PCN vs. ^GSPC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC).

PCN is managed by PIMCO. It was launched on Dec 20, 2001.

Performance

PCN vs. ^GSPC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PCN vs. ^GSPC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PCN PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund	-3.25%	5.55%	19.52%	16.22%	-22.88%	6.93%	-2.19%	39.10%	-5.94%	26.20%
^GSPC S&P 500 Index	-3.95%	16.39%	23.31%	24.23%	-19.44%	26.89%	16.26%	28.88%	-6.24%	19.42%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PCN achieves a -3.25% return, which is significantly higher than ^GSPC's -3.95% return. Over the past 10 years, PCN has underperformed ^GSPC with an annualized return of 8.38%, while ^GSPC has yielded a comparatively higher 12.24% annualized return.

PCN

• 1D: 1.01%
• 1M: -4.03%
• YTD: -3.25%
• 6M: -4.99%
• 1Y: -2.00%
• 3Y*: 9.33%
• 5Y*: 2.58%
• 10Y*: 8.38%

^GSPC

• 1D: 0.72%
• 1M: -4.45%
• YTD: -3.95%
• 6M: -2.02%
• 1Y: 16.73%
• 3Y*: 16.96%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: 12.24%

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

Return for Risk

PCN vs. ^GSPC — Risk / Return Rank

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

PCN

PCN Risk / Return Rank: 4
PCN Sharpe Ratio Rank: 3
PCN Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
PCN Omega Ratio Rank: 3
PCN Calmar Ratio Rank: 4
PCN Martin Ratio Rank: 4

^GSPC

^GSPC Risk / Return Rank: 67
^GSPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
^GSPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 64
^GSPC Omega Ratio Rank: 69
^GSPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
^GSPC Martin Ratio Rank: 77

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.

PCN vs. ^GSPC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN) and S&P 500 Index (^GSPC). 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.

	PCN	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.13	0.92	-1.04
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.06	1.41	-1.48
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	1.21	-0.23
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.15	1.41	-1.57
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.48	6.61	-7.10
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PCN vs. ^GSPC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PCN Sharpe Ratio is -0.13, which is lower than the ^GSPC Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PCN and ^GSPC, 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

	PCN	^GSPC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.13	0.92	-1.04
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.16	0.61	-0.46
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.38	0.68	-0.30
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.46	-0.07

Correlation

The correlation between PCN and ^GSPC is 0.28, 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.

Drawdowns

PCN vs. ^GSPC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PCN drawdown since its inception was -61.12%, which is greater than ^GSPC's maximum drawdown of -56.78%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PCN and ^GSPC.

Drawdown Indicators

	PCN	^GSPC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-61.12%	-56.78%	-4.34%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.78%	-12.14%	-1.64%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-33.39%	-25.43%	-7.96%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-50.27%	-33.92%	-16.35%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.77%	-5.78%	+0.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.22%	-10.75%	+3.53%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.30%	2.60%	+1.70%

Volatility

PCN vs. ^GSPC - Volatility Comparison

PIMCO Corporate & Income Strategy Fund (PCN) has a higher volatility of 5.89% compared to S&P 500 Index (^GSPC) at 5.37%. This indicates that PCN's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than ^GSPC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PCN	^GSPC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.89%	5.37%	+0.52%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.70%	9.55%	-0.85%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.72%	18.33%	-2.61%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.56%	16.90%	-0.34%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.97%	18.05%	+3.92%