QMAR vs. PSMD

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March (QMAR) and Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD).

QMAR and PSMD are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. QMAR is an actively managed fund by First Trust. It was launched on Mar 19, 2021. PSMD is an actively managed fund by Pacer. It was launched on Dec 22, 2020.

Performance

QMAR vs. PSMD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March (QMAR) and Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

QMAR vs. PSMD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
QMAR FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March	1.87%	10.89%	16.11%	35.47%	-16.56%	12.31%
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	-1.77%	11.45%	12.78%	17.46%	-4.47%	8.20%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, QMAR achieves a 1.87% return, which is significantly higher than PSMD's -1.77% return.

QMAR

• 1D: 2.41%
• 1M: 0.75%
• YTD: 1.87%
• 6M: 4.47%
• 1Y: 18.84%
• 3Y*: 14.87%
• 5Y*: 10.44%
• 10Y*: —

PSMD

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

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

QMAR vs. PSMD - Expense Ratio Comparison

QMAR has a 0.90% expense ratio, which is higher than PSMD's 0.75% expense ratio.

QMAR

FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March

PSMD

Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF

Return for Risk

QMAR vs. PSMD — Risk / Return Rank

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

QMAR

QMAR Risk / Return Rank: 85
QMAR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
QMAR Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
QMAR Omega Ratio Rank: 95
QMAR Calmar Ratio Rank: 76
QMAR Martin Ratio Rank: 94

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

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.

QMAR vs. PSMD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March (QMAR) and Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD). 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.

	QMAR	PSMD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.43	1.12	+0.31
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.27	1.71	+0.56
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.46	1.29	+0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.03	1.53	+0.51
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.07	8.66	+5.41
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

QMAR vs. PSMD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current QMAR Sharpe Ratio is 1.43, which is comparable to the PSMD Sharpe Ratio of 1.12. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of QMAR and PSMD, 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

	QMAR	PSMD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.43	1.12	+0.31
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.75	0.95	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.76	1.03	-0.26

Correlation

The correlation between QMAR and PSMD is 0.83, 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

QMAR vs. PSMD - Dividend Comparison

Neither QMAR nor PSMD has paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
QMAR FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
PSMD Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.47%

Drawdowns

QMAR vs. PSMD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum QMAR drawdown since its inception was -19.83%, which is greater than PSMD's maximum drawdown of -11.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for QMAR and PSMD.

Drawdown Indicators

	QMAR	PSMD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.83%	-11.96%	-7.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-9.23%	-7.51%	-1.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.83%	-11.96%	-7.87%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.88%	-2.89%	+2.01%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.40%	-1.71%	-1.69%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.33%	1.32%	+0.01%

Volatility

QMAR vs. PSMD - Volatility Comparison

FT Cboe Vest Nasdaq-100 Buffer ETF - March (QMAR) has a higher volatility of 3.50% compared to Pacer Swan SOS Moderate (December) ETF (PSMD) at 3.10%. This indicates that QMAR's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PSMD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	QMAR	PSMD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.50%	3.10%	+0.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	4.62%	4.39%	+0.23%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.25%	10.09%	+3.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.05%	8.60%	+5.45%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	14.03%	8.56%	+5.47%