PAGDX vs. VSTSX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A (PAGDX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares (VSTSX).

PAGDX is an actively managed fund by Permanent Portfolio. It was launched on Jan 2, 1990. VSTSX is managed by Vanguard. It was launched on Jun 27, 2016.

Performance

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A (PAGDX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares (VSTSX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PAGDX Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A	-3.91%	36.58%	44.15%	38.39%	-26.25%	24.53%	37.32%	40.01%	-12.62%	19.29%
VSTSX Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares	-3.97%	17.16%	23.27%	26.54%	-19.49%	25.75%	21.02%	30.81%	-5.15%	20.21%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with PAGDX having a -3.91% return and VSTSX slightly lower at -3.97%.

PAGDX

• 1D: -1.69%
• 1M: -8.35%
• YTD: -3.91%
• 6M: 0.74%
• 1Y: 39.07%
• 3Y*: 33.68%
• 5Y*: 16.80%
• 10Y*: —

VSTSX

• 1D: 2.97%
• 1M: -5.09%
• YTD: -3.97%
• 6M: -1.95%
• 1Y: 17.75%
• 3Y*: 17.87%
• 5Y*: 10.51%
• 10Y*: —

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

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PAGDX has a 1.46% expense ratio, which is higher than VSTSX's 0.01% expense ratio.

PAGDX

Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A

VSTSX

Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares

Return for Risk

PAGDX vs. VSTSX — Risk / Return Rank

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

PAGDX

PAGDX Risk / Return Rank: 86
PAGDX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
PAGDX Sortino Ratio Rank: 84
PAGDX Omega Ratio Rank: 82
PAGDX Calmar Ratio Rank: 91
PAGDX Martin Ratio Rank: 95

VSTSX

VSTSX Risk / Return Rank: 59
VSTSX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
VSTSX Sortino Ratio Rank: 53
VSTSX Omega Ratio Rank: 55
VSTSX Calmar Ratio Rank: 63
VSTSX Martin Ratio Rank: 75

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.

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A (PAGDX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares (VSTSX). 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.

	PAGDX	VSTSX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.53	0.98	+0.55
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.23	1.50	+0.73
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.33	1.23	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.57	1.51	+1.06
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	13.11	7.25	+5.86
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PAGDX Sharpe Ratio is 1.53, which is higher than the VSTSX Sharpe Ratio of 0.98. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PAGDX and VSTSX, 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

	PAGDX	VSTSX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.53	0.98	+0.55
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.69	0.61	+0.08
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.74	0.72	+0.03

Correlation

The correlation between PAGDX and VSTSX is 0.90, 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

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Dividend Comparison

PAGDX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.03%, less than VSTSX's 1.19% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PAGDX Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A	0.03%	0.03%	5.48%	2.59%	7.53%	6.80%	14.94%	16.97%	12.25%	8.50%
VSTSX Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares	1.19%	1.13%	1.27%	1.43%	1.67%	1.23%	1.44%	1.79%	2.07%	1.74%

Drawdowns

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PAGDX drawdown since its inception was -38.03%, which is greater than VSTSX's maximum drawdown of -34.97%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PAGDX and VSTSX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PAGDX	VSTSX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.03%	-34.97%	-3.06%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.80%	-12.41%	-1.39%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.66%	-25.35%	-11.31%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.16%	-6.21%	-2.95%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.46%	-4.97%	-2.49%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.71%	2.59%	+0.12%

Volatility

PAGDX vs. VSTSX - Volatility Comparison

Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth Fund Class A (PAGDX) and Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Institutional Select Shares (VSTSX) have volatilities of 5.49% and 5.49%, respectively, indicating that both stocks experience similar levels of price fluctuations. This suggests that the risk associated with both stocks, as measured by volatility, is nearly the same. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PAGDX	VSTSX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.49%	5.49%	0.00%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	13.43%	9.79%	+3.64%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	25.50%	18.61%	+6.89%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	24.48%	17.37%	+7.11%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.08%	18.86%	+6.22%