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Is Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF (NUMV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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Designed to provide broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid Cap Value category of the market, the Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF (NUMV - Free Report) is a smart beta exchange traded fund launched on 12/13/2016.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

For a long time now, the ETF industry has been flooded with products based on market capitalization weighted indexes, which are designed to represent the broader market or a particular market segment.

Investors who believe in market efficiency should consider market cap indexes, as they replicate market returns in a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way.

If you're the kind of investor who would rather try and beat the market through good stock selection, then smart beta funds are your best choice; this fund class is known for tracking non-cap weighted strategies.

By attempting to pick stocks that have a better chance of risk-return performance, non-cap weighted indexes are based on certain fundamental characteristics, or a combination of such.

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

NUMV is managed by Nuveen, and this fund has amassed over $331.70 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Value. NUMV, before fees and expenses, seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Value Index.

The TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Value Index comprises of equity securities issued by mid- capitalization companies listed on US exchanges. It uses a rules-based methodology that seeks to provide investment exposure that generally replicates mid-cap value benchmarks through a portfolio of securities that adhere to predetermined ESG, controversial business involvement and low-carbon screening criteria.

Cost & Other Expenses

When considering an ETF's total return, expense ratios are an important factor. And, cheaper funds can significantly outperform their more expensive cousins in the long term if all other factors remain equal.

Annual operating expenses for NUMV are 0.31%, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.09%.

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 17.60% of the portfolio, the fund has heaviest allocation to the Financials sector; Industrials and Information Technology round out the top three.

Taking into account individual holdings, Oneok Inc (OKE - Free Report) accounts for about 2.50% of the fund's total assets, followed by United Rentals Inc (URI - Free Report) and Ferguson Plc.

NUMV's top 10 holdings account for about 20.79% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

Year-to-date, the Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF has added about 5.17% so far, and was up about 16.13% over the last 12 months (as of 06/14/2024). NUMV has traded between $26.41 and $34.20 in this past 52-week period.

NUMV has a beta of 1.09 and standard deviation of 18.58% for the trailing three-year period. With about 88 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid Cap Value 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 $12.77 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $14.29 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 - Mid Cap Value.

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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