ETF Evaluator:
NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Over the Last Year
| 8.9% | Infrastructure Capital Bond Income ETF (BNDS) |
| 5.2% | Monarch Ambassador Income ETF (MAMB) |
| 4.1% | SanJac Alpha Core Plus Bond ETF (SJCP) |
| 4.1% | F/m Opportunistic Income ETF (ZHOG) |
| 3.9% | PIMCO Active Bond ETF (BOND) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF Overview
NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF (CPLB) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core-Plus Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). New York Life Investment Management LLC launched the ETF in 2021.
The investment seeks total return.
The fund, under normal circumstances, invests at least 80% of the value of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in bonds, which include all types of debt securities, such as: debt or debt-related securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. or foreign governments, their agencies or instrumentalities; obligations of international or supranational entities; debt securities issued by U.S. or foreign corporate entities; zero coupon bonds; municipal bonds; mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities; and loan participation interests.
About NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF (CPLB)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 3.20 years: Andrew Susser (2024), Neil Moriarty (2021), Michael DePalma (2023), Lesya Paisley (2022) and Zach Aronson (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 3 primary benchmarks: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%, Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 80% and ICE BofA US HY Constnd TR USD index with a weighting of 20%. NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF has 971 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 27.0% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF has 9.3% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.5% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 96.8% (87.4% domestic bond, 9.3% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF has 2.7% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $374 million in total assets, which is below the $2 billion average for the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
CPLB Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category. NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF has an expense ratio of 0.30%, which is 31% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a A. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 231%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 157% for the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF returned -0.9%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Intermediate Core-Plus Bond category had an average return of -1.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF has a trailing yield of 6.01%, which is above the 4.67% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
NYLI MacKay Core Plus Bond ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 0.3%, 0.5 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 3.4% over the past year (grade of B), 5.3% over the past three years (grade of A) and 0.4% per year over the past five years (grade of B).
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CPLB Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| CPLB Return (NAV) | -0.9% | -0.3% | 3.4% | 5.3% | 0.4% | na |
| CPLB Return (Price) | -1.0% | -0.4% | 3.5% | 5.3% | 0.4% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 0.094% | 0.114% | -0.060% | -0.010% | 0.021% | na |
| Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Avg | -1.2% | -0.6% | 3.2% | 4.6% | 0.4% | 2.1% |
| CPLB Grade (NAV) | A | A | B | A | B | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.1% | na |
| CPLB Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.8% | na |
CPLB Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| CPLB Return (NAV) | 0.3% | 7.4% | 4.3% | 7.2% | -14.3% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| CPLB Return (Price) | 0.1% | 7.8% | 4.2% | 7.2% | -14.4% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.653% | 0.050% | -0.028% | -0.008% | 0.009% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Intermediate Core-Plus Bond Avg | -0.2% | 7.5% | 3.0% | 6.6% | -13.2% | -0.7% | 8.0% | 9.8% | -0.2% | 4.3% | 4.9% |
| CPLB Grade (NAV) | A | D | A | B | D | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | 0.5% | -0.1% | 1.3% | 0.6% | -1.2% | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.00 |
| R-Squared: | 98% |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.7% |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.02 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.46 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Low |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 6.0% |
| Total Assets: | $ 375 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 375 Mil |
| Turnover: | 231.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.30% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 5.1 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 3.2 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Moriarty Neil (2021), Paisley Lesya (2022), DePalma Michael (2023), Aronson Zach (2024), Susser Andrew (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 971 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 27.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 9.3% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.5% |
| Domestic Bond: | 87.4% |
| Foreign Bond: | 9.3% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 2.7% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | New York Life Investment Management LLC |
| Phone Number: | 888-474-7725 |
| Website: | www.indexiq.com |
| Inception Date: | June 29, 2021 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.30% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.44% |
