POGAX vs. SCHG

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund (POGAX) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG).

POGAX is managed by Putnam. It was launched on Oct 2, 1995. SCHG is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Dow Jones U.S. Large-Cap Growth Total Stock Market Index. It was launched on Dec 11, 2009.

Performance

POGAX vs. SCHG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund (POGAX) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

POGAX vs. SCHG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
POGAX Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund	-12.94%	14.28%	33.22%	44.22%	-30.43%	22.64%	38.44%	36.44%	2.29%	30.97%
SCHG Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF	-10.59%	17.50%	34.95%	50.10%	-31.80%	28.11%	39.14%	36.02%	-1.36%	28.05%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, POGAX achieves a -12.94% return, which is significantly lower than SCHG's -10.59% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with POGAX having a 16.09% annualized return and SCHG not far ahead at 16.83%.

POGAX

• 1D: -0.55%
• 1M: -9.00%
• YTD: -12.94%
• 6M: -12.36%
• 1Y: 11.50%
• 3Y*: 18.78%
• 5Y*: 10.34%
• 10Y*: 16.09%

SCHG

• 1D: 3.67%
• 1M: -5.12%
• YTD: -10.59%
• 6M: -8.51%
• 1Y: 16.81%
• 3Y*: 21.91%
• 5Y*: 12.55%
• 10Y*: 16.83%

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

POGAX vs. SCHG - Expense Ratio Comparison

POGAX has a 0.99% expense ratio, which is higher than SCHG's 0.04% expense ratio.

POGAX

Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund

SCHG

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF

Return for Risk

POGAX vs. SCHG — Risk / Return Rank

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

POGAX

POGAX Risk / Return Rank: 21
POGAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
POGAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 24
POGAX Omega Ratio Rank: 23
POGAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 18
POGAX Martin Ratio Rank: 18

SCHG

SCHG Risk / Return Rank: 46
SCHG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 45
SCHG Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
SCHG Omega Ratio Rank: 49
SCHG Calmar Ratio Rank: 45
SCHG Martin Ratio Rank: 41

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.

POGAX vs. SCHG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund (POGAX) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG). 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.

	POGAX	SCHG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.52	0.75	-0.23
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.91	1.23	-0.32
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	1.17	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.52	1.03	-0.51
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.82	3.54	-1.72
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

POGAX vs. SCHG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current POGAX Sharpe Ratio is 0.52, which is lower than the SCHG Sharpe Ratio of 0.75. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of POGAX and SCHG, 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

	POGAX	SCHG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.52	0.75	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.48	0.57	-0.08
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.76	0.79	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.41	0.79	-0.38

Correlation

The correlation between POGAX and SCHG is 0.98, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

POGAX vs. SCHG - Dividend Comparison

POGAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 6.53%, more than SCHG's 0.43% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
POGAX Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund	6.53%	5.68%	4.58%	0.49%	7.80%	9.08%	3.29%	3.83%	7.98%	1.89%	0.01%	5.70%
SCHG Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF	0.43%	0.36%	0.39%	0.46%	0.55%	0.42%	0.52%	0.82%	1.27%	1.01%	1.04%	1.22%

Drawdowns

POGAX vs. SCHG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum POGAX drawdown since its inception was -76.55%, which is greater than SCHG's maximum drawdown of -34.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for POGAX and SCHG.

Drawdown Indicators

	POGAX	SCHG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-76.55%	-34.59%	-41.96%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-16.42%	-16.41%	-0.01%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-34.15%	-34.59%	+0.44%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.15%	-34.59%	+0.44%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-16.42%	-13.34%	-3.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-29.19%	-5.22%	-23.97%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.73%	4.78%	-0.05%

Volatility

POGAX vs. SCHG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Putnam Growth Opportunities Fund (POGAX) is 5.57%, while Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF (SCHG) has a volatility of 6.67%. This indicates that POGAX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SCHG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	POGAX	SCHG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.57%	6.67%	-1.10%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	12.20%	12.51%	-0.31%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	22.15%	22.43%	-0.28%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.62%	22.32%	-0.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.12%	21.51%	-0.39%