Pacer WealthShield (PWS) Performance
PWS total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −0.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −0.9% total return
- 5 years
- +0.3% a year
- Since first price
- +4.2% a year since 2017
PWS trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | PWS total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −2.0% | −2.0% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −1.0% | −2.0% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +0.5% | −0.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −0.4% | −1.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −0.9% | −3.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +27.7%+8.5%/yr | +21.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +1.7%+0.3%/yr | −6.2% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 12, 2017 | +43.8%+4.2%/yr | +27.2% | — | — | — |
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: PWS vs SPY
From Dec 12, 2017: PWS grew to $14,384, SPY to $32,696.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PWS returns by calendar year
5 of 8 full years positive. Best 2020 (+22.2%), worst 2022 (−12.1%). 2026 is year to date.
PWS annual returns table
| Year | PWS | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −0.4% | −6.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +8.1% | −9.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +14.0% | −9.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | −3.6% | −11.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −12.1% | −13.8% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +14.4% | −7.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +22.2% | −15.1% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +1.4% | −12.1% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −3.3% | −14.3% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
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.
PWS largest drawdowns
Now 5.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 18, 2021 | −24.9% | May 25, 2023 | Oct 21, 2025 | 1.5 years | 3.9 years |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −19.6% | Mar 18, 2020 | Sep 1, 2020 | 1.6 years | 2.0 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PWS risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +8.7% | +1.9% | +4.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.4% | 11.4% | 12.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.41 | -0.10 | 0.20 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.64 | -0.14 | 0.30 |
| Best month | +7.4% | +7.4% | +12.7% |
| Worst month | −5.9% | −6.5% | −10.1% |
| Best 12 months | +23.7% | +23.7% | +41.2% |
| Worst 12 months | +2.1% | −14.6% | −14.6% |
| Positive months | 61% | 53% | 56% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.46 | 0.40 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.50 | 0.55 | — |
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.
PWS rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 95 | −14.6% | +3.4% | +41.2% | 57% |
| 3-year (a year) | 71 | −3.2% | +6.3% | +13.7% | 83% |
| 5-year (a year) | 47 | +0.1% | +3.8% | +8.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PWS performance overview
Pacer WealthShield (PWS) returned −0.9% over the past year and +0.3% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +4.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $14,384. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −24.9%, from Nov 18, 2021 to May 25, 2023, and it took 2.4 years to get back to the old high. PWS finished 5 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2020 (+22.2%) and the worst 2022 (−12.1%). Volatility has been 12.5% a year.
Related: PWS chart, PWS holdings, PWS dividends, PWS valuation. See the PWS overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PWS performance FAQ
What is the PWS return over the past year?
PWS returned −0.9% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 3.0%.
What is the average annual return of PWS?
PWS has returned +0.3% a year over 5 years, +4.2% a year since December 12, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PWS be worth?
$10,000 invested in PWS at its first recorded close on December 12, 2017 would be worth about $14,384 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PWS?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −12.1%. The best was 2020 at +22.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PWS?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −24.9% between November 18, 2021 and May 25, 2023. It recovered to the old high on October 21, 2025, 2.4 years after the bottom.
How volatile is PWS?
Over the past 3 years PWS had an annualized volatility of 11.4% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.41 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).