Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) Performance
COWZ total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +19.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +25.3% total return
- 5 years
- +11.3% a year
- Since first price
- +13.4% a year since 2016
COWZ trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | COWZ total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +4.6% | +4.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +12.3% | +11.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +14.0% | +13.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +19.4% | +18.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +25.3% | +22.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +56.2%+16.0%/yr | +47.5% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +71.1%+11.3%/yr | +55.1% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 19, 2016 | +246.0%+13.4%/yr | +183.5% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: COWZ vs SPY
From Dec 19, 2016: COWZ grew to $34,604, SPY to $39,227.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
COWZ returns by calendar year
8 of 9 full years positive. Best 2021 (+42.6%), worst 2018 (−10.0%). 2026 is year to date.
COWZ annual returns table
| Year | COWZ | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +19.4% | −7.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +9.0% | −19.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +10.6% | −8.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +14.7% | −11.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | +0.2% | −20.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +42.6% | −6.9% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +11.6% | −38.6% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +23.4% | −11.9% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −10.0% | −21.8% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +20.2% | −4.2% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
COWZ largest drawdowns
Now 1.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17, 2020 | −38.6% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 10, 2020 | 2 months | 10 months |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −22.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | Dec 4, 2025 | 4 months | 1.0 years |
| Sep 21, 2018 | −21.8% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 8, 2019 | 3 months | 1.1 years |
| Jun 7, 2022 | −20.8% | Sep 26, 2022 | Feb 2, 2023 | 4 months | 8 months |
| Feb 2, 2023 | −11.8% | Mar 17, 2023 | Jul 20, 2023 | 43 days | 6 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
COWZ risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.7% | +11.0% | +13.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 14.5% | 17.6% | 18.8% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.60 | 0.48 | 0.62 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.94 | 0.74 | 0.97 |
| Best month | +8.2% | +13.2% | +16.8% |
| Worst month | −6.9% | −14.0% | −17.3% |
| Best 12 months | +26.6% | +29.2% | +88.2% |
| Worst 12 months | −4.0% | −9.9% | −21.3% |
| Positive months | 61% | 57% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.68 | 0.82 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.58 | 0.73 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
COWZ rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 107 | −21.3% | +12.6% | +88.2% | 79% |
| 3-year (a year) | 83 | −3.1% | +13.2% | +31.1% | 99% |
| 5-year (a year) | 59 | +9.9% | +14.8% | +22.3% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
COWZ performance overview
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) returned +25.3% over the past year and +11.3% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +13.4% a year, turning $10,000 into about $34,604. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −38.6%, from Jan 17, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. COWZ finished 8 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+42.6%) and the worst 2018 (−10.0%). Volatility has been 18.8% a year.
Related: COWZ chart, COWZ holdings, COWZ dividends, COWZ valuation. See the COWZ overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
COWZ performance FAQ
What is the COWZ return over the past year?
COWZ returned +25.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 22.7%.
What is the average annual return of COWZ?
COWZ has returned +11.3% a year over 5 years, +13.4% a year since December 19, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in COWZ be worth?
$10,000 invested in COWZ at its first recorded close on December 19, 2016 would be worth about $34,604 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for COWZ?
The worst calendar year was 2018, with a total return of −10.0%. The best was 2021 at +42.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of COWZ?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −38.6% between January 17, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 10, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is COWZ?
Over the past 3 years COWZ had an annualized volatility of 14.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.60 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).