POEAX vs. SPY

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

POEAX (Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Aggressive-Growth) and SPY (State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF) are both funds - POEAX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by Pacific Funds Series Trust, while SPY is a S&P 500 fund tracking the S&P 500 Index. Over the past 10 years, POEAX returned 10.89%/yr vs 15.57%/yr for SPY. Their correlation of 0.95 suggests significant overlap in exposure. POEAX charges 0.60%/yr vs 0.09%/yr for SPY.

Performance

POEAX vs. SPY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Aggressive-Growth (POEAX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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 POEAX having a 11.26% return and SPY slightly higher at 11.69%. Over the past 10 years, POEAX has underperformed SPY with an annualized return of 10.89%, while SPY has yielded a comparatively higher 15.57% annualized return.

POEAX

• 1D: 0.06%
• 1M: 3.86%
• YTD: 11.26%
• 6M: 11.59%
• 1Y: 26.18%
• 3Y*: 17.78%
• 5Y*: 7.99%
• 10Y*: 10.89%

SPY

• 1D: 0.14%
• 1M: 5.40%
• YTD: 11.69%
• 6M: 12.09%
• 1Y: 29.62%
• 3Y*: 22.64%
• 5Y*: 14.20%
• 10Y*: 15.57%

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

POEAX vs. SPY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
POEAX Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Aggressive-Growth	11.26%	16.66%	15.13%	18.53%	-21.24%	18.82%	16.09%	26.91%	-9.28%	19.17%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	11.69%	17.72%	24.89%	26.18%	-18.18%	28.73%	18.33%	31.22%	-4.57%	21.71%

Correlation

The correlation between POEAX and SPY is 0.94, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.94
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.94
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.95
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.94
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 7, 2004	0.95

The correlation between POEAX and SPY has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.94 to 0.95 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

POEAX vs. SPY — Risk / Return Rank

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

POEAX

POEAX Risk / Return Rank: 62
POEAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
POEAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
POEAX Omega Ratio Rank: 55
POEAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 66
POEAX Martin Ratio Rank: 73

SPY

SPY Risk / Return Rank: 75
SPY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 77
SPY Sortino Ratio Rank: 75
SPY Omega Ratio Rank: 76
SPY Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
SPY Martin Ratio Rank: 80

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.

POEAX vs. SPY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Aggressive-Growth (POEAX) and State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY). 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.

	POEAX	SPY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.26	2.52	-0.26
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.15	3.42	-0.26
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.46	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.13	3.42	-0.29
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.00	15.93	-1.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

POEAX vs. SPY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current POEAX Sharpe Ratio is 2.26, which is comparable to the SPY Sharpe Ratio of 2.52. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of POEAX and SPY, 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

	POEAX	SPY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.26	2.52	-0.26
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32	0.84	-0.52
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.51	0.87	-0.36
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.59	-0.20

Drawdowns

POEAX vs. SPY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum POEAX drawdown since its inception was -57.49%, roughly equal to the maximum SPY drawdown of -55.19%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POEAX and SPY.

Drawdown Indicators

	POEAX	SPY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-57.49%	-55.19%	-2.30%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.57%	-8.88%	+0.31%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-17.49%	-18.76%	+1.27%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.40%	-24.50%	-4.90%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.88%	-33.72%	-2.16%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.81%	-9.05%	+0.24%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.92%	1.91%	+0.01%

Volatility

POEAX vs. SPY - Volatility Comparison

Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Aggressive-Growth (POEAX) has a higher volatility of 3.22% compared to State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY) at 2.75%. This indicates that POEAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SPY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	POEAX	SPY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.22%	2.75%	+0.47%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.13%	8.89%	+0.24%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.89%	11.81%	+0.08%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	25.09%	17.05%	+8.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.56%	17.94%	+3.62%

POEAX vs. SPY - Expense Ratio Comparison

POEAX has a 0.60% expense ratio, which is higher than SPY's 0.09% expense ratio.

Dividends

POEAX vs. SPY - Dividend Comparison

POEAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.94%, more than SPY's 0.97% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
POEAX Pacific Funds Portfolio Optimization Aggressive-Growth	6.94%	7.73%	2.12%	1.67%	36.10%	10.62%	3.32%	7.91%	24.81%	4.03%	7.09%	3.16%
SPY State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF	0.97%	1.07%	1.21%	1.40%	1.65%	1.20%	1.52%	1.75%	2.04%	1.80%	2.03%	2.06%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both POEAX and SPY in my portfolio?

With a correlation of 0.94, POEAX and SPY move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

Which is riskier, POEAX or SPY?

POEAX has higher volatility (3.22%) compared to SPY (2.75%). In terms of maximum drawdown, POEAX dropped -57.49% vs SPY's -55.19%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SPY currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.52 vs 2.26), 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.