PTMC vs THIR

PTMCAPacer Trendpilot US Mid Cap ETF

THIRCTHOR Index Rotation 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.

THIR Most trend-following ETFs flip one index between stocks and cash. THIR runs a weekly momentum read across three (S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq 100), holds only the ones trending up, and parks the rest in cash. 0.69%, no waiver.

Stated mandate

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

THIR The Fund seeks to track, before fees and expenses, the THOR SDQ Rotation Index. Its rules-based strategy uses U.S. index ETFs to pursue large-cap equity exposure while seeking lower volatility by avoiding indexes and ETFs in downtrends.

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.

• THIR Picks which index, not just whether to be invested: a weekly signal rates the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq 100, and equal-weights whichever ones read risk-on.sec.gov
• Defense is in the rules. If two of three signals turn risk-off, the index pairs the survivor with a 50% cash sleeve; in severe stretches it can sit fully in cash.sec.govbusinesswire.com
• What you own is legible: three plain index ETFs and cash, rebalanced weekly, rather than a black-box basket of single names.sec.gov

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.

• THIR Costs 0.69% (gross and net, no waiver). Cheaper trend options exist in the group: WAMA at 0.32%, ONOF at 0.39%, PTLC at 0.60%.
• All three indexes are US large-cap and overlap heavily, so an all-risk-on week looks a lot like plain large-cap beta.sec.gov
• Launched in 2024, so the live record is short, and weekly rebalancing can mean higher turnover than a buy-and-hold tracker.businesswire.com

Full PTMC profile⁠

Full THIR profile⁠