Get the weekly note

Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.

ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

CTA vs PULS: how they differ

CTA and PULS hold 0% of their weight in the same names, and CTA returned more over the year.

Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF and PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF.

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, CTA and PULS hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Largest positions each one holds and the other does not
Only in CTAOnly in PULS
SIMPLIFY EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 81.69%PGIM ETF Trust 2.38%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.72%GLENCORE FUNDING LLC 0.98%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 3.44%Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. 0.87%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.76%ABN AMRO BANK NV 0.75%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.75%BX TRUST 2022-LBA6 0.68%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 2.20%FEDERATION DES CAISSES DESJARDINS DU QUE 0.67%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.37%BX TRUST 2018-BILT 0.56%
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - BUREAU OF THE 1.07%BROADCOM INC 0.56%

Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Jun 30, 2026 and May 29, 2026.

CTA and PULS on the fields both publish, as of Sep 12, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
CTA
Simplify Managed Futures Strategy ETF
PULS
PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF
Where it sitsCore index fundCore index fund
IssuerSimplifyPGIM
What it isSimplify Managed Futures StrategyPGIM Ultra Short Bond
Total return, 1 year+17.0%+4.2%
S&P 500 over the same days+17.5%+17.5%
Gap to the S&P 500−0.5 pts−13.3 pts
Expense ratio0.75%0.15%
Holdings10553

CTA in plain words

CTA is an index equity fund tracking the Simplify Managed Futures Strategy. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +17.0% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.75% a year. By its holdings filed for Jun 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 10 positions, with the top ten at 100.0%. It sat 5.3% below its high of May 4, 2026 on Sep 11, 2026.

PULS in plain words

PULS is a cash and treasury bills tracking the PGIM Ultra Short Bond. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +4.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.15% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, CTA or PULS?
In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, CTA returned +17.0% and PULS returned +4.2%, so CTA returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
Which is cheaper, CTA or PULS?
CTA charges 0.75% a year and PULS charges 0.15%, so PULS is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

Where to next

Where these figures came from

ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.

CTA against PULS, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, CTA against PULS, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/CTA-PULS Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources