Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
PFF vs XLU: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, PFF returned −4.2% to XLU's −3.0%; 5% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets on Oct 27, 2026: $11.8bn for iShares Preferred and Income Securities ETF and $23.9bn for State Street Utilities Select Sector SPDR ETF.
Pair scorecard
XLU costs 0.37 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 1.2 points; XLU is 2.0 times larger.
| Measure | PFF | XLU |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | −4.2% | −3.0% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 7.1%, high on May 8, 2026 | 9.1%, high on Feb 27, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | ICE Exchange-Listed Preferred & Hybrid Securities Index | Utilities Select Sector Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.45% | 0.08% |
| Net assets, as of Oct 27, 2026 | $11.8bn | $23.9bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 5% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 22.7% | 58.7% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, PFF and XLU hold 5% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Oct 27, 2026.
half
5% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
PFF and XLU on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
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.
XLU
XLU tracks an index of Utilities. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −3.0% 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 32 positions, with the top ten at 58.7%. It sat 9.1% below its high of Feb 27, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, PFF or XLU?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, PFF returned −4.2% and XLU −3.0%.
- Which is cheaper, PFF or XLU?
- XLU 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.
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 XLU, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-xlu
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). PFF against XLU. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-xlu
[PFF against XLU (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/pff-vs-xlu)
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