American Century Sustainable Equity ETF (ESGA) Performance
ESGA total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −27.1% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −26.3% total return
- 5 years
- +0.7% a year
- Since first price
- +6.8% a year since 2020
ESGA trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | ESGA total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.1% | +0.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +3.2% | +3.2% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −29.3% | −29.4% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | −27.1% | −27.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | −26.3% | −26.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +11.3%+3.6%/yr | +8.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +3.3%+0.7%/yr | −1.4% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJul 7, 2020 | +51.1%+6.8%/yr | +42.4% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: ESGA vs SPY
From Jul 7, 2020: ESGA grew to $15,111, SPY to $26,365.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
ESGA returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2021 (+29.0%), worst 2022 (−19.1%). 2026 is year to date.
ESGA annual returns table
| Year | ESGA | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −27.1% | −37.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +11.8% | −20.5% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +20.0% | −9.2% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +24.7% | −10.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −19.1% | −26.0% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +29.0% | −5.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
ESGA largest drawdowns
Now 33.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2, 2026 | −37.0% | Jun 10, 2026 | not yet | 8 days | 5 months so far |
| May 22, 2026 | −35.2% | May 25, 2026 | May 26, 2026 | 3 days | 4 days |
| Dec 29, 2021 | −26.2% | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 19, 2023 | 9 months | 2.0 years |
| Jan 23, 2025 | −20.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 3, 2025 | 2 months | 5 months |
| Jan 9, 2026 | −10.3% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 3 months | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
ESGA risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +3.0% | +1.9% | +6.5% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 24.6% | 22.6% | 21.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.09 | 0.05 | 0.28 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.10 | 0.06 | 0.35 |
| Best month | +10.9% | +10.9% | +11.2% |
| Worst month | −34.6% | −34.6% | −34.6% |
| Best 12 months | +33.4% | +33.4% | +44.6% |
| Worst 12 months | −26.1% | −26.1% | −26.1% |
| Positive months | 67% | 60% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.25 | 1.08 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.63 | 0.75 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
ESGA rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 64 | −27.3% | +12.4% | +44.6% | 73% |
| 3-year (a year) | 40 | +0.2% | +9.7% | +21.5% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 16 | +0.3% | +11.3% | +15.1% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
ESGA performance overview
American Century Sustainable Equity ETF (ESGA) returned −26.3% over the past year and +0.7% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +6.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $15,111. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −37.0%, from Jun 2, 2026 to Jun 10, 2026; the fund has not yet regained that high. ESGA finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+29.0%) and the worst 2022 (−19.1%). Volatility has been 21.5% a year.
Related: ESGA chart, ESGA holdings, ESGA dividends, ESGA valuation. See the ESGA overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
ESGA performance FAQ
What is the ESGA return over the past year?
ESGA returned −26.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 26.6%.
What is the average annual return of ESGA?
ESGA has returned +0.7% a year over 5 years, +6.8% a year since July 7, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in ESGA be worth?
$10,000 invested in ESGA at its first recorded close on July 7, 2020 would be worth about $15,111 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for ESGA?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −19.1%. The best was 2021 at +29.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of ESGA?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −37.0% between June 2, 2026 and June 10, 2026. It has not yet recovered to that high; it is 33.4% below its peak.
How volatile is ESGA?
Over the past 3 years ESGA had an annualized volatility of 24.6% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.09 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).