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Is Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Launched on 12/16/2016, the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Pacer Etfs. It has amassed assets over $19.72 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index.
The Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to large and mid-capitalization U.S. companies with high free cash flow yields.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.49%.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.06%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
For COWZ, it has heaviest allocation in the Healthcare sector --about 19.9% of the portfolio --while Energy and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Nike Inc (NKE) accounts for about 2.17% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Ford Motor Co (F).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 20.95% of COWZ's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 3.14% and was up about 5.17% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 09/08/2025), respectively. COWZ has traded between $47.46 and $61.35 during this last 52-week period.
COWZ has a beta of 0.95 and standard deviation of 17.67% for the trailing three-year period. With about 103 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $71.69 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $143.34 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV changes 0.04%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Value
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Is Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 12/16/2016, the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well for investors who believe in market efficiency.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
The fund is sponsored by Pacer Etfs. It has amassed assets over $19.72 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs in the Style Box - Large Cap Value. Before fees and expenses, this particular fund seeks to match the performance of the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index.
The Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to large and mid-capitalization U.S. companies with high free cash flow yields.
Cost & Other Expenses
For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.
With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.49%.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 2.06%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
For COWZ, it has heaviest allocation in the Healthcare sector --about 19.9% of the portfolio --while Energy and Information Technology round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Nike Inc (NKE) accounts for about 2.17% of total assets, followed by Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) and Ford Motor Co (F).
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 20.95% of COWZ's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
The ETF return is roughly 3.14% and was up about 5.17% so far this year and in the past one year (as of 09/08/2025), respectively. COWZ has traded between $47.46 and $61.35 during this last 52-week period.
COWZ has a beta of 0.95 and standard deviation of 17.67% for the trailing three-year period. With about 103 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk .
Alternatives
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Large Cap Value segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) tracks Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100 Index and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) tracks CRSP U.S. Large Cap Value Index. Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $71.69 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $143.34 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV changes 0.04%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Large Cap Value
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.