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Is Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Launched on 12/13/2016, the Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Nuveen, NUSC has amassed assets over $1.21 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG Small-Cap Index.
The Nuveen ESG USA Small-Cap Index composed of equity securities issued by small-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
Cost & Other Expenses
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.31% for NUSC, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.03%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Representing 17.80% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector; Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Service Corp Internationa (SCI - Free Report) accounts for about 0.99% of the fund's total assets, followed by Murphy Usd Inc (MUSA - Free Report) and H & R Block Inc. (HRB - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.18% of NUSC's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF has gained about 7.98% so far, and is up about 31.65% over the last 12 months (as of 11/01/2024). NUSC has traded between $33.13 and $43.58 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.13 and standard deviation of 21.70% for the trailing three-year period. With about 513 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU - Free Report) tracks MSCI USA ESG Focus Index and the JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ - Free Report) tracks ----------------------------------------. IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has $13.31 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $17.58 billion. ESGU has an expense ratio of 0.15% and JEPQ charges 0.35%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Small Cap Growth.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.
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Is Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Launched on 12/13/2016, the Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund offering broad exposure to the Style Box - Small Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
Products that are based on market cap weighted indexes, which are strategies designed to reflect a specific market segment or the market as a whole, have traditionally dominated the ETF industry.
Market cap weighted indexes offer a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, and are a good option for investors who believe in market efficiency.
But, there are some investors who would rather invest in smart beta funds; these funds track non-cap weighted strategies, and are a strong option for those who prefer choosing great stocks in order to beat the market.
These indexes attempt to select stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance, based on certain fundamental characteristics or a combination of such characteristics.
Methodologies like equal-weighting, one of the simplest options out there, fundamental weighting, and volatility/momentum based weighting are all choices offered to investors in this space, but not all of them can deliver superior returns.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Managed by Nuveen, NUSC has amassed assets over $1.21 billion, making it one of the larger ETFs in the Style Box - Small Cap Growth. This particular fund, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG Small-Cap Index.
The Nuveen ESG USA Small-Cap Index composed of equity securities issued by small-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
Cost & Other Expenses
Expense ratios are an important factor in the return of an ETF and in the long-term, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins, other things remaining the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.31% for NUSC, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It's 12-month trailing dividend yield comes in at 1.03%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
It is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
Representing 17.80% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Industrials sector; Financials and Consumer Discretionary round out the top three.
Taking into account individual holdings, Service Corp Internationa (SCI - Free Report) accounts for about 0.99% of the fund's total assets, followed by Murphy Usd Inc (MUSA - Free Report) and H & R Block Inc. (HRB - Free Report) .
Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 8.18% of NUSC's total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF has gained about 7.98% so far, and is up about 31.65% over the last 12 months (as of 11/01/2024). NUSC has traded between $33.13 and $43.58 in this past 52-week period.
The fund has a beta of 1.13 and standard deviation of 21.70% for the trailing three-year period. With about 513 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.
Alternatives
Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Small Cap Growth segment of the market. However, there are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider.
IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU - Free Report) tracks MSCI USA ESG Focus Index and the JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ - Free Report) tracks ----------------------------------------. IShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has $13.31 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $17.58 billion. ESGU has an expense ratio of 0.15% and JEPQ charges 0.35%.
Investors looking for cheaper and lower-risk options should consider traditional market cap weighted ETFs that aim to match the returns of the Style Box - Small Cap Growth.
Bottom Line
To learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center.