93% 2.29%

NEE 7.234 11/01/27 0.76% 1.86%

PG&E CORP 6% SER A MAND CONV PFD STK 0.68% 1.66%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in PFF

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 7.5% NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE CLASS A PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L 2.33%

BANK OF AMERICA CORP 7.25% NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK SERIES L 1.45%

CITIGROUP CAPITAL XIII FIXED/FLOAT TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES 1.31%

KKR & CO. INC 6.25% SERIES D MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.05%

JP MORGAN CHASE & COMPANY DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REP 1/400TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF JP MORGAN CHASE & CO 6% NON CUM PFD STOCK SER EE 0.95%

APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT INC 6.75% SERIES A MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 0.89%

JP MORGAN CHASE & COMPANY 5.75% DEP SHS REP 1/400TH INT SHS NON CUM PFD STK SER DD 0.83%

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY DEPOSITARY SHARES, EACH REPRESENTING A 1/1,000TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CLASS A PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES 0.76%

Only in PFXF

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF PFXF VanEck Preferred Securities ex Financials ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares VanEck

What it is Tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities Tracks an index

Total return, 1 year −4.2% +0.5%

Its benchmark over the same days +13.6% (MLRG) not measured

Gap to its benchmark −17.8 pts vs MLRG not measured

Expense ratio 0.45% 0.40%

Already in the S&P 500 0.0% 0.0%

Holdings 453 116

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $11.8bn $2.2bn

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

Client brief · page 1 of 2 Report BR-C42DD90825

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

What each follows. PFF follows ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index and PFXF follows ICE Exchange-Listed Fixed & Adjustable Rate Non-Financial Preferred Securities Index.
Holdings in common. 41% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Jun 30, 2026).
One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 PFF returned −4.2% and PFXF +0.5% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 4.7 points.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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About each fund

PFF

PFF tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −4.2% with distributions reinvested, against +13.6% for its benchmark, the MSCI USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.45% 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 453 positions, with the top ten at 22.7%. It sat 7.1% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

PFXF

PFXF tracks an index. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +0.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.40% 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 116 positions, with the top ten at 46.1%. It sat 8.4% below its high of Jun 2, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, PFF or PFXF?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and PFXF +0.5%.
Which is cheaper, PFF or PFXF?: PFXF is cheaper, by 0.05 percentage points a year. That is about $5 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do PFF and PFXF overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 0% of PFF and 0% of PFXF by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

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

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

PFF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PFF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for PFF ↗

PFXF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PFXF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

VanEck 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, PFF against PFXF, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-pfxf

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