At a glance
PTMC charges 0.6% a year, above the 0.3% average of the 5 funds most like it (the most expensive of 6). It has $391.5M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 1.66% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned +11.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 5th of those 6 funds; over three years it returned +10.7% a year. At its worst it fell 13.6% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 12.7% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 9 months and 19 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 7.4% of the fund, out of 400 in all.
The short version
Pacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap ETF (PTMC) follows a rules-based index. It holds the stocks in the S&P MidCap 400 when mid-sized US companies are trending up, and it moves half or all of its money into 3-month US Treasury bills when they trend down. That trend-following switch sets it apart from plain mid-cap funds. It costs 0.60% a year, about twice the 0.30% average of similar funds.
Price history
The interactive chart needs JavaScript.
PTMC +11.3% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTMC official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | -1.52% | — | +2.93% | +5.42% | +4.39% |
| PTMC price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +11.3% | +11.3% | +10.7% | +3.2% | +5.9% | +6.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, PTMC returned +11.3%, 5th of 6 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +3.2% and its 10-year +5.9%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 13.6% and regained its old high 8.6 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-14.0%); its best was 2017 (+17.8%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 20.5% (Sep 14, 2018 to Sep 24, 2020), recovered by Jan 6, 2021.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +11.3% | — |
| 2025 | -1.5% | -1.52% |
| 2024 | +13.2% | +13.33% |
| 2023 | +7.3% | +7.27% |
| 2022 | -14.0% | -13.90% |
| 2021 | +12.4% | +12.08% |
| 2020 | +6.6% | +6.82% |
| 2019 | +1.0% | +1.01% |
| 2018 | +0.0% | +0.07% |
| 2017 | +17.8% | +17.58% |
| 2016 | +15.5% | +15.58% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 9.3% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 13.6%, back to its old high 8.6 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 12.2% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 12.7%, back to its old high 18.6 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.6600 | +106.3% |
| 2024 | $0.3200 | -49.2% |
| 2023 | $0.6300 | +152.0% |
| 2022 | $0.2500 | +525.0% |
| 2021 | $0.0400 | -76.5% |
| 2020 | $0.1700 | -60.5% |
| 2019 | $0.4300 | +53.6% |
| 2018 | $0.2800 | +33.3% |
| 2017 | $0.2100 | +16.7% |
| 2016 | $0.1800 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 400 securities; the ten largest made up 7.43% of assets. It also reported 9.06% in a money-market fund, most likely cash collateral from lending out shares rather than uninvested money.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| Illumina Inc | 0.87% | |
| Twilio Inc | 0.84% | |
| TechnipFMC PLC | 0.80% | |
| Curtiss-Wright Corp | 0.75% | |
| Carpenter Technology Corp | 0.72% | |
| ATI Inc | 0.72% | |
| nVent Electric PLC | 0.70% | |
| Everpure Inc | 0.69% | |
| Okta Inc | 0.67% | |
| XPO Inc | 0.66% | |
| Burlington Stores Inc | 0.65% | |
| US Foods Holding Corp | 0.62% | |
| United Therapeutics Corp | 0.62% | |
| Tenet Healthcare Corp | 0.62% | |
| Woodward Inc | 0.60% |
By country
United States 96.34%United Kingdom 1.93%Bermuda 0.55%Ireland 0.45%Thailand 0.44%By asset type
Stocks 99.96%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $14.2M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +2.39%, +3.52%, -2.48%.
How it works
PTMC is an index fund. It tracks the Pacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap Index, which was built by Index Design Group, an affiliate of the fund's adviser, Pacer Advisors. The index can be in one of three positions: 100% in the S&P MidCap 400, a benchmark of US mid-sized companies; 50% in that index and 50% in 3-month US Treasury bills; or 100% in T-bills. When it holds stocks, it owns the S&P MidCap 400 companies. As of July 31, 2026, that meant 400 stocks, and the 10 largest made up just 7.43% of assets. The two biggest were Illumina and Twilio.
The switch depends on the 200-day moving average. That is the average closing level of the S&P MidCap 400, with dividends reinvested, over the past 200 business days. Five straight closes above that average move the index to 100% stocks. Five straight closes below it move the index to 50/50. If the 200-day average then drops below where it stood five business days earlier, the index moves fully into T-bills. A separate rule applies if the S&P MidCap 400 closes 20% below its average. Each change takes effect at the close of the business day after the signal.
The index can stay in any position for a long time. Trend rules react only after a move has started. So the fund may sell after a drop and buy back after a rebound, missing part of both.
What it really costs
- PTMC charges 0.6% a year, versus an average of 0.3% for the similar funds below (6th of 6, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $61 in the first year and $750 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTMC | $61 | $192 | $335 | $750 |
In a retirement portfolio
It offers mid-cap stock exposure with a rules-based switch into Treasury bills that aims to soften long declines, though it has not avoided losses.
PTMC's trend rules have limited losses but not prevented them. In the 2020 COVID crash, it fell 13.6% between February 20 and February 28, 2020, and took 8.6 months to recover. In the 2022 bear market, it dropped 12.7% and took 18.6 months to regain its peak, which it reached on March 27, 2024. Its worst calendar year was 2022, at -13.9%. Its deepest drop was 20.5%, from September 2018 to September 2020. That long stretch shows how moving in and out of stocks can stall gains. Its price history doesn't go back to 2008. A retiree who sells shares in a bad year could still be selling at a loss.
Income is modest: the trailing 12-month yield was 1.66% as of October 27, 2026, and the fund pays once a year. Past results don't predict future returns. A plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want mid-cap US stocks with a rules-based move into Treasury bills during long downtrends, and who accept missing some rebounds.
- People who are uneasy with full stock-market swings. The fund's one-year beta, a measure of how much it moves with the market, was 0.27 as of October 27, 2026.
- Investors who prefer a fixed, written process for stepping out of stocks over deciding the timing themselves.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-conscious investors. At 0.60% a year, PTMC costs far more than SPMD, which charges 0.03% and shares 93% of PTMC's holdings.
- Those seeking steady income. The 1.66% yield as of October 27, 2026, is paid only once a year.
- Investors focused on growth. As of October 27, 2026, PTMC's three-year return ranked last among six similar mid-cap funds.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PTMC this fund | — | 0.6% | $391.5M | +11.3% | +10.7% |
| SPMD SPDR Portfolio S&P 400 Mid Cap ETF | 93% | 0.03% | $18.39B | +15.3% | +16.6% |
| FNX First Trust Mid Cap Core AlphaDEX Fund | 41% | 0.58% | $1.37B | +11.5% | +19.3% |
| DON WisdomTree U.S. MidCap Dividend Fund | 41% | 0.38% | $3.96B | +12.2% | +16.5% |
| JPME JPMorgan Diversified Return U.S. Mid Cap Eq… | 33% | 0.24% | $464.7M | +16.8% | +18.5% |
| XMHQ Invesco S&P MidCap Quality ETF | 21% | 0.25% | $5.44B | +11.2% | +18.2% |
Questions investors ask
Is PTMC good for retirement?
It depends on the role it plays. PTMC may suit retirees who want mid-cap stocks plus a rules-based shift into Treasury bills when the market trends down. It still lost 13.9% in 2022, its worst calendar year, and its deepest drop was 20.5%. The drawbacks are a 0.60% expense ratio, about twice the 0.30% peer average, and a 1.66% yield paid once a year as of October 27, 2026.
What's the difference between PTMC and SPMD?
Both funds own S&P MidCap 400 stocks, and their holdings overlapped by 93% in the latest reports. The difference is that PTMC can move half or all of its money into 3-month Treasury bills when mid caps trend down. SPMD costs 0.03% a year, compared with 0.60% for PTMC. As of October 30, 2026, SPMD had returned 15.1% over one year and 17.7% a year over three years. As of October 27, 2026, PTMC had returned 11.3% and 10.7%.
Does PTMC pay monthly dividends?
No. PTMC pays its distribution once a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid $0.66 per share, a trailing yield of 1.66%. Investors who need regular monthly income from this holding would have to plan around a single yearly payment or sell shares to fill the gaps.
How much did PTMC lose in 2022?
PTMC lost 13.9% in 2022, according to its prospectus, which made it the fund's worst calendar year. From its peak on January 4, 2022, it fell 12.7% to a low on September 7, 2022. It didn't regain that peak until March 27, 2024, about 18.6 months later. The trend rules softened the decline, but they didn't avoid it.
What is PTMC's 10-year return?
PTMC returned 5.42% a year on average over the 10 years to December 31, 2025, according to its prospectus. Over the same period, the five-year average was 2.93% a year and the one-year return was -1.52%. Using prices, the 10-year return was 5.9% a year as of October 27, 2026. In the SEC's standard example, a $10,000 investment would pay about $750 in costs over 10 years.