PSMD vs. COWG

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) and Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG).

PSMD and COWG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PSMD is an actively managed fund by Pacer. It was launched on Dec 22, 2020. COWG is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders Index. It was launched on Dec 21, 2022.

Performance

PSMD vs. COWG - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) and Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PSMD vs. COWG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	-1.77%	11.45%	12.78%	17.46%	0.60%
COWG Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF	-4.15%	10.24%	34.99%	20.69%	-0.68%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PSMD achieves a -1.77% return, which is significantly higher than COWG's -4.15% return.

PSMD

• 1D: 1.56%
• 1M: -2.40%
• YTD: -1.77%
• 6M: 0.79%
• 1Y: 11.20%
• 3Y*: 11.24%
• 5Y*: 8.15%
• 10Y*: —

COWG

• 1D: 2.89%
• 1M: -4.39%
• YTD: -4.15%
• 6M: -6.87%
• 1Y: 9.94%
• 3Y*: 18.40%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

PSMD vs. COWG - Expense Ratio Comparison

PSMD has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than COWG's 0.49% expense ratio.

PSMD

Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF

COWG

Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF

Return for Risk

PSMD vs. COWG — Risk / Return Rank

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

PSMD

PSMD Risk / Return Rank: 68
PSMD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 62
PSMD Sortino Ratio Rank: 66
PSMD Omega Ratio Rank: 76
PSMD Calmar Ratio Rank: 59
PSMD Martin Ratio Rank: 79

COWG

COWG Risk / Return Rank: 29
COWG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 27
COWG Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
COWG Omega Ratio Rank: 28
COWG Calmar Ratio Rank: 32
COWG Martin Ratio Rank: 30

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.

PSMD vs. COWG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) and Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG). 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.

	PSMD	COWG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.12	0.44	+0.67
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	0.78	+0.92
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.11	+0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.53	0.75	+0.78
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.66	2.44	+6.22
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PSMD vs. COWG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PSMD Sharpe Ratio is 1.12, which is higher than the COWG Sharpe Ratio of 0.44. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PSMD and COWG, 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

	PSMD	COWG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.12	0.44	+0.67
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.95	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.03	0.93	+0.10

Correlation

The correlation between PSMD and COWG is 0.81, 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

PSMD vs. COWG - Dividend Comparison

PSMD has not paid dividends to shareholders, while COWG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.35%.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.47%
COWG Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF	0.35%	0.32%	0.40%	0.47%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

PSMD vs. COWG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PSMD drawdown since its inception was -11.96%, smaller than the maximum COWG drawdown of -23.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PSMD and COWG.

Drawdown Indicators

	PSMD	COWG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-11.96%	-23.60%	+11.64%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.51%	-12.96%	+5.45%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-11.96%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.89%	-8.21%	+5.32%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.71%	-3.35%	+1.64%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.32%	3.96%	-2.64%

Volatility

PSMD vs. COWG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) is 3.10%, while Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG) has a volatility of 6.09%. This indicates that PSMD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than COWG based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PSMD	COWG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.10%	6.09%	-2.99%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.39%	13.24%	-8.85%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.09%	22.50%	-12.41%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.60%	19.34%	-10.74%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.56%	19.34%	-10.78%