Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF (NUDM) a Strong ETF Right Now?

Read MoreHide Full Article

Making its debut on 06/07/2017, smart beta exchange traded fund Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF (NUDM - Free Report) provides investors broad exposure to the Broad Developed World ETFs category of the market.

What Are Smart Beta ETFs?

Market cap weighted indexes were created to reflect the market, or a specific segment of the market, and the ETF industry has traditionally been dominated by products based on this strategy.

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

Because the fund has amassed over $447.72 million, this makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Broad Developed World ETFs. NUDM is managed by Nuveen. NUDM seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG International Developed Markets Equity Index before fees and expenses.

The TIAA ESG International Developed Markets Equity Index uses a rules-based methodology to arrive at a diversified portfolio of equity securities issued by companies located in countries with developed markets, excluding the U.S. and Canada, that adhere to predetermined ESG, controversial business involvement and low-carbon criteria.

Cost & Other Expenses

For ETF investors, expense ratios are an important factor when considering a fund's return; in the long-term, cheaper funds actually have the ability to outperform their more expensive cousins if all other things remain the same.

Operating expenses on an annual basis are 0.31% for this ETF, which makes it on par with most peer products in the space.

It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.86%.

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.

Taking into account individual holdings, Novo Nordisk (NOVOB) accounts for about 3.85% of the fund's total assets, followed by Asml Holding Nv (ASML - Free Report) and Schneider Electric Se (SU - Free Report) .

Its top 10 holdings account for approximately 21.34% of NUDM's total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

The ETF return is roughly 9.62% so far this year and was up about 17.26% in the last one year (as of 07/11/2024). In the past 52-week period, it has traded between $25.86 and $32.25.

The ETF has a beta of 0.89 and standard deviation of 16.56% for the trailing three-year period. With about 160 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Nuveen ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Broad Developed World ETFs 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 $13.18 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $15.38 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 Broad Developed World ETFs.

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.

Published in