USAI vs. COWG

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (USAI) and Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG).

USAI and COWG are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. USAI is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the American Energy Independence Index. It was launched on Dec 13, 2017. 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. Both USAI and COWG are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

USAI vs. COWG - Performance Comparison

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

USAI vs. COWG - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022
USAI Pacer American Energy Independence ETF	21.85%	0.69%	43.99%	14.21%	1.88%
COWG Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF	-3.92%	10.24%	34.99%	20.69%	-0.68%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, USAI achieves a 21.85% return, which is significantly higher than COWG's -3.92% return.

USAI

• 1D: -2.15%
• 1M: -0.91%
• YTD: 21.85%
• 6M: 18.66%
• 1Y: 16.93%
• 3Y*: 26.78%
• 5Y*: 22.13%
• 10Y*: —

COWG

• 1D: 0.24%
• 1M: -4.35%
• YTD: -3.92%
• 6M: -7.05%
• 1Y: 9.21%
• 3Y*: 18.49%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

USAI vs. COWG - Expense Ratio Comparison

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

USAI

Pacer American Energy Independence ETF

COWG

Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF

Return for Risk

USAI vs. COWG — Risk / Return Rank

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

USAI

USAI Risk / Return Rank: 40
USAI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 44
USAI Sortino Ratio Rank: 39
USAI Omega Ratio Rank: 44
USAI Calmar Ratio Rank: 40
USAI Martin Ratio Rank: 34

COWG

COWG Risk / Return Rank: 26
COWG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 23
COWG Sortino Ratio Rank: 24
COWG Omega Ratio Rank: 24
COWG Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
COWG Martin Ratio Rank: 29

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.

USAI vs. COWG - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (USAI) 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.

	USAI	COWG	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.86	0.41	+0.45
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.17	0.74	+0.43
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.18	1.10	+0.08
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.12	0.79	+0.33
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.17	2.55	+0.62
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

USAI vs. COWG - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current USAI Sharpe Ratio is 0.86, which is higher than the COWG Sharpe Ratio of 0.41. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of USAI 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

	USAI	COWG	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.86	0.41	+0.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.09	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.93	-0.43

Correlation

The correlation between USAI and COWG is 0.42, 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

USAI vs. COWG - Dividend Comparison

USAI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.18%, more than COWG's 0.35% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
USAI Pacer American Energy Independence ETF	4.18%	5.03%	3.62%	4.99%	5.41%	6.15%	7.67%	6.50%	5.56%	0.08%
COWG Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF	0.35%	0.32%	0.40%	0.47%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

USAI vs. COWG - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum USAI drawdown since its inception was -65.25%, which is greater than COWG's maximum drawdown of -23.60%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for USAI and COWG.

Drawdown Indicators

	USAI	COWG	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-65.25%	-23.60%	-41.65%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.52%	-12.96%	-2.56%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-20.68%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-4.86%	-7.98%	+3.12%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.46%	-3.36%	-6.10%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.47%	4.00%	+1.47%

Volatility

USAI vs. COWG - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (USAI) is 4.25%, while Pacer US Large Cap Cash Cows Growth Leaders ETF (COWG) has a volatility of 5.87%. This indicates that USAI 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

	USAI	COWG	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.25%	5.87%	-1.62%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.85%	13.24%	-2.39%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.76%	22.50%	-2.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	20.45%	19.32%	+1.13%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	27.44%	19.32%	+8.12%