Launched on December 16, 2016, the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Pacer Etfs. It has amassed assets over $19.57 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the Large Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Large Cap Value
Companies that fall in the large cap category tend to have a market capitalization above $10 billion. They tend to be stable companies with predictable cash flows and are usually less volatile than mid and small cap companies.
While value stocks have lower than average price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, they also have lower than average sales and earnings growth rates. When you look at long-term performance, value stocks have outperformed growth stocks in nearly all markets. But in strong bull markets, growth stocks are more likely to be winners.
Costs
Investors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.49%, putting it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.07%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure that minimizes single stock risk, investors should also look at the actual holdings inside the fund. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Healthcare sector -- about 20.1% of the portfolio. 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).
The top 10 holdings account for about 20.95% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
COWZ seeks to match the performance of the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index before fees and expenses. 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.
The ETF has gained about 2.8% so far this year and was up about 6.16% in the last one year (as of 09/11/2025). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $47.46 and $61.35.
The ETF has a beta of 0.95 and standard deviation of 17.6% for the trailing three-year period. With about 103 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF carries a Zacks ETF Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Thus, COWZ is a good option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Large Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) and the Vanguard Value ETF (VTV) track a similar index. While Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF has $71.60 billion in assets, Vanguard Value ETF has $145.21 billion. SCHD has an expense ratio of 0.06% and VTV charges 0.04%.
Bottom-Line
Retail and institutional investors increasingly turn to passively managed ETFs because they offer low costs, transparency, flexibility, and tax efficiency; these kind of funds are also excellent vehicles for long term investors.
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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Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ): ETF Research ReportsThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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