DFP vs IVV
Flaherty & Crumrine Dynamic Preferred and Income Fund Inc. vs iShares Core S&P 500 ETF
Which is better, DFP or IVV?
Preferred Stock against Large Cap Blend.
IVV led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | DFP | IVV |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | - | 0.03% |
| AUM | $455M | $876.4B |
| Dividend Yield | 6.98% | 1.06% |
| Holdings | 245 | 508 |
| YTD Return | -0.57% | +11.57%Best |
| 1Y Return | -0.20% | +17.57%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +12.90% | +20.71%Best |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | -0.19% | +12.80%Best |
| Volatility (annualized) | 20.7% | 15.6%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -66.8% | -56.5%Best |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $9,905 | $18,262Best |
| Fund Family | Flaherty & Crumrine | iShares by BlackRock (US) |
| Category | Allocation/Balanced | Equity |
| Style | Preferred Stock | Large Cap Blend |
| Inception | May 24, 2013 | May 15, 2000 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Jul 12, 2007 to Sep 10, 2026 (19.2 years).
DFP vs IVV growth
Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 19.2 years both funds cover.
DFP vs IVV Performance
Flaherty & Crumrine Dynamic Preferred and Income Fund Inc. (DFP) is an ETF from Flaherty & Crumrine and iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) is an ETF from iShares by BlackRock (US). Over the past year DFP returned -0.20% while IVV returned +17.57%. Year to date, DFP is down 0.57% versus a gain of 11.57% for IVV.
Over three years, DFP compounded at +12.90% per year against +20.71% for IVV; over five years the annualized figures are -0.19% and +12.80% respectively. Across the full 19-year window we track, IVV has the edge at +9.10% annualized vs +1.05%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
DFP has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 20.7% compared with 15.6% for IVV. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -66.8% for DFP and -56.5% for IVV. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.52. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.8% of IVV's money is in holdings DFP also owns.
Only one direction is shown: for DFP, our book for it lists positions totalling 125.2% of the fund, which is what a leveraged book looks like and is not a denominator we can divide by.
We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.
The two holdings books were reported 250 days apart, DFP as of Nov 28, 2025 and IVV as of Aug 5, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.
10 positions in common, counted across the 185 positions we hold weights for in DFP and 505 in IVV, against full books of 245 and 508.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in DFP | Weight in IVV | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYFSynchrony Financial | 1.38% | 0.04% | 1.34% |
| CFGCitizens Financial Group Inc. | 0.91% | 0.05% | 0.86% |
| HBANHuntington Bancshares Inc./Oh | 0.76% | 0.05% | 0.71% |
| MTBM&t Bank Corp. | 0.69% | 0.06% | 0.63% |
| APOApollo Global Management Inc | 0.64% | 0.09% | 0.55% |
| BKBank Of New York Mellon Corp. | 0.40% | 0.16% | 0.24% |
| FITBFifth Third Bancorp | 0.42% | 0.08% | 0.34% |
| XELXcel Energy Inc. | 0.40% | 0.07% | 0.33% |
| DTEDte Energy Co. | 0.40% | 0.04% | 0.36% |
| GMGeneral Motors Financial Co Inc | 0.14% | 0.12% | 0.02% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of DFP and IVV you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which performed better, DFP or IVV?
Over the past year DFP returned -0.20% vs +17.57% for IVV, so IVV leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (19 years), DFP annualized +1.05% vs +9.10% for IVV. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, DFP or IVV?
DFP has been the more volatile fund at 20.7% annualized versus 15.6% for IVV. Worst drawdown: DFP -66.8% vs IVV -56.5%.
Should I hold both DFP and IVV?
DFP and IVV have a monthly-return correlation of 0.52, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which pays a higher dividend, DFP or IVV?
DFP yields 6.98% while IVV yields 1.06%, so DFP currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is IVV better than DFP?
IVV led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.