RAFE vs. SAMT

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF (RAFE) and Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT).

RAFE and SAMT are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. RAFE is a passively managed fund by PIMCO that tracks the performance of the RAFI ESG US Index. It was launched on Dec 18, 2019. SAMT is an actively managed fund by Strategas. It was launched on Jan 25, 2022.

Performance

RAFE vs. SAMT - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF (RAFE) and Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

RAFE vs. SAMT - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
RAFE PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF	-0.90%	17.60%	13.81%	18.80%	-9.63%
SAMT Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF	1.97%	33.10%	28.15%	1.27%	-6.59%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, RAFE achieves a -0.90% return, which is significantly lower than SAMT's 1.97% return.

RAFE

• 1D: 2.17%
• 1M: -4.75%
• YTD: -0.90%
• 6M: 3.09%
• 1Y: 16.61%
• 3Y*: 15.03%
• 5Y*: 9.22%
• 10Y*: —

SAMT

• 1D: 2.00%
• 1M: -1.60%
• YTD: 1.97%
• 6M: 6.10%
• 1Y: 35.45%
• 3Y*: 22.13%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

RAFE vs. SAMT - Expense Ratio Comparison

RAFE has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than SAMT's 0.66% expense ratio.

SAMT

Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF

RAFE

PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF

Return for Risk

RAFE vs. SAMT — Risk / Return Rank

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

RAFE

RAFE Risk / Return Rank: 61
RAFE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
RAFE Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
RAFE Omega Ratio Rank: 59
RAFE Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
RAFE Martin Ratio Rank: 67

SAMT

SAMT Risk / Return Rank: 91
SAMT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 91
SAMT Sortino Ratio Rank: 91
SAMT Omega Ratio Rank: 88
SAMT Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
SAMT Martin Ratio Rank: 90

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.

RAFE vs. SAMT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF (RAFE) and Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT). 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.

	RAFE	SAMT	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.03	2.01	-0.99
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.51	2.65	-1.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.36	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.52	4.10	-2.59
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.68	11.61	-4.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

RAFE vs. SAMT - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current RAFE Sharpe Ratio is 1.03, which is lower than the SAMT Sharpe Ratio of 2.01. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of RAFE and SAMT, 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

	RAFE	SAMT	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.03	2.01	-0.99
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.61	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.54	0.76	-0.22

Correlation

The correlation between RAFE and SAMT is 0.74, 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

RAFE vs. SAMT - Dividend Comparison

RAFE's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.68%, more than SAMT's 0.69% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
RAFE PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF	1.68%	1.67%	1.79%	1.81%	2.22%	1.42%	2.36%
SAMT Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF	0.69%	0.70%	1.40%	1.49%	0.73%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

RAFE vs. SAMT - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum RAFE drawdown since its inception was -35.74%, which is greater than SAMT's maximum drawdown of -20.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for RAFE and SAMT.

Drawdown Indicators

	RAFE	SAMT	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-35.74%	-20.57%	-15.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.57%	-8.76%	-2.81%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.28%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.45%	-5.78%	+0.33%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.37%	-8.00%	+1.63%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.63%	3.10%	-0.47%

Volatility

RAFE vs. SAMT - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF (RAFE) is 4.53%, while Strategas Macro Thematic Opportunities ETF (SAMT) has a volatility of 4.97%. This indicates that RAFE experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than SAMT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	RAFE	SAMT	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.53%	4.97%	-0.44%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.69%	11.91%	-3.22%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	16.25%	17.68%	-1.43%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.09%	16.78%	-1.69%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.61%	16.78%	+2.83%