PSMD vs. FMAY

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (FMAY).

PSMD and FMAY 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. FMAY is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the Cboe S&P 500 Buffer Protect Index May Series. It was launched on May 15, 2020.

Performance

PSMD vs. FMAY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (FMAY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PSMD vs. FMAY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	-1.77%	11.45%	12.78%	17.46%	-4.47%	11.23%	0.95%
FMAY FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May	-1.22%	12.69%	14.45%	17.83%	-8.08%	11.00%	0.31%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PSMD achieves a -1.77% return, which is significantly lower than FMAY's -1.22% return.

PSMD

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

FMAY

• 1D: 1.96%
• 1M: -2.08%
• YTD: -1.22%
• 6M: 1.06%
• 1Y: 14.34%
• 3Y*: 12.76%
• 5Y*: 8.42%
• 10Y*: —

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

PSMD vs. FMAY - Expense Ratio Comparison

PSMD has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is lower than FMAY's 0.85% expense ratio.

FMAY

FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May

PSMD

Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF

Return for Risk

PSMD vs. FMAY — 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

FMAY

FMAY Risk / Return Rank: 74
FMAY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 69
FMAY Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
FMAY Omega Ratio Rank: 82
FMAY Calmar Ratio Rank: 65
FMAY Martin Ratio Rank: 84

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. FMAY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) and FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (FMAY). 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	FMAY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.12	1.23	-0.12
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.71	1.89	-0.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.32	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.53	1.68	-0.16
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	8.66	9.81	-1.15
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. FMAY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PSMD Sharpe Ratio is 1.12, which is comparable to the FMAY Sharpe Ratio of 1.23. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PSMD and FMAY, 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	FMAY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.12	1.23	-0.12
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.95	0.80	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.03	0.92	+0.10

Correlation

The correlation between PSMD and FMAY is 0.88, 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. FMAY - Dividend Comparison

Neither PSMD nor FMAY has paid dividends to shareholders.

	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%
FMAY FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

PSMD vs. FMAY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PSMD drawdown since its inception was -11.96%, smaller than the maximum FMAY drawdown of -13.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PSMD and FMAY.

Drawdown Indicators

	PSMD	FMAY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-11.96%	-13.60%	+1.64%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.51%	-8.88%	+1.37%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-11.96%	-13.60%	+1.64%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.89%	-2.34%	-0.55%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.71%	-2.06%	+0.35%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.32%	1.53%	-0.21%

Volatility

PSMD vs. FMAY - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) is 3.10%, while FT Cboe Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - May (FMAY) has a volatility of 3.48%. This indicates that PSMD experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than FMAY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PSMD	FMAY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.10%	3.48%	-0.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.39%	4.81%	-0.42%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.09%	11.68%	-1.59%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	8.60%	10.56%	-1.96%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	8.56%	10.26%	-1.70%