COWZ vs. BSV
COWZ (Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF) and BSV (Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares) are both exchange-traded funds - COWZ is a Mid Cap Value Equities fund tracking the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index, while BSV is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, COWZ returned 10.11%/yr vs 1.57%/yr for BSV. At a correlation of -0.04, they often move in opposite directions. COWZ charges 0.49%/yr vs 0.03%/yr for BSV.
Performance
COWZ vs. BSV - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, COWZ achieves a 6.41% return, which is significantly higher than BSV's 0.10% return.
COWZ
- 1D
- -0.30%
- 1M
- 0.81%
- YTD
- 6.41%
- 6M
- 7.19%
- 1Y
- 19.32%
- 3Y*
- 13.26%
- 5Y*
- 10.11%
- 10Y*
- —
BSV
- 1D
- -0.01%
- 1M
- -0.38%
- YTD
- 0.10%
- 6M
- 0.53%
- 1Y
- 3.66%
- 3Y*
- 4.42%
- 5Y*
- 1.57%
- 10Y*
- 1.91%
COWZ vs. BSV - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
COWZ Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF | 6.41% | 8.98% | 10.64% | 14.73% | 0.19% | 42.57% | 11.65% | 23.41% | -10.05% | 20.22% |
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 0.10% | 6.00% | 3.78% | 4.90% | -5.49% | -1.09% | 4.70% | 4.98% | 1.34% | 1.20% |
Correlation
The correlation between COWZ and BSV is 0.18, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.18 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.12 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.08 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Dec 20, 2016 | -0.04 |
The correlation between COWZ and BSV shifts across timeframes, from -0.04 (all time) to 0.18 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
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Return for Risk
COWZ vs. BSV — Risk / Return Rank
COWZ
BSV
COWZ vs. BSV - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) and Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| COWZ | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.31 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.72 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.31 | 1.39 | -0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.88 | 2.85 | +1.03 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 10.52 | 9.83 | +0.69 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| COWZ | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.74 | 2.06 | -0.31 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.58 | 0.58 | 0.00 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.81 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.64 | 0.85 | -0.21 |
Drawdowns
COWZ vs. BSV - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum COWZ drawdown since its inception was -38.63%, which is greater than BSV's maximum drawdown of -8.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for COWZ and BSV.
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Drawdown Indicators
| COWZ | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -38.63% | -8.54% | -30.09% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -5.00% | -1.29% | -3.71% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -22.00% | -1.53% | -20.47% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -22.00% | -8.54% | -13.46% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -8.54% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -2.53% | -0.82% | -1.71% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -4.80% | -0.97% | -3.83% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.84% | 0.37% | +1.47% |
Volatility
COWZ vs. BSV - Volatility Comparison
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) has a higher volatility of 2.92% compared to Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares (BSV) at 0.54%. This indicates that COWZ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BSV based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| COWZ | BSV | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 2.92% | 0.54% | +2.38% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 7.21% | 1.28% | +5.93% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 11.16% | 1.79% | +9.37% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 17.64% | 2.73% | +14.91% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 19.92% | 2.38% | +17.54% |
COWZ vs. BSV - Expense Ratio Comparison
COWZ has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is higher than BSV's 0.03% expense ratio.
Dividends
COWZ vs. BSV - Dividend Comparison
COWZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.94%, less than BSV's 4.00% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BSV Vanguard Short-Term Bond Index Fund ETF Shares | 4.00% | 3.83% | 3.38% | 2.46% | 1.50% | 1.45% | 1.79% | 2.29% | 1.99% | 1.65% | 1.48% | 1.40% |
COWZ Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF | 1.94% | 2.19% | 1.82% | 1.92% | 1.96% | 1.48% | 2.54% | 1.96% | 1.67% | 1.95% | 0.13% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
COWZ and BSV have a correlation of 0.18, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
COWZ has higher volatility (2.92%) compared to BSV (0.54%). In terms of maximum drawdown, COWZ dropped -38.63% vs BSV's -8.54%.
On 5-year performance, COWZ leads with 10.11% vs 1.57% for BSV. On fees, BSV is cheaper at 0.03% per year. On volatility, BSV has been the lower-risk option at 0.54%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, COWZ has performed better with a 10.11% return vs 1.57%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
BSV is cheaper with a 0.03% expense ratio, compared with 0.49% for COWZ.
BSV has the higher dividend yield at 4.00%, compared with 1.94% for COWZ.
COWZ is categorized as Mid Cap Value Equities, while BSV is Short-Term Bond. COWZ tracks Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index, while BSV tracks Bloomberg U.S. 1–5 Year Government/Credit Float Adjusted Index. They also come from different issuers: Pacer and Vanguard. Their fees differ too: 0.49% for COWZ and 0.03% for BSV.
BSV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.06 vs 1.74), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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