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Is Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
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Making its debut on 12/13/2016, smart beta exchange traded fund Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
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.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Because the fund has amassed over $358.78 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth. NUMG is managed by Nuveen. Before fees and expenses, NUMG seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Growth Index.
The Nuveen ESG USA Mid-Cap Growth Index composes of equity securities issued by mid-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.31% for NUMG, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.01%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
NUMG's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 29.9% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Quanta Services Inc. (PWR) accounts for about 5.84% of the fund's total assets, followed by Ciena Corp (CIEN) and Comfort Systems Usa Inc (FIX).
The top 10 holdings account for about 39.18% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF has lost about -5.22% so far, and is down about -3.22% over the last 12 months (as of 06/19/2026). NUMG has traded between $39.77 $49.54 in this past 52-week period.
NUMG has a beta of 1.15 and standard deviation of 19.65% for the trailing three-year period. With about 43 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers .
Alternatives
Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF Shares (ESGV) tracks FTSE US ALL CAP CHOICE INDEX and the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) tracks MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF Shares has $13.19 billion in assets, iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has $17.43 billion. ESGV has an expense ratio of 0.09% and ESGU changes 0.15%.
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 - Mid 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 Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) a Strong ETF Right Now?
Making its debut on 12/13/2016, smart beta exchange traded fund Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth category of the market.
What Are Smart Beta ETFs?
The ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on market capitalization weighted indexes that are designed to represent the market or a particular segment of the market.
Market cap weighted indexes work great for investors who believe in market efficiency. They provide a low-cost, convenient and transparent way of replicating market returns.
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.
This kind of index follows this same mindset, as it attempts to pick stocks that have better chances of risk-return performance; non-cap weighted strategies base selection on certain fundamental characteristics, or a mix of such characteristics.
This area offers many different investment choices, such as simplest equal-weighting, fundamental weighting and volatility/momentum based weighting methodologies; however, not all of these strategies can deliver superior results.
Fund Sponsor & Index
Because the fund has amassed over $358.78 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth. NUMG is managed by Nuveen. Before fees and expenses, NUMG seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Growth Index.
The Nuveen ESG USA Mid-Cap Growth Index composes of equity securities issued by mid-capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges.
Cost & Other Expenses
Cost is an important factor in selecting the right ETF, and cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins if all other fundamentals are the same.
Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.31% for NUMG, making it on par with most peer products in the space.
It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.01%.
Sector Exposure and Top Holdings
Even though ETFs offer diversified exposure which minimizes single stock risk, it is still important to look into a fund's holdings before investing. Luckily, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.
NUMG's heaviest allocation is in the Information Technology sector, which is about 29.9% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Healthcare round out the top three.
When you look at individual holdings, Quanta Services Inc. (PWR) accounts for about 5.84% of the fund's total assets, followed by Ciena Corp (CIEN) and Comfort Systems Usa Inc (FIX).
The top 10 holdings account for about 39.18% of total assets under management.
Performance and Risk
Year-to-date, the Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF has lost about -5.22% so far, and is down about -3.22% over the last 12 months (as of 06/19/2026). NUMG has traded between $39.77 $49.54 in this past 52-week period.
NUMG has a beta of 1.15 and standard deviation of 19.65% for the trailing three-year period. With about 43 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers .
Alternatives
Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF is an excellent option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth segment of the market. There are other ETFs in the space which investors could consider as well.
Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF Shares (ESGV) tracks FTSE US ALL CAP CHOICE INDEX and the iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) tracks MSCI USA ESG Focus Index. Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF Shares has $13.19 billion in assets, iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF has $17.43 billion. ESGV has an expense ratio of 0.09% and ESGU changes 0.15%.
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 - Mid 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.