Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) Performance
GCOW total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +17.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +23.3% total return
- 5 years
- +14.2% a year
- 10 years
- +10.4% a year
- Since first price
- +10.7% a year since 2016
GCOW trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | GCOW total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +3.9% | +3.9% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +6.1% | +5.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +4.5% | +2.6% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +17.6% | +14.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +23.3% | +17.1% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +68.7%+19.0%/yr | +48.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +94.5%+14.2%/yr | +55.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +169.0%+10.4%/yr | +75.3% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 23, 2016 | +194.7%+10.7%/yr | +90.0% | — | — | — |
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: GCOW vs SPY
From Feb 23, 2016: GCOW grew to $29,472, SPY to $46,989.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
GCOW returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2025 (+27.3%), worst 2018 (−8.0%). 2026 is year to date.
GCOW annual returns table
| Year | GCOW | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +17.6% | −7.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +27.3% | −12.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +3.5% | −8.8% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +13.9% | −8.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | +5.5% | −21.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +14.6% | −7.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | −4.3% | −37.6% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +17.8% | −9.5% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −8.0% | −16.1% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +20.7% | −2.7% | +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.
GCOW largest drawdowns
Now 0.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 17, 2020 | −37.6% | Mar 23, 2020 | Feb 24, 2021 | 2 months | 1.1 years |
| Jun 7, 2022 | −21.5% | Sep 27, 2022 | Jan 12, 2023 | 4 months | 7 months |
| Jan 26, 2018 | −16.1% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 4, 2019 | 11 months | 1.8 years |
| Mar 18, 2025 | −12.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | May 20, 2025 | 21 days | 2 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
GCOW risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +16.0% | +13.5% | +9.4% | +10.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.7% | 14.9% | 15.4% | 15.2% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.96 | 0.68 | 0.52 | 0.58 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.78 | 1.12 | 0.79 | 0.89 |
| Best month | +7.8% | +12.7% | +16.6% | +16.6% |
| Worst month | −4.8% | −9.8% | −16.3% | −16.3% |
| Best 12 months | +37.1% | +37.1% | +42.5% | +42.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +3.5% | −6.6% | −22.8% | −22.8% |
| Positive months | 67% | 63% | 66% | 66% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.21 | 0.50 | 0.71 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.23 | 0.53 | 0.71 | — |
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.
GCOW rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 117 | −22.8% | +11.1% | +42.5% | 82% |
| 3-year (a year) | 93 | −4.0% | +8.2% | +19.4% | 91% |
| 5-year (a year) | 69 | +1.8% | +7.5% | +16.0% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 9 | +9.4% | +10.1% | +11.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
GCOW performance overview
Pacer Global Cash Cows Dividend ETF (GCOW) returned +23.3% over the past year and +10.4% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +10.7% a year, turning $10,000 into about $29,472. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −37.6%, from Jan 17, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 11 months to get back to the old high. GCOW finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+27.3%) and the worst 2018 (−8.0%). Volatility has been 15.2% a year.
Related: GCOW chart, GCOW holdings, GCOW dividends. See the GCOW overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
GCOW performance FAQ
What is the GCOW return over the past year?
GCOW returned +23.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 17.1%.
What is the average annual return of GCOW?
GCOW has returned +14.2% a year over 5 years, +10.4% a year over 10 years, +10.7% a year since February 23, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in GCOW be worth?
$10,000 invested in GCOW at its first recorded close on February 23, 2016 would be worth about $29,472 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for GCOW?
The worst calendar year was 2018, with a total return of −8.0%. The best was 2025 at +27.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of GCOW?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −37.6% between January 17, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on February 24, 2021, 11 months after the bottom.
How volatile is GCOW?
Over the past 3 years GCOW had an annualized volatility of 11.7% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.96 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).