Fund Evaluator:
Columbia Cornerstone Equity S (NSEAX)Best Performing in Large Blend Over the Last Year
| 49.8% | PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth (POGRX) |
| 48.6% | Vanguard PRIMECAP Core Inv (VPCCX) |
| 45.8% | Vanguard PRIMECAP Adm (VPMAX) |
| 45.7% | Vanguard PRIMECAP Inv (VPMCX) |
| 42.3% | Midas Special Opportunities (MISEX) |
Fund Details
Columbia Cornerstone Equity S Overview
Columbia Cornerstone Equity S (NSEAX) is an actively managed U.S. Equity Large Blend fund. Columbia Threadneedle launched the fund in 2024.
The investment seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of companies that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, in the range of companies in the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index (the index). It may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities. The fund normally invests in common stocks, preferred stocks and convertible securities and may invest in exchange-traded funds.
About Columbia Cornerstone Equity S (NSEAX)
There are 2 members of the management team with an average tenure of 4.59 years: Tiffany Wade (2019), Michael Guttag (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: S&P 500 (TR) index with a weighting of 100%. Columbia Cornerstone Equity S has 58 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 42.8% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Columbia Cornerstone Equity S is part of the Equity global asset class and is within the U.S. Equity fund group. Columbia Cornerstone Equity S has 2.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 97.8%. There is 2.0% 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). Columbia Cornerstone Equity S has 0.2% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $49 million in total assets, which is below the $6 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.
NSEAX 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 Columbia Cornerstone Equity S expense ratio is above average compared to funds in the Large Blend category. Columbia Cornerstone Equity S has an expense ratio of 0.65%, which is 20% 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. Columbia Cornerstone Equity S has a portfolio turnover rate of 71%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 48% for the Large Blend category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Columbia Cornerstone Equity S returned 0.4%, which earned it a grade of C, as the Large Blend category had an average return of 0.4%. 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 funds in that category.
Columbia Cornerstone Equity S has a trailing yield of 0.42%, which is below the 0.56% 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.
Columbia Cornerstone Equity S Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned 9.0%, 0.3 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 16.6% over the past year (grade of D), 17.4% over the past three years (grade of C) and 11.7% per year over the past five years (grade of C) and 14.6% per year over the past 10 years (grade of B).
For more mutual fund grades, analysis and screening tools to help your investment discovery, join AAII for a $2, full-access trial. Learn more here: https://invest.aaii.com/membership.
Otherwise, for more information about Columbia Cornerstone Equity S, including its riskiness, submit your email to unlock the rest of the article.
Gain access to exclusive AAII member-only content.
NSEAX 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 |
|
| NSEAX Return (NAV) | 0.4% | 6.1% | 16.6% | 17.4% | 11.7% | 14.6% |
| NSEAX Grade | C | A | D | C | C | B |
| +/- Category | -0.1% | 2.0% | -0.8% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 1.0% |
| Large Blend Avg | 0.4% | 4.1% | 17.5% | 17.3% | 11.1% | 13.7% |
| NSEAX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.5% | na | na | na |
NSEAX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| NSEAX Return (NAV) | 9.0% | 14.1% | 24.2% | 28.3% | -19.4% | 29.8% | 19.6% | 28.7% | -5.5% | 24.6% | 10.0% |
| NSEAX Grade | C | D | C | A | D | A | B | D | C | A | C |
| +/- Category | -0.3% | -1.7% | 2.1% | 4.6% | -2.1% | 3.2% | 2.1% | -1.1% | 0.4% | 3.3% | -0.2% |
| Large Blend Avg | 9.3% | 15.8% | 22.1% | 23.7% | -17.3% | 26.5% | 17.5% | 29.8% | -5.9% | 21.3% | 10.2% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 13.2% |
| Total Risk Index: | 1.08 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.00 - Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | C (56% Rank) |
| Beta: | 0.99 |
| R-Squared: | 95% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | Large-Cap Blend |
| Bond Investment Style: | na |
| Yield: | 0.4% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Annually |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | Annually |
| Total Assets: | $1486 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $ 49 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | S |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 71% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 2 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 6.7 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 4.6 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Wade Tiffany (2019), Guttag Michael (2024) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 58 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 42.8% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 97.8% |
| Foreign Stock: | 2.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Bond: | 0.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 0.2% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Columbia Threadneedle |
| Phone Number: | 800-345-6611 |
| Website: | www.columbiamanagement.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | October 2, 2024 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | 0.00% |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.65% ( Rating : Above Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.81% |
| Share Class: | Columbia Cornerstone Equity Inst |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |