ETF Evaluator:
Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Large Growth Over the Last Year
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ETF Details
Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF Overview
Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG) is a passively managed U.S. Equity Large Growth exchange-traded fund (ETF). Nuveen launched the ETF in 2016.
The investment seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Growth Index (the "index").
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in component securities of the index. The index is comprised of equity securities issued by large capitalization companies listed on U.S. exchanges that meet certain environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") criteria.
About Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (NULG)
There are 3 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.63 years: Philip Campagna (2016), Darren Tran (2024) and Nazar Romanyak (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
The ETF has 2 primary benchmarks: MSCI USA NR USD index with a weighting of 100% and MSCI USA Growth NR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has 70 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 44.0% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity ETF group. Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has 1.7% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 98.3% There is 1.7% 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 ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has 0.0% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $2 billion in total assets, which is below the $8 billion average for the Large Growth 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.
NULG 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 ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Large Growth category. Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has an expense ratio of 0.26%, which is 47% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. 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 ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 62%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 74% for the Large Growth category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF returned -4.3%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Large Growth category had an average return of -3.8%. 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 ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF has a trailing yield of 0.10%, which is below the 0.53% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income annually 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 ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned 14.6%, 8.4 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of A. The fund has returned 15.2% over the past year (grade of C), 20.7% over the past three years (grade of C) and 12.4% per year over the past five years (grade of B).
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NULG 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 |
|
| NULG Return (NAV) | -4.3% | 7.3% | 15.2% | 20.7% | 12.4% | na |
| NULG Return (Price) | -4.2% | 7.3% | 15.3% | 20.8% | 12.4% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.093% | -0.046% | -0.103% | -0.047% | -0.017% | na |
| Large Growth Avg | -3.8% | 2.7% | 13.0% | 19.6% | 9.9% | 15.8% |
| NULG Grade (NAV) | D | A | C | C | B | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.5% | 4.6% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.5% | na |
| NULG Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.5% | na |
NULG Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| NULG Return (NAV) | 14.6% | 14.1% | 23.9% | 42.6% | -28.4% | 28.1% | 39.7% | 39.3% | 0.6% | 25.3% | na |
| NULG Return (Price) | 14.7% | 14.1% | 23.8% | 42.7% | -28.4% | 28.2% | 39.5% | 39.2% | 0.1% | 24.6% | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | 0.007% | -0.004% | -0.004% | 0.004% | 0.001% | 0.003% | -0.003% | -0.1% | -82.5% | -2.8% | na |
| Large Growth Avg | 6.2% | 16.9% | 30.5% | 38.6% | -30.7% | 21.6% | 37.2% | 33.0% | -2.1% | 28.4% | 5.0% |
| NULG Grade (NAV) | A | D | F | B | B | B | B | A | B | F | na |
| +/- Category | 8.4% | -2.7% | -6.6% | 3.9% | 2.3% | 6.5% | 2.4% | 6.3% | 2.8% | -3.2% | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | 1.24 |
| R-Squared: | 85% |
| Standard Deviation: | 17.6% |
| Category Risk Index: | 0.95 |
| Category Risk Rating: | Average |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.43 |
| Total Risk Rating: | Above Average |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 0.1% |
| Total Assets: | $ 2,667 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 2,667 Mil |
| Turnover: | 62.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.26% |
| Index Fund: | Yes |
| Index Tracked: | MSCI USA NR USD |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | Yes |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 3 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 9.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.6 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Campagna Philip (2016), Tran Darren (2024), Romanyak Nazar (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 70 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 44.0% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.7% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 98.3% |
| Foreign Stock: | 1.7% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.0% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | Nuveen |
| Phone Number: | 888-290-9881 |
| Website: | http://www.nuveen.com |
| Inception Date: | December 13, 2016 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.26% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.49% |
