IVV vs PFD
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF vs Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Fund Inc
Which is better, IVV or PFD?
Large Cap Blend against Preferred Stock.
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 | IVV | PFD |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 0.03% | - |
| AUM | $886.7B | $159M |
| Dividend Yield | 1.10% | 6.58% |
| Holdings | 508 | 245 |
| YTD Return | +13.39%Best | -0.39% |
| 1Y Return | +20.08%Best | +4.63% |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +21.29%Best | +12.85% |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +12.88%Best | -0.14% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 15.1%Best | 20.7% |
| Max Drawdown | -56.5%Best | -85.8% |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $18,327Best | $9,930 |
| Fund Family | iShares by BlackRock (US) | Flaherty & Crumrine |
| Category | Equity | Allocation/Balanced |
| Style | Large Cap Blend | Preferred Stock |
| Inception | May 15, 2000 | Jan 31, 1991 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: May 19, 2000 to Sep 4, 2026 (26.3 years).
IVV vs PFD 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 26.3 years both funds cover.
IVV vs PFD Performance
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) is an ETF from iShares by BlackRock (US) and Flaherty & Crumrine Preferred Income Fund Inc (PFD) is an ETF from Flaherty & Crumrine. Over the past year IVV returned +20.08% while PFD returned +4.63%. Year to date, IVV is up 13.39% versus a loss of 0.39% for PFD.
Over three years, IVV compounded at +21.29% per year against +12.85% for PFD; over five years the annualized figures are +12.88% and -0.14% respectively. Across the full 26-year window we track, IVV has the edge at +7.01% annualized vs +1.16%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
PFD has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 20.7% compared with 15.1% 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 -56.5% for IVV and -85.8% for PFD. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.39. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.5% of IVV's money is in holdings PFD also owns.
Only one direction is shown: for PFD, our book for it lists positions totalling 123.9% 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, IVV as of Aug 5, 2026 and PFD as of Nov 28, 2025, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.
7 positions in common, counted across the 504 positions we hold weights for in IVV and 180 in PFD, against full books of 508 and 245.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in IVV | Weight in PFD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| SYFSynchrony Financial | 0.04% | 1.31% | 1.27% |
| CFGCitizens Financial Group Inc | 0.05% | 0.89% | 0.84% |
| HBANHuntington Bancshares Inc./Oh | 0.05% | 0.75% | 0.70% |
| APOApollo Global Management Inc | 0.09% | 0.48% | 0.39% |
| XELXcel Energy Inc. | 0.07% | 0.39% | 0.32% |
| DTEDte Energy Co. | 0.04% | 0.39% | 0.35% |
| BKBank Of New York Mellon Corp/The Bk Us Equity | 0.16% | 0.22% | 0.06% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of IVV and PFD 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, IVV or PFD?
Over the past year IVV returned +20.08% vs +4.63% for PFD, so IVV leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (26 years), IVV annualized +7.01% vs +1.16% for PFD. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, IVV or PFD?
PFD has been the more volatile fund at 20.7% annualized versus 15.1% for IVV. Worst drawdown: IVV -56.5% vs PFD -85.8%.
Should I hold both IVV and PFD?
IVV and PFD have a monthly-return correlation of 0.39, 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, IVV or PFD?
IVV yields 1.10% while PFD yields 6.58%, so PFD currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is PFD better than IVV?
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.