PMBS vs. VABS

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund (PMBS) and Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF (VABS).

PMBS and VABS are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PMBS is an actively managed fund by PIMCO. It was launched on Jul 31, 1997. VABS is an actively managed fund by Virtus Investment Partners. It was launched on Feb 9, 2021.

Performance

PMBS vs. VABS - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund (PMBS) and Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF (VABS). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PMBS vs. VABS - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
PMBS PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund	0.72%	8.92%	-2.75%
VABS Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF	0.70%	5.40%	0.73%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with PMBS having a 0.72% return and VABS slightly lower at 0.70%.

PMBS

• 1D: 0.11%
• 1M: -1.31%
• YTD: 0.72%
• 6M: 2.27%
• 1Y: 5.95%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

VABS

• 1D: -0.05%
• 1M: -0.39%
• YTD: 0.70%
• 6M: 1.62%
• 1Y: 4.48%
• 3Y*: 6.26%
• 5Y*: 3.20%
• 10Y*: —

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

PMBS vs. VABS - Expense Ratio Comparison

PMBS has a 0.71% expense ratio, which is higher than VABS's 0.39% expense ratio.

PMBS

PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund

VABS

Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF

Return for Risk

PMBS vs. VABS — Risk / Return Rank

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

PMBS

PMBS Risk / Return Rank: 62
PMBS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
PMBS Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
PMBS Omega Ratio Rank: 57
PMBS Calmar Ratio Rank: 70
PMBS Martin Ratio Rank: 53

VABS

VABS Risk / Return Rank: 91
VABS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
VABS Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
VABS Omega Ratio Rank: 93
VABS Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
VABS Martin Ratio Rank: 85

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.

PMBS vs. VABS - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund (PMBS) and Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF (VABS). 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.

	PMBS	VABS	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.26	2.03	-0.77
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.79	2.80	-1.02
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.23	1.43	-0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.08	4.13	-2.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.01	10.78	-4.78
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PMBS vs. VABS - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PMBS Sharpe Ratio is 1.26, which is lower than the VABS Sharpe Ratio of 2.03. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PMBS and VABS, 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

	PMBS	VABS	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.26	2.03	-0.77
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	1.40	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.89	1.37	-0.48

Correlation

The correlation between PMBS and VABS 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

PMBS vs. VABS - Dividend Comparison

PMBS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.99%, less than VABS's 5.21% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
PMBS PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund	4.99%	4.73%	1.59%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
VABS Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF	5.21%	4.94%	5.05%	4.13%	2.47%	1.47%

Drawdowns

PMBS vs. VABS - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PMBS drawdown since its inception was -4.35%, smaller than the maximum VABS drawdown of -7.12%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PMBS and VABS.

Drawdown Indicators

	PMBS	VABS	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-4.35%	-7.12%	+2.77%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-3.04%	-1.05%	-1.99%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-7.12%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-1.73%	-0.63%	-1.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.11%	-1.46%	+0.35%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.05%	0.40%	+0.65%

Volatility

PMBS vs. VABS - Volatility Comparison

PIMCO Mortgage-Backed Securities Active Exchange-Traded Fund (PMBS) has a higher volatility of 1.95% compared to Virtus Newfleet ABS/MBS ETF (VABS) at 0.61%. This indicates that PMBS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VABS based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PMBS	VABS	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.95%	0.61%	+1.34%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.87%	1.13%	+1.74%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.77%	2.22%	+2.55%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.93%	2.29%	+2.64%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.93%	2.27%	+2.66%