PAEKX vs. VTINX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

PAEKX (Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund) and VTINX (Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund) are both mutual funds - PAEKX is a Target Retirement Date fund managed by Putnam, while VTINX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 5 years, PAEKX returned 11.51%/yr vs 4.28%/yr for VTINX. Their correlation of 0.85 suggests significant overlap in exposure. PAEKX charges 0.45%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for VTINX.

Performance

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund (PAEKX) and Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PAEKX achieves a 10.74% return, which is significantly higher than VTINX's 4.69% return.

PAEKX

• 1D: 0.45%
• 1M: 4.73%
• YTD: 10.74%
• 6M: 11.67%
• 1Y: 25.86%
• 3Y*: 20.93%
• 5Y*: 11.51%
• 10Y*: —

VTINX

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: 2.12%
• YTD: 4.69%
• 6M: 4.90%
• 1Y: 12.16%
• 3Y*: 9.49%
• 5Y*: 4.28%
• 10Y*: 5.33%

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

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
PAEKX Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund	10.74%	18.99%	13.81%	29.68%	-17.07%	18.57%	15.16%
VTINX Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund	4.69%	11.31%	6.66%	10.66%	-12.75%	5.24%	9.55%

Correlation

The correlation between PAEKX and VTINX is 0.90, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.90
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.84
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.83
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 2020	0.85

The correlation between PAEKX and VTINX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.83 to 0.90 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

PAEKX vs. VTINX — Risk / Return Rank

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

PAEKX

PAEKX Risk / Return Rank: 76
PAEKX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
PAEKX Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
PAEKX Omega Ratio Rank: 70
PAEKX Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
PAEKX Martin Ratio Rank: 84

VTINX

VTINX Risk / Return Rank: 72
VTINX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 76
VTINX Sortino Ratio Rank: 78
VTINX Omega Ratio Rank: 77
VTINX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
VTINX Martin Ratio Rank: 68

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.

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund (PAEKX) and Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX). 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.

	PAEKX	VTINX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.55	2.52	+0.03
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.56	3.70	-0.15
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.47	1.50	-0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.44	2.97	+0.48
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	15.74	13.09	+2.65
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PAEKX Sharpe Ratio is 2.55, which is comparable to the VTINX Sharpe Ratio of 2.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PAEKX and VTINX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PAEKX	VTINX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.55	2.52	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.81	0.71	+0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.93	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.77	0.93	-0.16

Drawdowns

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PAEKX drawdown since its inception was -30.72%, which is greater than VTINX's maximum drawdown of -19.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PAEKX and VTINX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PAEKX	VTINX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-30.72%	-19.96%	-10.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.64%	-4.14%	-3.50%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-14.90%	-5.26%	-9.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.45%	-17.02%	-6.43%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-17.02%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.33%	-2.20%	-3.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.67%	0.94%	+0.73%

Volatility

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Volatility Comparison

Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund (PAEKX) has a higher volatility of 2.85% compared to Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX) at 1.77%. This indicates that PAEKX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTINX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PAEKX	VTINX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.85%	1.77%	+1.08%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.05%	4.02%	+4.03%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.33%	4.88%	+5.45%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.36%	6.07%	+8.29%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.98%	5.73%	+11.25%

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PAEKX has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than VTINX's 0.08% expense ratio.

Dividends

PAEKX vs. VTINX - Dividend Comparison

PAEKX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.11%, more than VTINX's 4.80% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PAEKX Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund	9.11%	10.09%	5.96%	5.08%	11.27%	17.66%	2.17%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VTINX Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund	4.80%	5.02%	5.89%	4.01%	3.08%	8.63%	3.42%	2.62%	4.19%	1.56%	2.27%	3.53%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PAEKX and VTINX in my portfolio?

PAEKX and VTINX have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PAEKX or VTINX?

PAEKX has higher volatility (2.85%) compared to VTINX (1.77%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PAEKX dropped -30.72% vs VTINX's -19.96%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PAEKX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.55 vs 2.52), 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.