PIT vs. FAAR

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF (PIT) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR).

PIT and FAAR are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PIT is an actively managed fund by VanEck. It was launched on Dec 20, 2022. FAAR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on May 18, 2016.

Performance

PIT vs. FAAR - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF (PIT) and First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PIT vs. FAAR - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
PIT VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF	37.04%	21.63%	6.77%	-4.54%	2.74%
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF	24.94%	8.07%	5.97%	-5.63%	1.32%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PIT achieves a 37.04% return, which is significantly higher than FAAR's 24.94% return.

PIT

• 1D: -0.55%
• 1M: 18.54%
• YTD: 37.04%
• 6M: 43.92%
• 1Y: 54.67%
• 3Y*: 21.59%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

FAAR

• 1D: -0.05%
• 1M: 12.00%
• YTD: 24.94%
• 6M: 21.95%
• 1Y: 30.08%
• 3Y*: 10.56%
• 5Y*: 9.41%
• 10Y*: —

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

PIT vs. FAAR - Expense Ratio Comparison

PIT has a 0.55% expense ratio, which is lower than FAAR's 0.95% expense ratio.

FAAR

First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF

PIT

VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF

Return for Risk

PIT vs. FAAR — Risk / Return Rank

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

PIT

PIT Risk / Return Rank: 96
PIT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 96
PIT Sortino Ratio Rank: 96
PIT Omega Ratio Rank: 95
PIT Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
PIT Martin Ratio Rank: 96

FAAR

FAAR Risk / Return Rank: 86
FAAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
FAAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
FAAR Omega Ratio Rank: 86
FAAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
FAAR Martin Ratio Rank: 76

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.

PIT vs. FAAR - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF (PIT) 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.

	PIT	FAAR	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.59	1.97	+0.61
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.18	2.65	+0.52
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.46	1.35	+0.12
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.85	2.71	+2.15
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	17.48	7.95	+9.53
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PIT vs. FAAR - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PIT Sharpe Ratio is 2.59, which is higher than the FAAR Sharpe Ratio of 1.97. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PIT and FAAR, 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

	PIT	FAAR	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.59	1.97	+0.61
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.73	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.10	0.45	+0.65

Correlation

The correlation between PIT and FAAR is 0.56, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

PIT vs. FAAR - Dividend Comparison

PIT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.51%, less than FAAR's 9.21% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PIT VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF	6.51%	8.92%	3.59%	6.44%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
FAAR First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF	9.21%	11.63%	3.45%	3.20%	5.82%	6.49%	3.05%	1.02%	0.58%	2.83%

Drawdowns

PIT vs. FAAR - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PIT drawdown since its inception was -12.27%, smaller than the maximum FAAR drawdown of -18.03%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PIT and FAAR.

Drawdown Indicators

	PIT	FAAR	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-12.27%	-18.03%	+5.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.66%	-11.54%	-0.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-18.03%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.55%	-0.51%	-0.04%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.06%	-7.97%	+3.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.24%	3.93%	-0.69%

Volatility

PIT vs. FAAR - Volatility Comparison

VanEck Commodity Strategy ETF (PIT) has a higher volatility of 10.09% compared to First Trust Alternative Absolute Return Strategy ETF (FAAR) at 5.66%. This indicates that PIT'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.

Volatility by Period

	PIT	FAAR	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.09%	5.66%	+4.43%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	17.34%	10.64%	+6.70%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	21.28%	15.33%	+5.95%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	17.04%	13.00%	+4.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.04%	11.54%	+5.50%