PTEU vs. RFEU

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF (PTEU) and First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF (RFEU).

PTEU and RFEU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. PTEU is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer Trendpilot European Index. It was launched on Dec 15, 2015. RFEU is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Apr 14, 2016.

Performance

PTEU vs. RFEU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF (PTEU) and First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF (RFEU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

PTEU vs. RFEU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PTEU Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF	-1.50%	30.80%	-0.50%	12.45%	-7.46%	13.43%	-19.41%	13.50%	-16.87%	28.91%
RFEU First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF	1.50%	30.78%	-1.78%	16.19%	-24.17%	22.83%	6.25%	23.21%	-17.57%	26.58%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PTEU achieves a -1.50% return, which is significantly lower than RFEU's 1.50% return.

PTEU

• 1D: 1.55%
• 1M: -5.01%
• YTD: -1.50%
• 6M: 2.14%
• 1Y: 13.49%
• 3Y*: 8.17%
• 5Y*: 7.34%
• 10Y*: 3.58%

RFEU

• 1D: 0.00%
• 1M: 0.00%
• YTD: 1.50%
• 6M: 6.95%
• 1Y: 21.62%
• 3Y*: 12.42%
• 5Y*: 6.12%
• 10Y*: —

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

PTEU vs. RFEU - Expense Ratio Comparison

PTEU has a 0.65% expense ratio, which is lower than RFEU's 0.83% expense ratio.

RFEU

First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF

PTEU

Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF

Return for Risk

PTEU vs. RFEU — Risk / Return Rank

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

PTEU

PTEU Risk / Return Rank: 36
PTEU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 36
PTEU Sortino Ratio Rank: 37
PTEU Omega Ratio Rank: 36
PTEU Calmar Ratio Rank: 36
PTEU Martin Ratio Rank: 37

RFEU

RFEU Risk / Return Rank: 80
RFEU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
RFEU Sortino Ratio Rank: 81
RFEU Omega Ratio Rank: 90
RFEU Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
RFEU 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.

PTEU vs. RFEU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF (PTEU) and First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF (RFEU). 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.

	PTEU	RFEU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.72	1.61	-0.88
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.13	2.20	-1.08
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.39	-0.24
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.03	1.80	-0.77
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.66	10.86	-7.20
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PTEU vs. RFEU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PTEU Sharpe Ratio is 0.72, which is lower than the RFEU Sharpe Ratio of 1.61. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PTEU and RFEU, 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

	PTEU	RFEU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.72	1.61	-0.88
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49	0.37	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.25	0.42	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between PTEU and RFEU is 0.62, 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

PTEU vs. RFEU - Dividend Comparison

PTEU's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.95%, less than RFEU's 2.83% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
PTEU Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF	1.95%	1.92%	3.49%	2.74%	0.69%	1.55%	0.00%	3.43%	1.86%	0.60%	0.00%
RFEU First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF	2.83%	2.87%	5.45%	3.37%	4.98%	1.82%	2.32%	3.08%	2.84%	1.35%	3.16%

Drawdowns

PTEU vs. RFEU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PTEU drawdown since its inception was -35.45%, smaller than the maximum RFEU drawdown of -39.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PTEU and RFEU.

Drawdown Indicators

	PTEU	RFEU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.45%	-39.74%	+4.29%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.82%	-11.25%	-1.57%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-15.04%	-35.92%	+20.88%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-35.45%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.87%	-0.11%	-8.76%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.68%	-9.79%	-4.89%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.60%	2.21%	+1.39%

Volatility

PTEU vs. RFEU - Volatility Comparison

Pacer Trendpilot European Index ETF (PTEU) has a higher volatility of 7.72% compared to First Trust RiverFront Dynamic Europe ETF (RFEU) at 0.00%. This indicates that PTEU's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than RFEU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PTEU	RFEU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.72%	0.00%	+7.72%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.97%	5.95%	+6.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.74%	14.89%	+3.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.02%	17.01%	-1.99%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.30%	17.96%	-3.66%