PALL vs. FAAR
PALL (Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF) and FAAR (First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - PALL is a Precious Metals fund tracking the Palladium London PM Fix ($/ozt), while FAAR is a Commodities fund actively managed by First Trust. PALL is passively managed, while FAAR is actively managed. Over the past 10 years, PALL returned 8.36%/yr vs 5.17%/yr for FAAR. At a 0.16 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. PALL charges 0.60%/yr vs 0.95%/yr for FAAR.
Performance
PALL vs. FAAR - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PALL achieves a -18.39% return, which is significantly lower than FAAR's 25.73% return. Over the past 10 years, PALL has outperformed FAAR with an annualized return of 8.36%, while FAAR has yielded a comparatively lower 5.17% annualized return.
PALL
- 1D
- -4.89%
- 1M
- -11.74%
- YTD
- -18.39%
- 6M
- -11.90%
- 1Y
- 28.17%
- 3Y*
- -3.26%
- 5Y*
- -14.89%
- 10Y*
- 8.36%
FAAR
- 1D
- 0.01%
- 1M
- -0.79%
- YTD
- 25.73%
- 6M
- 23.17%
- 1Y
- 40.73%
- 3Y*
- 11.79%
- 5Y*
- 8.07%
- 10Y*
- 5.17%
PALL vs. FAAR - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PALL Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF | -18.39% | 74.07% | -17.38% | -38.77% | -6.28% | -23.26% | 25.27% | 53.94% | 17.23% | 55.73% |
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 25.73% | 8.07% | 5.97% | -5.63% | 10.15% | 12.34% | 8.60% | -1.28% | -9.17% | 5.00% |
Correlation
The correlation between PALL and FAAR is 0.11, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.11 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.13 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.17 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.16 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 24, 2016 | 0.16 |
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Return for Risk
PALL vs. FAAR — Risk / Return Rank
PALL
FAAR
PALL vs. FAAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF (PALL) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). 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.
| PALL | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -2.47 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -3.19 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.14 | 1.52 | -0.38 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.78 | 8.44 | -7.66 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 1.74 | 23.64 | -21.90 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| PALL | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.56 | 3.04 | -2.47 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.35 | 0.62 | -0.98 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.22 | 0.45 | -0.23 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.18 | 0.45 | -0.27 |
Drawdowns
PALL vs. FAAR - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PALL drawdown since its inception was -73.63%, which is greater than FAAR's maximum drawdown of -18.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PALL and FAAR.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PALL | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -73.63% | -18.03% | -55.60% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -36.18% | -4.85% | -31.33% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -40.47% | -11.54% | -28.93% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -73.63% | -18.03% | -55.60% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -73.63% | -18.03% | -55.60% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -59.78% | -1.11% | -58.67% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -26.81% | -7.85% | -18.96% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 16.25% | 1.73% | +14.52% |
Volatility
PALL vs. FAAR - Volatility Comparison
Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF (PALL) has a higher volatility of 10.54% compared to First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) at 2.44%. This indicates that PALL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FAAR based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PALL | FAAR | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 10.54% | 2.44% | +8.10% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 41.87% | 9.72% | +32.15% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 50.24% | 13.48% | +36.76% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 42.46% | 13.02% | +29.44% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 37.91% | 11.51% | +26.40% |
PALL vs. FAAR - Expense Ratio Comparison
PALL has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is lower than FAAR's 0.95% expense ratio.
Dividends
PALL vs. FAAR - Dividend Comparison
PALL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while FAAR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.15%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF | 9.15% | 11.63% | 3.45% | 3.20% | 5.82% | 6.49% | 3.05% | 1.02% | 0.58% | 2.83% |
PALL Aberdeen Standard Physical Palladium Shares ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PALL and FAAR have a correlation of 0.11, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
PALL has higher volatility (10.54%) compared to FAAR (2.44%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PALL dropped -73.63% vs FAAR's -18.03%.
On 10-year performance, PALL leads with 8.36% vs 5.17% for FAAR. On fees, PALL is cheaper at 0.60% per year. On volatility, FAAR has been the lower-risk option at 2.44%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 10-year period, PALL has performed better with a 8.36% return vs 5.17%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
PALL is cheaper with a 0.60% expense ratio, compared with 0.95% for FAAR.
FAAR has the higher dividend yield at 9.15%, compared with 0.00% for PALL.
PALL is categorized as Precious Metals, while FAAR is Commodities. They also come from different issuers: Aberdeen and First Trust. Their fees differ too: 0.60% for PALL and 0.95% for FAAR.
FAAR currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.04 vs 0.56), 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.
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