FTCIX vs. PULS

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund (FTCIX) and PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF (PULS).

FTCIX is managed by Franklin Templeton. It was launched on Dec 30, 1996. PULS is an actively managed fund by PGIM. It was launched on Apr 5, 2018.

Performance

FTCIX vs. PULS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund (FTCIX) and PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF (PULS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTCIX vs. PULS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
FTCIX Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund	-2.51%	12.17%	8.05%	11.38%	-15.20%	8.18%	22.41%	13.24%	-3.86%
PULS PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF	0.89%	4.97%	6.12%	6.26%	1.52%	0.48%	1.47%	2.97%	1.71%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTCIX achieves a -2.51% return, which is significantly lower than PULS's 0.89% return.

FTCIX

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: -4.90%
• YTD: -2.51%
• 6M: -0.70%
• 1Y: 8.66%
• 3Y*: 8.07%
• 5Y*: 3.72%
• 10Y*: 6.34%

PULS

• 1D: 0.04%
• 1M: 0.09%
• YTD: 0.89%
• 6M: 2.04%
• 1Y: 4.71%
• 3Y*: 5.67%
• 5Y*: 3.98%
• 10Y*: —

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

FTCIX vs. PULS - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTCIX has a 0.63% expense ratio, which is higher than PULS's 0.15% expense ratio.

FTCIX

Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund

PULS

PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF

Return for Risk

FTCIX vs. PULS — Risk / Return Rank

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

FTCIX

FTCIX Risk / Return Rank: 63
FTCIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
FTCIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
FTCIX Omega Ratio Rank: 61
FTCIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
FTCIX Martin Ratio Rank: 67

PULS

PULS Risk / Return Rank: 99
PULS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
PULS Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
PULS Omega Ratio Rank: 99
PULS Calmar Ratio Rank: 99
PULS Martin Ratio Rank: 99

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.

FTCIX vs. PULS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund (FTCIX) and PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF (PULS). 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.

	FTCIX	PULS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.13	9.19	-8.07
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.65	18.25	-16.61
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	5.27	-4.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.42	13.80	-12.38
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.37	95.35	-88.98
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTCIX vs. PULS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTCIX Sharpe Ratio is 1.13, which is lower than the PULS Sharpe Ratio of 9.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTCIX and PULS, 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

	FTCIX	PULS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.13	9.19	-8.07
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.41	5.72	-5.31
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.70	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.72	2.46	-1.74

Correlation

The correlation between FTCIX and PULS is 0.18, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Dividends

FTCIX vs. PULS - Dividend Comparison

FTCIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.47%, more than PULS's 5.09% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTCIX Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund	5.47%	5.99%	2.52%	2.40%	3.73%	8.58%	13.27%	7.14%	7.71%	1.51%	1.76%	4.93%
PULS PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF	5.09%	4.78%	5.62%	5.48%	2.30%	1.19%	1.85%	2.69%	1.87%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FTCIX vs. PULS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTCIX drawdown since its inception was -25.18%, which is greater than PULS's maximum drawdown of -5.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTCIX and PULS.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTCIX	PULS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-25.18%	-5.85%	-19.33%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.86%	-0.34%	-5.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-25.18%	-0.79%	-24.39%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-25.18%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.09%	0.00%	-5.09%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.33%	-0.09%	-4.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.31%	0.05%	+1.26%

Volatility

FTCIX vs. PULS - Volatility Comparison

Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund (FTCIX) has a higher volatility of 2.71% compared to PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF (PULS) at 0.15%. This indicates that FTCIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PULS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTCIX	PULS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.71%	0.15%	+2.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.55%	0.28%	+4.27%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	7.92%	0.51%	+7.41%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	9.11%	0.70%	+8.41%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	9.03%	1.34%	+7.69%