Over the past year, Pacer ETFs (Pacer), an ETF provider that offers strategy-driven, rules-based ETFs, grew in every facet of its business due to its client-centric philosophy and innovative ETF strategies.As a result of investor demand, Pacer accumulated USD2.4 billion in assets under management in 2019, ending the year with a total AUM of USD5.62 billion, a 75 per cent increase from 31 December, 2018.
“Pacer has grown from being small and largely unknown in the ETF industry to becoming a clear player in the four short years since our launch in 2015,” says Sean O’Hara, president of Pacer ETFs Distributors. “After a year of exceptional growth, we are excited to pursue new opportunities and challenge the success we experienced in 2019.”
Pacer’s tremendous growth comes on the coattails of seven new ETF launches this year, six of which were included in Pacer’s popular Trendpilot Series and Cash Cows Index Series:
The Pacer Trendpilot US Bond ETF (PTBD) aims to offer risk-mitigated direct exposure between the S&P US High Yield Corporate Bond Index and the S&P US Treasury Bond 7-10 Year Index.
The Pacer Trendpilot International ETF (PTIN) is an index-based ETF that seeks to offer investors exposure to international markets via the S&P Developed Ex-US Large Cap Index in up-trending markets. It will shift into US treasuries if the index dips below its 200-day moving average.
The Pacer Trendpilot Fund of Funds ETF (TRND) is composed of four ETFs in Pacer’s Trendpilot Series to include index exposure to the US large-cap, US mid-cap, NASDAQ-100 and international market spaces.
The Pacer US Cash Cows Growth ETF (BUL) follows an index derived from the S&P 900 Pure Growth Index to include companies exhibiting strong growth characteristics. Companies are screened into the index based on their free cash flow yield.
The Pacer Emerging Markets Cash Cows 100 ETF (ECOW) seeks to track an index derived from the FTSE Emerging Markets Index. This ETF is composed of the top 100 companies in emerging markets with the highest free cash flow yield.
The Pacer Cash Cows Fund of Funds ETF (HERD) is composed of five Pacer Cash Cows Index Series ETFs to include exposure to the Russell 1000, S&P SmallCap 600, S&P 900 Pure Growth, FTSE Developed Large-Cap and FTSE Developed ex-US Indexes.
The Pacer American Energy Independence ETF (USAI) seeks to offer investors exposure to the growth potential of infrastructure development supporting domestic energy supplies. This fund joins the product-offering lineup as Pacer’s first acquisition of an existing ETF.
Growth has not been limited to ETF offerings. Coinciding with Pacer’s growing product diversity, the firm added 29 total employees in 2019 ー 14 of whom are external wholesalers, adding up to a total of 41 external wholesalers across the country. In total, Pacer now has 83 employees, with plans to add additional staff in 2020 to not only offer better service to investors and advisors alike, but also support their impressive growth. On the sales front, Pacer plans to expand its presence in the independent financial advisor channel across the country.
“Pacer’s steady growth is upheld by the dedication and innovation of our employees and approach to creating attractive funds,” says Joe Thomson, founder and president of Pacer Financial. “We owe much of our success to the pillars of support we find through our employees, partners and investors. It’s through this support that we continue to deliver the highest quality of service to the investors and advisors who believe in what we do.”
