ESMV vs. PSMD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (ESMV) and Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD).

ESMV and PSMD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. ESMV is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI USA Minimum Volatility Extended ESG Reduced Carbon Target Index - Benchmark TR Gross. It was launched on Nov 2, 2021. PSMD is an actively managed fund by Pacer. It was launched on Dec 22, 2020.

Performance

ESMV vs. PSMD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (ESMV) and Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ESMV vs. PSMD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ESMV iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF	-1.84%	5.34%	13.06%	12.20%	-11.08%	3.20%
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	-1.77%	11.45%	12.78%	17.46%	-4.47%	1.53%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with ESMV having a -1.84% return and PSMD slightly higher at -1.77%.

ESMV

• 1D: 1.49%
• 1M: -5.31%
• YTD: -1.84%
• 6M: -2.50%
• 1Y: 0.08%
• 3Y*: 8.74%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

PSMD

• 1D: 1.56%
• 1M: -2.40%
• YTD: -1.77%
• 6M: 0.79%
• 1Y: 11.20%
• 3Y*: 11.24%
• 5Y*: 8.15%
• 10Y*: —

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

ESMV vs. PSMD - Expense Ratio Comparison

ESMV has a 0.18% expense ratio, which is lower than PSMD's 0.75% expense ratio.

PSMD

Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF

ESMV

iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF

Return for Risk

ESMV vs. PSMD — Risk / Return Rank

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

ESMV

ESMV Risk / Return Rank: 12
ESMV Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
ESMV Sortino Ratio Rank: 11
ESMV Omega Ratio Rank: 11
ESMV Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
ESMV Martin Ratio Rank: 14

PSMD

PSMD Risk / Return Rank: 68
PSMD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
PSMD Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
PSMD Omega Ratio Rank: 76
PSMD Calmar Ratio Rank: 59
PSMD Martin Ratio Rank: 79

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.

ESMV vs. PSMD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (ESMV) and Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD). 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.

	ESMV	PSMD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.01	1.12	-1.11
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.10	1.71	-1.60
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.01	1.29	-0.28
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.10	1.53	-1.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.36	8.66	-8.30
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESMV vs. PSMD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESMV Sharpe Ratio is 0.01, which is lower than the PSMD Sharpe Ratio of 1.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESMV and PSMD, 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

	ESMV	PSMD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.01	1.12	-1.11
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.95	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.32	1.03	-0.70

Correlation

The correlation between ESMV and PSMD is 0.72, 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

ESMV vs. PSMD - Dividend Comparison

ESMV's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.70%, while PSMD has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
ESMV iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF	1.70%	1.56%	1.71%	1.75%	1.66%	0.24%
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.47%

Drawdowns

ESMV vs. PSMD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESMV drawdown since its inception was -19.77%, which is greater than PSMD's maximum drawdown of -11.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESMV and PSMD.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESMV	PSMD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.77%	-11.96%	-7.81%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.46%	-7.51%	-1.95%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-11.96%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.31%	-2.89%	-2.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.46%	-1.71%	-3.75%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.54%	1.32%	+1.22%

Volatility

ESMV vs. PSMD - Volatility Comparison

iShares ESG MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF (ESMV) has a higher volatility of 3.38% compared to Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) at 3.10%. This indicates that ESMV's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PSMD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESMV	PSMD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.38%	3.10%	+0.28%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.13%	4.39%	+3.74%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.76%	10.09%	+3.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.40%	8.60%	+4.80%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.40%	8.56%	+4.84%