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Is Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) a Strong ETF Right Now?

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The Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG - Free Report) made its debut on 12/13/2016, and is a smart beta exchange traded fund that provides broad exposure to the Style Box - Mid 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.

Because market cap weighted indexes provide a low-cost, convenient, and transparent way of replicating market returns, they work well 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.

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.

Even though this space provides many choices to investors--think one of the simplest methodologies like equal-weighting and more complicated ones like fundamental and volatility/momentum based weighting--not all have been able to deliver first-rate results.

Fund Sponsor & Index

NUMG is managed by Nuveen, and this fund has amassed over $378.02 million, which makes it one of the average sized ETFs in the Style Box - Mid Cap Growth. NUMG seeks to match the performance of the TIAA ESG USA Mid-Cap Growth Index before fees and expenses.

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

Cost & Other Expenses

Since cheaper funds tend to produce better results than more expensive funds, assuming all other factors remain equal, it is important for investors to pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio.

With on par with most peer products in the space, this ETF has annual operating expenses of 0.31%.

The fund has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.18%.

Sector Exposure and Top Holdings

While ETFs offer diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk, a deep look into a fund's holdings is a valuable exercise. And, 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 33.90% of the portfolio. Its Industrials and Telecom round out the top three.

When you look at individual holdings, Quanta Services Inc. (PWR - Free Report) accounts for about 3.50% of the fund's total assets, followed by Grainger W.w. Inc. (GWW - Free Report) and Gartner Group Inc (IT - Free Report) .

NUMG's top 10 holdings account for about 30.37% of its total assets under management.

Performance and Risk

So far this year, NUMG has lost about -1.30%, and was up about 2.56% in the last one year (as of 07/22/2024). During this past 52-week period, the fund has traded between $33.95 and $44.69.

The fund has a beta of 1.10 and standard deviation of 23.65% for the trailing three-year period. With about 53 holdings, it effectively diversifies company-specific risk.

Alternatives

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF is a reasonable option for investors seeking to outperform the Style Box - Mid 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 $12.97 billion in assets, JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF has $15.05 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 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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