PCLAX vs. PCN

Last updated Aug 4, 2026

PCLAX (PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund) and PCN (PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund) are both mutual funds - PCLAX is a Commodities fund managed by PIMCO, while PCN is a Multisector Bonds fund actively managed by PIMCO. Over the past 10 years, PCLAX returned 11.94%/yr vs 6.85%/yr for PCN. Their 0.13 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship. PCLAX charges 1.19%/yr vs 0.85%/yr for PCN.

Performance

PCLAX vs. PCN - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund (PCLAX) and PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PCLAX achieves a 34.18% return, which is significantly higher than PCN's -2.18% return. Over the past 10 years, PCLAX has outperformed PCN with an annualized return of 11.94%, while PCN has yielded a comparatively lower 6.85% annualized return.

PCLAX

• 1D: 0.13%
• 1M: 9.96%
• 6M: 29.76%
• YTD: 34.18%
• 1Y: 38.79%
• 3Y*: 12.17%
• 5Y*: 14.11%
• 10Y*: 11.94%
• ALL TIME*: 5.05%

PCN

• 1D: 0.52%
• 1M: -0.48%
• 6M: -3.57%
• YTD: -2.18%
• 1Y: 3.15%
• 3Y*: 4.89%
• 5Y*: 0.22%
• 10Y*: 6.85%
• ALL TIME*: 9.54%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
PCLAX PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
PCN PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund	$3.16M	$3.77M	$3.67M

PCLAX vs. PCN - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PCLAX PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund	34.18%	4.13%	5.76%	-0.14%	22.73%	43.18%	-9.67%	19.19%	-12.47%	10.30%
PCN PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund	-2.18%	5.55%	19.52%	16.22%	-22.88%	6.93%	-2.19%	39.10%	-5.94%	26.20%

Correlation

The correlation between PCLAX and PCN is -0.20, meaning they have often moved in opposite directions in the past. This relationship can weaken or reverse as market conditions change.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	-0.20
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	-0.04
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.06
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.11
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 1, 2010	0.13

The correlation between PCLAX and PCN shifts across timeframes, from -0.20 (1 year) to 0.13 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

PCLAX vs. PCN — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

PCLAX

PCLAX Risk / Return Rank: 68
PCLAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
PCLAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
PCLAX Omega Ratio Rank: 70
PCLAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
PCLAX Martin Ratio Rank: 57

PCN

PCN Risk / Return Rank: 8
PCN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
PCN Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
PCN Omega Ratio Rank: 9
PCN Calmar Ratio Rank: 7
PCN Martin Ratio Rank: 7

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

PCLAX vs. PCN - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund (PCLAX) and PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN). 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.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	PCLAX	PCN	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.86	0.32	+1.55
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.47	0.52	+1.94
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.07	+0.25
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.39	0.30	+2.09
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	8.07	0.77	+7.30

PCLAX vs. PCN - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PCLAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.86, which is higher than the PCN Sharpe Ratio of 0.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PCLAX and PCN, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

PCLAX vs. PCN - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PCLAX drawdown since its inception was -68.19%, which is greater than PCN's maximum drawdown of -61.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PCLAX and PCN.

Drawdown Indicators

	PCLAX	PCN	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-68.19%	-61.12%	-7.07%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.53%	-10.40%	-5.13%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.53%	-22.53%	+7.00%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.75%	-33.39%	+11.64%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-52.00%	-50.27%	-1.73%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-6.46%	-4.73%	-1.73%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-25.49%	-7.19%	-18.30%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.64%	4.10%	+0.54%

Volatility

PCLAX vs. PCN - Volatility Comparison

PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund (PCLAX) has a higher volatility of 5.98% compared to PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN) at 2.42%. This indicates that PCLAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PCN based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PCLAX	PCN	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.98%	2.42%	+3.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.82%	7.46%	+10.36%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.98%	10.04%	+9.94%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.58%	16.18%	+3.40%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	40.63%	21.92%	+18.71%

PCLAX vs. PCN - Expense Ratio Comparison

PCLAX has a 1.19% expense ratio, which is higher than PCN's 0.85% expense ratio.

Dividends

PCLAX vs. PCN - Dividend Comparison

PCLAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 10.82%, less than PCN's 11.54% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PCLAX PIMCO CommoditiesPLUS Strategy Fund	10.82%	1.20%	5.20%	4.58%	44.24%	75.67%	0.45%	2.07%	18.31%	12.18%	0.09%	1.77%
PCN PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund	11.54%	10.58%	10.06%	10.88%	12.66%	7.89%	7.83%	7.37%	9.60%	7.85%	11.98%	10.22%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PCLAX and PCN in my portfolio?

PCLAX and PCN have a correlation of -0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PCLAX or PCN?

PCLAX has higher volatility (5.98%) compared to PCN (2.42%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PCLAX dropped -68.19% vs PCN's -61.12%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PCLAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.86 vs 0.32), 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.