PAIPX vs. NUSFX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund (PAIPX) and Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund (NUSFX).

PAIPX is managed by PIMCO. It was launched on May 31, 2012. NUSFX is managed by Northern Funds. It was launched on Jun 18, 2009.

Performance

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund (PAIPX) and Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund (NUSFX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PAIPX PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund	0.67%	4.83%	5.93%	4.55%	-0.00%	-0.19%	1.12%	2.56%	1.90%	1.82%
NUSFX Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund	0.75%	4.27%	5.22%	5.21%	-1.59%	-0.17%	2.34%	3.68%	1.51%	1.53%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PAIPX achieves a 0.67% return, which is significantly lower than NUSFX's 0.75% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with PAIPX having a 2.44% annualized return and NUSFX not far behind at 2.35%.

PAIPX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: 0.67%
• 6M: 1.91%
• 1Y: 4.37%
• 3Y*: 4.98%
• 5Y*: 3.14%
• 10Y*: 2.44%

NUSFX

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: -0.06%
• YTD: 0.75%
• 6M: 1.81%
• 1Y: 4.46%
• 3Y*: 4.67%
• 5Y*: 2.70%
• 10Y*: 2.35%

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

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PAIPX has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than NUSFX's 0.28% expense ratio.

PAIPX

PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund

NUSFX

Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund

Return for Risk

PAIPX vs. NUSFX — Risk / Return Rank

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

PAIPX

PAIPX Risk / Return Rank: 100
PAIPX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 99
PAIPX Sortino Ratio Rank: 100
PAIPX Omega Ratio Rank: 100
PAIPX Calmar Ratio Rank: 100
PAIPX Martin Ratio Rank: 100

NUSFX

NUSFX Risk / Return Rank: 99
NUSFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
NUSFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 99
NUSFX Omega Ratio Rank: 99
NUSFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 98
NUSFX 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.

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund (PAIPX) and Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund (NUSFX). 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.

	PAIPX	NUSFX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	3.70	2.92	+0.78
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	18.97	6.61	+12.36
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	8.71	2.81	+5.91
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	23.60	5.12	+18.48
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	95.25	37.67	+57.58
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PAIPX Sharpe Ratio is 3.70, which is comparable to the NUSFX Sharpe Ratio of 2.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PAIPX and NUSFX, 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

	PAIPX	NUSFX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.70	2.92	+0.78
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.91	2.09	-0.19
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.83	1.95	-0.13
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.70	1.78	-0.08

Correlation

The correlation between PAIPX and NUSFX is 0.09, 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

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Dividend Comparison

PAIPX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.76%, less than NUSFX's 4.56% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PAIPX PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund	3.76%	4.29%	5.04%	4.04%	1.21%	0.31%	1.00%	2.53%	2.28%	1.81%	1.21%	0.78%
NUSFX Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund	4.56%	3.78%	4.09%	2.86%	0.97%	0.71%	1.52%	2.42%	2.09%	1.42%	1.07%	0.85%

Drawdowns

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PAIPX drawdown since its inception was -3.49%, smaller than the maximum NUSFX drawdown of -3.88%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PAIPX and NUSFX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PAIPX	NUSFX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.49%	-3.88%	+0.39%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-0.20%	-0.87%	+0.67%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-1.64%	-3.35%	+1.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-3.49%	-3.88%	+0.39%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-0.10%	+0.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.15%	-0.24%	+0.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.05%	0.12%	-0.07%

Volatility

PAIPX vs. NUSFX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for PIMCO Short Asset Investment Fund (PAIPX) is 0.00%, while Northern Ultra-Short Fixed Income Fund (NUSFX) has a volatility of 0.38%. This indicates that PAIPX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NUSFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PAIPX	NUSFX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	0.00%	0.38%	-0.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	0.85%	0.97%	-0.12%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.30%	1.54%	-0.24%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	1.65%	1.30%	+0.35%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	1.34%	1.21%	+0.13%