Principal Spectrum Preferred Securities Active ETF
$18.35+0.02 (+0.10%)
- 0.55%
- $1.9B
- +1.3%
- 5.49%
- 351K sh
- low $18.16high $19.32
The ETF.net PREF Grade
B
Score 58 out of 100
- 10 of 31
Score 58 of 100 falls in the B band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.C40 out of 100Rank 18 of 31Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.B57 out of 100Rank 16 of 26Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.A85 out of 100Rank 2 of 31Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.A72 out of 100Rank 8 of 31Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.B59 out of 100Rank 14 of 29Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.B62 out of 100Rank 14 of 31
Our read on PREF
In short
BMost preferred ETFs shop the $25-par retail aisle. PREF goes where the institutions trade: $1,000-par preferreds, hand-picked by an active team since 2017, with income paid out monthly.
Stated mandate
The fund is actively managed and does not seek to track a specified index.
Why people hold it
Worth knowing
PREF Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
Not enough history yet.
PREF$10,125
Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | PREF |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +0.6% |
| 1 month | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −1.1% |
| 1 year | +1.3% |
| 3 years | +9.3% |
| 5 years | +2.6% |
| 10 years |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | PREF |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +0.6% | |
| 2025 | +7.6% | |
| 2024 | +11.4% | |
| 2023 | +7.4% | |
| 2022 | −11.8% | |
| 2021 | +2.1% | |
| 2020 | +7.5% |
PREF in the news
PREF Dividends
- 5.49%
- $1.01
- $0.09 per share
- Monthly
PREF Risk
- 4.4%
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- 1.06
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- −16.2%
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 0.58
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.
PREF Cost
Overpaying vs PFFD, cheapest in Preferred Securities
$6,145
On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.
PREF 0.55%
$10,904
PFFD 0.23% Cheapest
$4,759
Cost over time
Year by year
| Year | PREF | PFFD | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $988 | $419 | $569 |
| 20 | $3,790 | $1,630 | $2,160 |
| 30 | $10,904 | $4,759 | $6,145 |
Other funds in Preferred Securities
- BFPEFirst Trust Preferred Securities and Income ETFExpense ratio 0.83%1 year return −1.9%
- BGPRFGoldman Sachs Access U.S. Preferred Stock and Hybrid Securities ETFExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return −1.3%
- BHBRDInvesco U.S. Hybrid Bond ETFExpense ratio 0.40%1 year return
- BPFLDAAM Low Duration Preferred and Income Securities ETFExpense ratio 0.45%1 year return +2.1%
- CCSSDCohen & Steers Short Duration Preferred and Income Active ETFExpense ratio 0.49%1 year return
