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Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

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PFF vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, PFF returned −4.2% to VGSH's +1.7%, and VGSH charges 0.03% to PFF's 0.45%.

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askIQ about PFF and VGSH

Net assets: $11.8bn on Oct 27, 2026 for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.

PFF on its own →VGSH on its own →
At a glance
−4.2%
PFF total return, 1 year
+1.7%
VGSH total return, 1 year
0.45%
PFF expense ratio
0.03%
VGSH expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VGSH costs 0.42 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 5.9 points; VGSH is 2.9 times larger.

PFF vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
MeasurePFFVGSH
Return
Total return, 1 year−4.2%+1.7%
Drawdown
Below its high7.1%, high on May 8, 2026
Benchmark
What it tracksICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities IndexBloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.45%0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026$12.3bn$35.1bn
Holdings
Holdings in common0%
In the S&P 500, by weight0%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund22.7%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026. Method

What they share

0%

By the books each fund has filed, PFF and VGSH hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated May 31, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first PFF VGSH
Only in one fund ↓
Only in PFF
BOEING COMPANY (THE) 6% SER A DEP SHS REPSTG 1/20TH INT MANDATORY CONV PFD 3.93%
STRATEGY INC VARIABLE RATE SERIES A PERPETUAL STRETCH PREFERRED STOCK 2.95%
WELLS FARGO & COMPANY 7.5% NON-CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE CLASS A PREFERRED STOCK, SERIES L 2.33%
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%
HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE COMPANY 7.625% SERIES C MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.76%
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%
ALBEMARLE CORP DEPOSITARY SHARES EACH REPRESENTING A 1/20TH INTEREST IN A SHARE OF 7.25% SERIES A MANDATORY CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK 1.29%
Only in VGSH
US TREASURY N/B, due Jan 31, 2028 2.24%
US TREASURY N/B, due Apr 30, 2029 1.40%
US TREASURY N/B, due Jul 31, 2027 1.35%
US TREASURY N/B, due Feb 28, 2029 1.31%
US TREASURY N/B, due Mar 31, 2029 1.30%
US TREASURY N/B, due Jun 15, 2027 1.29%
US TREASURY N/B, due May 15, 2027 1.26%
US TREASURY N/B, due Aug 15, 2027 1.26%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF VGSH Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF
Where it sits Bond ETF Bond ETF
Issuer iShares Vanguard
What it is Tracks an index of Preferred and Income Securities Tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury
Total return, 1 year −4.2% +1.7%
Its benchmark over the same days +13.6% (MLRG) +1.8% (SCHO)
Gap to its benchmark −17.8 pts vs MLRG −0.1 pts vs SCHO
Expense ratio 0.45% 0.03%
Holdings 453 93
Net assets, PFF as of Oct 27, 2026 and VGSH as of Sep 30, 2026 $11.8bn $35.1bn

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

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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.

VGSH

VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, PFF or VGSH?
In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and VGSH +1.7%.
Which is cheaper, PFF or VGSH?
VGSH is cheaper, by 0.42 percentage points a year. That is about $42 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
PFF vs SHYIEI vs PFFJAAA vs PFFPFF vs VGITSPSB vs VGSHEMB vs VGSHVGLT vs VGSHTIP vs VGSH
Where to next
PFF on its own →VGSH on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →PFF dividend history →PFF holdings →VGSH dividend history →VGSH holdings →Standards and sources →
Sources and dates
PFF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
PFF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
iShares page for PFF ↗
VGSH filings on SEC EDGAR ↗
VGSH prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗
Vanguard page for VGSH ↗

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.

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ETFIQ, PFF against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-vgsh

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