Launched on June 16, 2017, the Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows ETF (CALF) is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to provide a broad exposure to the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
The fund is sponsored by Pacer Etfs. It has amassed assets over $3.32 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs attempting to match the Small Cap Value segment of the US equity market.
Why Small Cap Value
With more potential comes more risk, and small cap companies, with market capitalization below $2 billion, epitomizes this way of thinking.
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
Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.
Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.59%, making it one of the more expensive products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 1.37%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
This ETF has heaviest allocation to the Consumer Discretionary sector -- about 28.7% of the portfolio. Information Technology and Healthcare round out the top three.
Looking at individual holdings, Apa Corp (APA) accounts for about 2.38% of total assets, followed by Zoom Communications Inc (ZM) and Devon Energy Corp (DVN).
The top 10 holdings account for about 20.29% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
CALF seeks to match the performance of the Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Index before fees and expenses. The Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows Index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to provide exposure to small-capitalization U.S. companies with high free cash flow yields.
The ETF has added about 5.34% so far this year and was up about 20.6% in the last one year (as of 05/18/2026). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $38.07 and $48.45.
The ETF has a beta of 1.01 and standard deviation of 20.56% for the trailing three-year period. With about 202 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Pacer US Small Cap Cash Cows 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, CALF is a sufficient option for those seeking exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Value area of the market. Investors might also want to consider some other ETF options in the space.
The iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN) and the Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares (VBR) track a similar index. While iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF has $13.44 billion in assets, Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund ETF Shares has $34.23 billion. IWN has an expense ratio of 0.24% and VBR charges 0.05%.
Bottom-Line
Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are 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 Small Cap Cash Cows ETF (CALF): ETF Research Reports
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).