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

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and XLB +18.5%.

Which is cheaper, PFF or XLB?

XLB is cheaper, by 0.37 percentage points a year. That is about $37 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

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

By their latest filed holdings, 0% of PFF and 100% of XLB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

PFF vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees

Share on X Download as PDF

Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, PFF returned −4.2% to XLB's +18.5%; 1% of their weight is in the same names.

askIQ about this page

askIQ about PFF and XLB

Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $11.8bn for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF and $8.1bn for State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF.

PFF on its own →XLB on its own →

At a glance

−4.2%

PFF total return, 1 year

+18.5%

XLB total return, 1 year

0.45%

PFF expense ratio

0.08%

XLB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

XLB costs 0.37 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 22.7 points; PFF is 1.5 times larger.

PFF vs XLB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	PFF	XLB
Return
Measure	PFF	XLB
Total return, 1 year	−4.2%	+18.5%
Drawdown
Measure	PFF	XLB
Below its high	7.1%, high on May 8, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	PFF	XLB
What it tracks	ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index	Materials Select Sector Index
Cost and size
Measure	PFF	XLB
Expense ratio	0.45%	0.08%
Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026	$11.8bn	$8.1bn
Holdings
Measure	PFF	XLB
Holdings in common	1%
Top ten holdings, share of the fund	22.7%	58.5%

Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, PFF and XLB hold 1% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

1% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first PFF XLB

ALBEMARLE CORP 1.02% 1.78%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in PFF

STRATEGY INC 3.53%

BOEING CO 3.11%

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE CONV PR 2.36%

ALPHABET INC 2.31%

SUPER MICRO COMPUTER INC 2.27%

ALPHABET INC 2.26%

WELLS FARGO & COMPANY SERIES L 2.14%

ORACLE CORPORATION 2.06%

Only in XLB

LINDE PLC 12.96%

NEWMONT CORP 6.56%

FREEPORT MCMORAN INC 5.23%

ECOLAB INC 4.98%

VULCAN MATERIALS CO 4.89%

NUCOR CORP 4.89%

AIR PRODUCTS + CHEMICALS INC 4.84%

STEEL DYNAMICS INC 4.77%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

PFF iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF XLB State Street Materials Select Sector SPDR ETF

Where it sits Bond ETF Stock ETF

Issuer iShares State Street

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

Total return, 1 year −4.2% +18.5%

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% 0.08%

Already in the S&P 500 0.0% 99.8%

Holdings 453 25

Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 $11.8bn $8.1bn

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

Alert

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.

XLB

XLB tracks an index of Materials. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.5% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.08% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 100% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 25 positions, with the top ten at 58.5%.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, PFF or XLB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and XLB +18.5%.
Which is cheaper, PFF or XLB?: XLB is cheaper, by 0.37 percentage points a year. That is about $37 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
How much do PFF and XLB overlap with the S&P 500?: By their latest filed holdings, 0% of PFF and 100% of XLB by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds.

Other comparisons

PFF vs XHB PFF vs XLF PFF vs VPU PFF vs VDC SPSB vs XLB VGLT vs XLB VUSB vs XLB TIP vs XLB

Where to next

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

Sources and dates

PFF filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PFF prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for PFF ↗

XLB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

State Street 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 XLB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-xlb

Open data →

Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.