PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF (RAFE) Performance
RAFE total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +21.2% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +24.5% total return
- 5 years
- +11.6% a year
- Since first price
- +12.9% a year since 2019
RAFE trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | RAFE total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.4% | +1.0% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +5.3% | +4.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +14.3% | +13.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +21.2% | +19.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +24.5% | +22.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +86.6%+23.1%/yr | +76.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +73.4%+11.6%/yr | +57.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 19, 2019 | +129.2%+12.9%/yr | +100.3% | — | — | — |
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: RAFE vs SPY
From Dec 19, 2019: RAFE grew to $22,917, SPY to $26,174.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
RAFE returns by calendar year
5 of 6 full years positive. Best 2021 (+30.2%), worst 2022 (−13.8%). 2026 is year to date.
RAFE annual returns table
| Year | RAFE | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +21.2% | −7.5% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +17.6% | −16.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +13.8% | −8.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.8% | −10.2% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −13.8% | −24.3% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +30.2% | −5.0% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +5.3% | −35.7% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
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.
RAFE largest drawdowns
Now 0.9% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | −35.7% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 24, 2020 | 40 days | 9 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −24.3% | Oct 12, 2022 | Dec 26, 2023 | 9 months | 2.0 years |
| Feb 19, 2025 | −16.4% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 1, 2025 | 48 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
RAFE risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +21.3% | +12.2% | +12.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 11.8% | 14.6% | 16.7% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.34 | 0.62 | 0.63 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.35 | 0.96 | 0.97 |
| Best month | +9.0% | +10.6% | +14.1% |
| Worst month | −6.1% | −9.2% | −14.6% |
| Best 12 months | +31.6% | +31.6% | +60.1% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.0% | −14.9% | −14.9% |
| Positive months | 75% | 65% | 65% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.86 | 0.88 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.90 | 0.94 | — |
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.
RAFE rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 71 | −14.9% | +15.8% | +60.1% | 82% |
| 3-year (a year) | 47 | +5.3% | +11.5% | +23.0% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 23 | +9.4% | +12.3% | +16.5% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2019. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
RAFE performance overview
PIMCO RAFI ESG U.S. ETF (RAFE) returned +24.5% over the past year and +11.6% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2019 it has returned +12.9% a year, turning $10,000 into about $22,917. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −35.7%, from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. RAFE finished 5 of its 6 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+30.2%) and the worst 2022 (−13.8%). Volatility has been 16.7% a year.
Related: RAFE chart, RAFE holdings, RAFE dividends, RAFE valuation. See the RAFE overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
RAFE performance FAQ
What is the RAFE return over the past year?
RAFE returned +24.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 22.5%.
What is the average annual return of RAFE?
RAFE has returned +11.6% a year over 5 years, +12.9% a year since December 19, 2019 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in RAFE be worth?
$10,000 invested in RAFE at its first recorded close on December 19, 2019 would be worth about $22,917 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for RAFE?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −13.8%. The best was 2021 at +30.2%.
What is the biggest drawdown of RAFE?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −35.7% between February 12, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 24, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is RAFE?
Over the past 3 years RAFE had an annualized volatility of 11.8% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.34 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).