MDAA vs PTBD

MDAABMyriad Dynamic Asset Allocation ETF

PTBDAPacer Trendpilot US Bond ETF

In short

MDAA A go-anywhere multi-asset fund that names its opponent out loud: the classic 60/40. MDAA chases long-term growth first and capital preservation second, shifting across global stocks and bonds to try to beat that blend.

PTBD Trend following, pointed at bonds instead of stocks. A published rulebook shifts PTBD between high yield corporates and intermediate Treasuries as their relative strength changes, dialing credit risk up or down by formula rather than by opinion.

Stated mandate

MDAA The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation and, secondarily, capital preservation. It aims to outperform a benchmark consisting of 60% global equities and 40% global bonds over the long term.

PTBD The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the total return of the Pacer Trendpilot US Bond Index through a rules-based strategy that alternates between high-yield corporate bonds and U.S. Treasury bonds.

Why people hold it

• MDAA The prospectus names the yardstick: 60% global equities, 40% global bonds. Most tactical funds stay vague about what they are actually trying to beat.
• Capital preservation is written in as the secondary objective, so managing the downside is part of the stated mandate rather than a marketing line.
• Global reach across asset classes in one ticker, held in a standard 1940 Act ETF wrapper: 1099 tax reporting, no K-1, ordinary ETF plumbing.

• PTBD The rulebook is public and mechanical: high yield measured against Treasuries, compared to its 100-day average, with five straight closes needed to confirm. No manager hunch involved.paceretfs.com
• 0.60% a year, comfortably below the median for tactical multi-asset funds. Cheap for a strategy that does the reallocating for you.
• Holds roughly 1,000 bonds in whichever sleeve the signal points to, so no single issuer carries much weight. Income is distributed monthly.
• Trading since 2019, long enough to have run the rules through a rate shock and a credit wobble, and it sits in the upper tier of the tactical funds we cover.

Worth knowing

• MDAA At 0.97% the fee sits right at the tactical multi-asset median (0.95%), but the cohort's top-rated names run cheaper: ENDW at 0.22%, ONOF at 0.39%. Cost is part of the 60/40 hurdle.
• Launched in 2025, so the record is short. A tactical allocation process only shows what it is across a full market cycle.
• Trades lightly next to the category's busiest names, which can mean wider spreads. Limit orders are the usual tool here.

• PTBD Trend rules react, they don't anticipate. A sharp reversal can flip the signal after the move has happened, and the confirmation window means the switch lands days later.paceretfs.com
• In its risk-on position the portfolio is high yield corporate debt, full stop. That is credit risk, a different animal from Treasury rate risk.paceretfs.com
• Not one of the heavily traded names in its category, so the spread and a limit order matter more here than with a mega-fund.

Full MDAA profile⁠

Full PTBD profile⁠