PIFI vs. GSG
PIFI (ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF) and GSG (iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust) are both exchange-traded funds - PIFI is a Intermediate Core Bond fund actively managed by ClearShares, while GSG is a Commodities fund tracking the S&P GSCI Total Return Index. PIFI is actively managed, while GSG is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, PIFI returned 1.07%/yr vs 15.39%/yr for GSG. At a correlation of -0.10, they often move in opposite directions. PIFI charges 0.45%/yr vs 0.75%/yr for GSG.
Performance
PIFI vs. GSG - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, PIFI achieves a 0.10% return, which is significantly lower than GSG's 40.46% return.
PIFI
- 1D
- 0.24%
- 1M
- 0.12%
- YTD
- 0.10%
- 6M
- 0.27%
- 1Y
- 3.35%
- 3Y*
- 3.80%
- 5Y*
- 1.07%
- 10Y*
- —
GSG
- 1D
- -1.49%
- 1M
- -5.32%
- YTD
- 40.46%
- 6M
- 38.18%
- 1Y
- 49.68%
- 3Y*
- 18.78%
- 5Y*
- 15.39%
- 10Y*
- 7.42%
PIFI vs. GSG - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PIFI ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF | 0.10% | 6.29% | 2.52% | 4.61% | -7.15% | -1.33% | 0.10% |
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 40.46% | 5.93% | 8.52% | -5.51% | 24.08% | 38.77% | 18.90% |
Correlation
The correlation between PIFI and GSG is -0.34, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | -0.34 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | -0.18 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.11 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 5, 2020 | -0.10 |
Over the past year, the inverse relationship between PIFI and GSG has strengthened: their correlation has moved from -0.10 to -0.34, meaning they now move in opposite directions more often than their long-term average.
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Return for Risk
PIFI vs. GSG — Risk / Return Rank
PIFI
GSG
PIFI vs. GSG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF (PIFI) and iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG). 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.
| PIFI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.87 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.83 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.23 | 1.39 | -0.16 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.75 | 5.28 | -3.53 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 5.03 | 13.78 | -8.75 |
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
| PIFI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.30 | 2.17 | -0.87 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.29 | 0.68 | -0.39 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.34 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.23 | -0.09 | +0.32 |
Drawdowns
PIFI vs. GSG - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum PIFI drawdown since its inception was -10.59%, smaller than the maximum GSG drawdown of -89.62%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PIFI and GSG.
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Drawdown Indicators
| PIFI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -10.59% | -89.62% | +79.03% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.93% | -9.46% | +7.53% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -2.75% | -14.94% | +12.19% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -10.41% | -29.12% | +18.71% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -57.64% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -1.21% | -57.59% | +56.38% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.23% | -63.71% | +60.48% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.67% | 3.62% | -2.95% |
Volatility
PIFI vs. GSG - Volatility Comparison
The current volatility for ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF (PIFI) is 0.84%, while iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust (GSG) has a volatility of 7.72%. This indicates that PIFI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than GSG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| PIFI | GSG | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.84% | 7.72% | -6.88% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.84% | 20.48% | -18.64% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 2.62% | 23.01% | -20.39% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 3.66% | 22.61% | -18.95% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 3.48% | 22.03% | -18.55% |
PIFI vs. GSG - Expense Ratio Comparison
PIFI has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is lower than GSG's 0.75% expense ratio.
Dividends
PIFI vs. GSG - Dividend Comparison
PIFI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.75%, while GSG has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GSG iShares S&P GSCI Commodity-Indexed Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
PIFI ClearShares Piton Intermediate Fixed Income ETF | 3.75% | 3.16% | 2.92% | 2.29% | 1.22% | 0.25% |
Frequently Asked Questions
PIFI and GSG have a correlation of -0.34, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GSG has higher volatility (7.72%) compared to PIFI (0.84%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PIFI dropped -10.59% vs GSG's -89.62%.
On 5-year performance, GSG leads with 15.39% vs 1.07% for PIFI. On fees, PIFI is cheaper at 0.45% per year. On volatility, PIFI has been the lower-risk option at 0.84%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, GSG has performed better with a 15.39% return vs 1.07%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
PIFI is cheaper with a 0.45% expense ratio, compared with 0.75% for GSG.
PIFI has the higher dividend yield at 3.75%, compared with 0.00% for GSG.
PIFI is categorized as Intermediate Core Bond, while GSG is Commodities. They also come from different issuers: ClearShares and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.45% for PIFI and 0.75% for GSG.
GSG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.17 vs 1.30), 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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