PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

PFAE.TO (Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund) and VCN.TO (Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - PFAE.TO is a fund fund, while VCN.TO is a Canada Equities fund tracking the FTSE Canada All Cap Domestic Index. Over the past 5 years, PFAE.TO returned 15.68%/yr vs 15.12%/yr for VCN.TO. At a 0.50 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a CA$10,000 investment in Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund (PFAE.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF (VCN.TO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with PFAE.TO having a 11.53% return and VCN.TO slightly higher at 11.80%.

PFAE.TO

• 1D: 0.80%
• 1M: 6.05%
• YTD: 11.53%
• 6M: 12.55%
• 1Y: 32.15%
• 3Y*: 23.91%
• 5Y*: 15.68%
• 10Y*: —

VCN.TO

• 1D: 1.20%
• 1M: 5.07%
• YTD: 11.80%
• 6M: 12.19%
• 1Y: 35.18%
• 3Y*: 24.11%
• 5Y*: 15.12%
• 10Y*: 12.51%

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

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
PFAE.TO Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund	11.53%	25.47%	28.53%	12.08%	-6.88%	24.90%	21.52%	6.33%
VCN.TO Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF	11.80%	30.20%	22.14%	12.26%	-5.78%	25.63%	4.81%	4.81%

Correlation

The correlation between PFAE.TO and VCN.TO is 0.77, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.77
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.53
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.56
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 26, 2019	0.50

Over the past year, PFAE.TO and VCN.TO have become more correlated (0.77) than their long-term average of 0.50, meaning their price movements have been converging.

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Sectors Allocation Comparison

Sectors	PFAE.TO	VCN.TO
Financial Services	26.2%	33.7%
Technology	15.4%	7.5%
Basic Materials	13.1%	17.6%
Industrials	11.8%	10.5%
Energy	9.1%	18.5%
Consumer Cyclical	7.3%	3.7%
Healthcare	4.7%	0.1%
Communication Services	3.8%	1.4%
Utilities	3.4%	2.7%
Real Estate	2.7%	1.5%
Consumer Defensive	2.6%	2.8%

Return for Risk

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO — Risk / Return Rank

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

PFAE.TO

PFAE.TO Risk / Return Rank: 70
PFAE.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
PFAE.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
PFAE.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 68
PFAE.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
PFAE.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 79

VCN.TO

VCN.TO Risk / Return Rank: 83
VCN.TO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
VCN.TO Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
VCN.TO Omega Ratio Rank: 84
VCN.TO Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
VCN.TO Martin Ratio Rank: 86

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.

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund (PFAE.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF (VCN.TO). 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.

	PFAE.TO	VCN.TO	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.23	2.80	-0.58
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.09	3.62	-0.54
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	1.51	-0.11
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.25	3.88	-0.63
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	15.13	18.13	-2.99
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PFAE.TO Sharpe Ratio is 2.23, which is comparable to the VCN.TO Sharpe Ratio of 2.80. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PFAE.TO and VCN.TO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PFAE.TO	VCN.TO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.23	2.80	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.14	1.17	-0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.84	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.25	0.78	+0.47

Drawdowns

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PFAE.TO drawdown since its inception was -31.50%, smaller than the maximum VCN.TO drawdown of -37.32%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PFAE.TO and VCN.TO.

Drawdown Indicators

	PFAE.TO	VCN.TO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-31.50%	-37.32%	+5.82%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.08%	-9.11%	-0.97%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-14.92%	-12.24%	-2.68%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-17.77%	-16.12%	-1.65%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-37.32%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.42%	-3.90%	+0.48%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.15%	1.95%	+0.20%

Volatility

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Volatility Comparison

Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund (PFAE.TO) and Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF (VCN.TO) have volatilities of 3.40% and 3.54%, 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

	PFAE.TO	VCN.TO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.40%	3.54%	-0.14%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.93%	10.32%	+0.61%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	14.70%	12.62%	+2.08%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.79%	13.04%	+5.75%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	22.52%	14.98%	+7.54%

Dividends

PFAE.TO vs. VCN.TO - Dividend Comparison

PFAE.TO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.31%, less than VCN.TO's 1.98% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PFAE.TO Picton Mahoney Fortified Active Extension Alternative Fund	0.31%	0.34%	0.03%	0.69%	0.76%	0.00%	0.00%	1.30%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VCN.TO Vanguard FTSE Canada All Cap Index ETF	1.98%	2.27%	2.69%	2.99%	3.15%	2.48%	2.70%	2.85%	2.80%	2.29%	2.34%	2.65%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PFAE.TO and VCN.TO in my portfolio?

PFAE.TO and VCN.TO have a correlation of 0.77, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.