ETF Evaluator:
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF ()
Follow This ETF
(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Mid-Cap Blend Over the Last Year
| 58.8% | Castellan Targeted Equity ETF (CTEF) |
| 53.8% | Invesco S&P Spin-Off ETF (CSD) |
| 43.0% | Counterpoint Quantitative Equity ETF (CPAI) |
| 40.8% | Optimize Strategy Index ETF (OPTZ) |
| 37.3% | Tema U.S. Manufacturing & Reshoring ETF (WELD) |
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Risk
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ETF Details
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF Overview
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Mid-Cap Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). Pacer launched the ETF in 2018.
The investment seeks to track the total return performance, before fees and expenses, of the Pacer U.S. Export Leaders Index (the "index").
The fund invests at least 80% of its total assets (exclusive of collateral held from securities lending) in the component securities of the index. The index uses an objective, rules-based methodology to measure the performance of an equal weight portfolio of approximately 100 large- and mid-capitalization U.S. companies with a high percentage of foreign sales and high free cash flow growth. Free cash flow is a company's cash flow from operations minus its capital expenditures.
About Pacer US Export Leaders ETF (PEXL)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 6.09 years: Bruce Kavanaugh (2018) and Danke Wang (2022). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 900 TR index with a weighting of 100% and Pacer US Export Leaders TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Pacer US Export Leaders ETF has 102 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 44.5% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Pacer US Export Leaders ETF has 1.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 99.0% There is 1.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Pacer US Export Leaders ETF has 0.1% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $50 million in total assets, which is below the $4 billion average for the Mid-Cap Blend category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
PEXL Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Pacer US Export Leaders ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Mid-Cap Blend category. Pacer US Export Leaders ETF has an expense ratio of 0.60%, which is 33% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Pacer US Export Leaders ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 100%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 84% for the Mid-Cap Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Pacer US Export Leaders ETF returned -7.1%, which earned it a grade of F, as the Mid-Cap Blend category had an average return of -1.6%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF has a trailing yield of 0.31%, which is below the 0.85% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Pacer US Export Leaders ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 15.6%, 1.6 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of B. The fund has returned 31.5% over the past year (grade of A), 16.4% over the past three years (grade of B) and 10.9% per year over the past five years (grade of A).
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PEXL Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| PEXL Return (NAV) | -7.1% | 4.7% | 31.5% | 16.4% | 10.9% | na |
| PEXL Return (Price) | -7.0% | 4.9% | 31.8% | 16.6% | 10.9% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.122% | -0.251% | -0.350% | -0.118% | -0.069% | na |
| Mid-Cap Blend Avg | -1.6% | 4.4% | 20.8% | 14.8% | 8.8% | 11.6% |
| PEXL Grade (NAV) | F | C | A | B | A | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -5.5% | 0.3% | 10.7% | 1.6% | 2.1% | na |
| PEXL Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | na |
PEXL Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| PEXL Return (NAV) | 15.6% | 26.7% | 6.0% | 24.5% | -20.4% | 29.9% | 25.0% | 39.5% | na | na | na |
| PEXL Return (Price) | 15.7% | 27.3% | 5.8% | 24.4% | -20.4% | 30.1% | 25.0% | 39.9% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.005% | 0.023% | -0.039% | -0.004% | -0.001% | 0.008% | 0.000% | 1.1% | na | na | na |
| Mid-Cap Blend Avg | 14.0% | 10.6% | 16.1% | 16.9% | -14.4% | 23.3% | 15.6% | 27.4% | -9.1% | 19.1% | 14.8% |
| PEXL Grade (NAV) | B | A | F | A | F | A | B | A | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 1.6% | 16.1% | -10.1% | 7.6% | -6.0% | 6.6% | 9.4% | 12.1% | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.27 |
| R-Squared: | 82% |
| Standard Deviation: | 18.3% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.16 |
| Category Risk Rating: | High |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.49 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 51 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 51 Mil |
| Turnover: | 100.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.60% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 900 TR |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 8.0 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 6.1 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Kavanaugh Bruce (2018), Wang Danke (2022) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 102 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 44.5% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 99.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.1% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Pacer |
| Phone Number: | 800-617-0004 |
| Website: | www.paceretfs.com |
| Inception Date: | July 23, 2018 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.60% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.45% |
