PTMC vs ROMO

PTMCAPacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap ETF

ROMODStrategy Shares Newfound/ReSolve Robust Momentum ETF

In short

PTMC A mid-cap index fund with a seatbelt built in. PTMC tracks a rules-based trend index that shifts the portfolio between roughly 400 US mid-cap stocks and defensive positioning, with no manager judgment in the loop. Running since 2015.

ROMO Most trend funds flip one switch on one moving average. ROMO's index lets a crowd of simple momentum and trend models vote, then shifts weekly in small steps, rotating among US, developed and emerging market equity ETFs or Treasuries as the votes change.

Stated mandate

PTMC The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the total return of the Pacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap Index.

ROMO The Fund seeks pre-fee, pre-expense returns corresponding to the Newfound/ReSolve Robust Equity Momentum Index. It uses passive indexing to track that index.

Why people hold it

• PTMC The trend rules do the deciding, not a portfolio manager's gut: the index itself dictates when to hold mid-cap equities and when to shift defensive.paceretfs.com
• Under the overlay sits a plain, broad basket of roughly 400 US mid caps, not a handful of concentrated picks.
• Live since 2015, so the signal has run through real market drawdowns and recoveries rather than a backtest.

• ROMO No single moving average calls the shot: many simple momentum and trend models vote, and each holding's weight tracks its share of the votes.solactive.comthinknewfound.com
• Signals come from four momentum calculations run across lookbacks from roughly one month to 18 months, so one parameter choice does not drive the portfolio.thinknewfound.com
• Signals update weekly but are only partly implemented, so the equity dial turns in increments instead of flipping all in or all out.thinknewfound.comsolactive.com
• The map is global: US, developed international and emerging market equity ETFs, with US Treasury ETFs when equity trends go negative. Live since 2019.solactive.com

Worth knowing

• PTMC The 0.60% fee buys the rules, not more stocks. Plain index wrappers in the same peer group, like VXF at 0.05%, simply hold the market and skip the overlay.
• Trend systems move on sustained direction, so a sharp drop and fast snapback can whipsaw the signal in both directions.paceretfs.com
• It trades lightly next to vanilla mid-cap index funds, which tends to mean wider bid-ask spreads at the moment of the trade.

• ROMO Costs 0.92% net of a waiver through August 31, 2027 (1.29% gross), above the category median across 20 funds. Trend peers WAMA (0.32%) and ONOF (0.39%) charge less.
• Gradual moves cut both ways: the index can stay partly invested through a selloff and partly defensive into a rebound.thinknewfound.comsolactive.com
• A small fund that trades lightly, so spreads and premium or discount gaps can run wider than at the category's heavyweights. It also owns ETFs, layering fund costs.sec.gov

Full PTMC profile⁠

Full ROMO profile⁠