COWZ vs. RYLD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) and Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD).

COWZ and RYLD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. COWZ is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 2016. RYLD is a passively managed fund by Global X that tracks the performance of the CBOE Russell 2000 BuyWrite Index. It was launched on Apr 17, 2019. Both COWZ and RYLD are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

COWZ vs. RYLD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) and Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

COWZ vs. RYLD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
COWZ Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF	4.30%	8.98%	10.64%	14.73%	0.19%	42.57%	11.65%	6.63%
RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF	0.70%	5.65%	10.13%	0.27%	-13.03%	22.13%	-0.44%	8.92%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, COWZ achieves a 4.30% return, which is significantly higher than RYLD's 0.70% return.

COWZ

• 1D: 1.08%
• 1M: -3.36%
• YTD: 4.30%
• 6M: 10.31%
• 1Y: 16.75%
• 3Y*: 12.26%
• 5Y*: 11.01%
• 10Y*: —

RYLD

• 1D: 2.12%
• 1M: -3.64%
• YTD: 0.70%
• 6M: 5.49%
• 1Y: 11.70%
• 3Y*: 6.08%
• 5Y*: 2.21%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

COWZ vs. RYLD - Expense Ratio Comparison

COWZ has a 0.49% expense ratio, which is lower than RYLD's 0.60% expense ratio.

RYLD

Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF

COWZ

Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF

Return for Risk

COWZ vs. RYLD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

COWZ

COWZ Risk / Return Rank: 60
COWZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
COWZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
COWZ Omega Ratio Rank: 62
COWZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
COWZ Martin Ratio Rank: 65

RYLD

RYLD Risk / Return Rank: 45
RYLD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
RYLD Sortino Ratio Rank: 43
RYLD Omega Ratio Rank: 52
RYLD Calmar Ratio Rank: 39
RYLD Martin Ratio Rank: 50

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

COWZ vs. RYLD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) and Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD). 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	RYLD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.96	0.72	+0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.44	1.13	+0.31
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.19	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.30	0.92	+0.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.06	4.48	+1.59
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

COWZ vs. RYLD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current COWZ Sharpe Ratio is 0.96, which is higher than the RYLD Sharpe Ratio of 0.72. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of COWZ and RYLD, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	COWZ	RYLD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.96	0.72	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.62	0.16	+0.47
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.63	0.26	+0.38

Correlation

The correlation between COWZ and RYLD is 0.76, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

COWZ vs. RYLD - Dividend Comparison

COWZ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.06%, less than RYLD's 12.14% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
COWZ Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF	2.06%	2.19%	1.82%	1.92%	1.96%	1.48%	2.54%	1.96%	1.67%	1.95%	0.13%
RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF	12.14%	12.00%	12.03%	12.64%	13.49%	12.35%	10.76%	6.43%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

COWZ vs. RYLD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum COWZ drawdown since its inception was -38.63%, smaller than the maximum RYLD drawdown of -41.53%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for COWZ and RYLD.

Drawdown Indicators

	COWZ	RYLD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.63%	-41.53%	+2.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.55%	-12.33%	-1.22%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.00%	-21.33%	-0.67%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-3.36%	-4.31%	+0.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.85%	-9.04%	+4.19%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.91%	2.53%	+0.38%

Volatility

COWZ vs. RYLD - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) is 3.00%, while Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD) has a volatility of 5.25%. This indicates that COWZ experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than RYLD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	COWZ	RYLD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.00%	5.25%	-2.25%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.36%	9.08%	-0.72%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.50%	16.39%	+1.11%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.73%	14.20%	+3.53%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.08%	17.38%	+2.70%