ETF Evaluator:
Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF ()
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(as of Jun 25)
Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
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Risk
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ETF Details
Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF Overview
Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF (NUDG) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend exchange-traded fund (ETF). Nuveen launched the ETF in 2026.
The investment seeks an attractive total return comprised of income from dividends and long-term capital appreciation.
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in dividend-paying common stocks and preferred securities. It may, from time to time, have a greater exposure to these higher dividend-yield sectors and industries than the broad equity market. The fund may invest up to 25% of its net assets in non-U.S. equity securities that are U.S. dollar-denominated.
About Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF (NUDG)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.85 years: David Park (2019), Charles Carr (2026) and David Chalupnik (2019). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: S&P 500 (TR) index with a weighting of 100% and Lipper Equity Income class average USD index with a weighting of 100%. Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF has 45 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 42.3% 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.
Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF has 6.9% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 91.7% There is 6.9% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 0.0% (0.0% domestic bond, 0.0% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF has 1.5% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $15 million in total assets, which is below the $13 billion average for the Large Blend 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.
NUDG 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 Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF has an expense ratio of 0.61%, which is 47% higher than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a D. 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. Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 12%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 158% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF returned 3.1%, which earned it a grade of A, as the Large Blend category had an average return of -0.8%. 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.
Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF has a trailing yield of 0.00%, which is below the 1.16% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income quarterly and its capital gains annually.
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.
Nuveen Dividend Growth ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 5.2%, 4.3 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of F. The fund has returned 10.1% over the past year (grade of F), 12.4% over the past three years (grade of F) and 9.4% per year over the past five years (grade of D) and 11.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of F).
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NUDG 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 |
|
| NUDG Return (NAV) | 3.1% | 2.2% | 10.1% | 12.4% | 9.4% | 11.8% |
| NUDG Return (Price) | 0.0% | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | 3.136% | na | na | na | na | na |
| Large Blend Avg | -0.8% | 3.7% | 17.5% | 17.4% | 11.2% | 13.6% |
| NUDG Grade (NAV) | A | F | F | F | D | F |
| +/- Category (NAV) | 4.0% | -1.6% | -7.5% | -5.0% | -1.8% | -1.8% |
| NUDG Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | na | na | na | na |
NUDG Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| NUDG Return (NAV) | 5.2% | 10.0% | 17.5% | 15.1% | -9.5% | 27.2% | 9.8% | 31.9% | -4.1% | 20.0% | 11.8% |
| NUDG Return (Price) | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Large Blend Avg | 9.5% | 15.3% | 21.9% | 22.9% | -17.1% | 26.9% | 18.3% | 29.6% | -5.1% | 21.5% | 11.4% |
| NUDG Grade (NAV) | F | F | D | F | A | C | F | A | B | D | C |
| +/- Category | -4.3% | -5.3% | -4.4% | -7.8% | 7.5% | 0.3% | -8.6% | 2.2% | 1.0% | -1.5% | 0.5% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 0.72 |
| R-Squared: | 78% |
| Standard Deviation: | 10.6% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.78 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Low |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.86 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Below Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | -- |
| Total Assets: | $ 6,341 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 16 Mil |
| Turnover: | 12.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.61% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | S&P 500 (TR) |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Quarterly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 7.2 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.9 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Park David (2019), Chalupnik David (2019), Carr Charles (2026) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 45 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 42.3% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 6.9% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 91.7% |
| Foreign Stock: | 6.9% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.5% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Nuveen |
| Phone Number: | 800-257-8787 |
| Website: | www.nuveen.com |
| Inception Date: | June 2, 2026 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.61% (Rating: Above Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.41% |
