GCOW vs. PTLC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) and Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF (PTLC).

GCOW and PTLC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. GCOW is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividends Index. It was launched on Feb 23, 2016. PTLC is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer Trendpilot U.S. Large Cap Index. It was launched on Jun 11, 2015. Both GCOW and PTLC 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

GCOW vs. PTLC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) and Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF (PTLC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

GCOW vs. PTLC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
GCOW Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF	13.21%	27.34%	3.52%	13.95%	5.49%	14.58%	-4.33%	17.81%	-7.99%	20.71%
PTLC Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF	-5.61%	5.10%	24.31%	16.78%	-8.62%	27.90%	-1.15%	17.58%	1.49%	21.41%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, GCOW achieves a 13.21% return, which is significantly higher than PTLC's -5.61% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with GCOW having a 10.20% annualized return and PTLC not far ahead at 10.22%.

GCOW

• 1D: 0.85%
• 1M: -1.84%
• YTD: 13.21%
• 6M: 20.65%
• 1Y: 31.30%
• 3Y*: 16.89%
• 5Y*: 13.65%
• 10Y*: 10.20%

PTLC

• 1D: 1.45%
• 1M: -6.19%
• YTD: -5.61%
• 6M: -3.19%
• 1Y: 3.04%
• 3Y*: 12.35%
• 5Y*: 9.42%
• 10Y*: 10.22%

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

GCOW vs. PTLC - Expense Ratio Comparison

Both GCOW and PTLC have an expense ratio of 0.60%.

GCOW

Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF

PTLC

Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF

Return for Risk

GCOW vs. PTLC — Risk / Return Rank

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

GCOW

GCOW Risk / Return Rank: 93
GCOW Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
GCOW Sortino Ratio Rank: 95
GCOW Omega Ratio Rank: 94
GCOW Calmar Ratio Rank: 89
GCOW Martin Ratio Rank: 94

PTLC

PTLC Risk / Return Rank: 19
PTLC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 20
PTLC Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
PTLC Omega Ratio Rank: 18
PTLC Calmar Ratio Rank: 21
PTLC Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

GCOW vs. PTLC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) and Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF (PTLC). 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.

	GCOW	PTLC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.27	0.26	+2.00
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.01	0.42	+2.59
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.44	1.06	+0.38
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.77	0.39	+2.39
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.12	1.04	+13.08
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

GCOW vs. PTLC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current GCOW Sharpe Ratio is 2.27, which is higher than the PTLC Sharpe Ratio of 0.26. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of GCOW and PTLC, 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

	GCOW	PTLC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.27	0.26	+2.00
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.02	0.80	+0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.63	0.78	-0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.60	0.63	-0.03

Correlation

The correlation between GCOW and PTLC is 0.55, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

GCOW vs. PTLC - Dividend Comparison

GCOW's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.39%, more than PTLC's 1.13% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
GCOW Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF	4.39%	4.06%	5.14%	5.28%	4.39%	4.23%	4.12%	4.40%	3.94%	2.79%	1.95%	0.00%
PTLC Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF	1.13%	1.06%	0.67%	1.18%	1.26%	0.73%	1.08%	1.10%	1.00%	0.97%	1.08%	0.42%

Drawdowns

GCOW vs. PTLC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum GCOW drawdown since its inception was -37.64%, which is greater than PTLC's maximum drawdown of -26.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GCOW and PTLC.

Drawdown Indicators

	GCOW	PTLC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-37.64%	-26.63%	-11.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.05%	-8.77%	-2.28%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.48%	-15.17%	-6.31%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.64%	-26.63%	-11.01%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.84%	-7.45%	+5.61%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.90%	-5.70%	-0.20%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.17%	3.28%	-1.11%

Volatility

GCOW vs. PTLC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) is 4.03%, while Pacer Trendpilot US Large Cap ETF (PTLC) has a volatility of 4.59%. This indicates that GCOW experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than PTLC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	GCOW	PTLC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.03%	4.59%	-0.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.90%	9.15%	-1.25%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.89%	11.60%	+2.29%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.48%	11.80%	+1.68%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.25%	13.17%	+3.08%