Data as of Sep 13, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
PFF vs USMV: how they differ
PFF and USMV hold 8% of their weight in the same names, and USMV returned more over the year.
iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF and iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, PFF and USMV hold 8% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | PFF | USMV |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T INC | 0.41% | 0.93% |
| XCEL ENERGY INC | 0.38% | 0.48% |
| ORACLE CORPORATION | 2.31% | 0.27% |
| BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON CORP/THE | 0.24% | 1.04% |
| DUKE ENERGY CORP | 0.21% | 1.38% |
| BLK CSH FND TREASURY SL AGENCY | 0.61% | 0.17% |
| T-MOBILE USA INC | 0.15% | 1.02% |
| HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP | 0.16% | 0.13% |
| NEXTERA ENERGY CAPITAL HOLDINGS IN | 0.26% | 0.11% |
| ALLSTATE CORPORATION (THE) | 0.10% | 0.56% |
| GEORGIA POWER COMPANY | 0.10% | 1.34% |
| FIRST CITIZENS BANCSHARES NON CU | 0.08% | 0.49% |
| Only in PFF | Only in USMV |
|---|---|
| BOEING CO 3.54% | AMPHENOL CORP CLASS A 1.58% |
| SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC 2.30% | MICROSOFT 1.56% |
| ALPHABET INC 2.24% | NVIDIA 1.54% |
| HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE CONV PR 2.06% | WELLTOWER 1.53% |
| ALBEMARLE CORP 1.12% | CHUBB 1.49% |
| MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED 0.89% | JOHNSON & JOHNSON 1.49% |
| BRIGHTSPRING HEALTH SERVICES UNITS 0.74% | VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 1.49% |
| NEXTERA ENERGY UNITS 0.70% | EXXONMOBIL HOLDINGS CORP 1.48% |
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 Sep 10, 2026.
| PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF | USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Preferred and Income Securities | MSCI USA Min Vol Factor |
| Total return, 1 year | −0.8% | +6.6% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | −18.3 pts | −10.9 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.45% | 0.15% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 21.6% | 94.8% |
| Holdings | 461 | 175 |
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 Sep 10, 2026, 22% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 461 positions, with the top ten at 23.1%. It sat 3.2% below its high of May 8, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.
USMV in plain words
USMV is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI USA Min Vol Factor. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +6.6% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year. By its holdings filed for Sep 10, 2026, 95% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 175 positions, with the top ten at 15.1%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, PFF or USMV?
- In the year to Sep 13, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −0.8% and USMV returned +6.6%, so USMV returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, PFF or USMV?
- PFF charges 0.45% a year and USMV charges 0.15%, so USMV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do PFF and USMV overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 22% of PFF and 95% of USMV by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 8% 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 USMV, data as of Sep 13, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-usmv Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources