Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NUEM) Performance
NUEM total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +9.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +9.6% total return
- 5 years
- +4.6% a year
- Since first price
- +6.8% a year since 2017
NUEM trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | NUEM total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −9.4% | −9.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −4.4% | −4.4% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | −2.7% | −2.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +9.4% | +9.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +9.6% | +5.7% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +65.9%+18.4%/yr | +53.2% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +25.5%+4.6%/yr | +11.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 7, 2017 | +85.7%+6.8%/yr | +54.8% | — | — | — |
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: NUEM vs SPY
From Jun 7, 2017: NUEM grew to $18,571, SPY to $36,151.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
NUEM returns by calendar year
5 of 8 full years positive. Best 2025 (+27.1%), worst 2022 (−19.7%). 2026 is year to date.
NUEM annual returns table
| Year | NUEM | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +9.4% | −12.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +27.1% | −14.6% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +9.7% | −12.8% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +8.6% | −14.0% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −19.7% | −32.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | −1.1% | −15.8% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +24.1% | −32.5% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +16.7% | −11.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −17.3% | −27.5% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
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.
NUEM largest drawdowns
Now 11.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2021 | −39.5% | Oct 24, 2022 | Sep 11, 2025 | 1.7 years | 4.6 years |
| Jan 26, 2018 | −38.4% | Mar 23, 2020 | Nov 4, 2020 | 2.2 years | 2.8 years |
| Jun 22, 2026 | −12.9% | Jul 29, 2026 | not yet | 37 days | 4 months so far |
| Feb 25, 2026 | −11.6% | Mar 20, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 23 days | 51 days |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
NUEM risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +20.7% | +7.3% | +8.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.9% | 17.1% | 17.3% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.11 | 0.29 | 0.39 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.20 | 0.47 | 0.60 |
| Best month | +12.2% | +16.8% | +16.8% |
| Worst month | −6.7% | −11.7% | −15.8% |
| Best 12 months | +45.7% | +45.7% | +69.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +8.4% | −31.9% | −31.9% |
| Positive months | 67% | 53% | 57% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.74 | 0.70 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.66 | 0.64 | — |
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.
NUEM rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 101 | −31.9% | +7.6% | +69.8% | 62% |
| 3-year (a year) | 77 | −7.4% | +4.9% | +20.7% | 71% |
| 5-year (a year) | 53 | −2.5% | +4.1% | +9.0% | 89% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
NUEM performance overview
Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NUEM) returned +9.6% over the past year and +4.6% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +6.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $18,571. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −39.5%, from Feb 17, 2021 to Oct 24, 2022, and it took 2.9 years to get back to the old high. NUEM finished 5 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2025 (+27.1%) and the worst 2022 (−19.7%). Volatility has been 17.3% a year.
Related: NUEM chart, NUEM holdings, NUEM dividends. See the NUEM overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
NUEM performance FAQ
What is the NUEM return over the past year?
NUEM returned +9.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 5.7%.
What is the average annual return of NUEM?
NUEM has returned +4.6% a year over 5 years, +6.8% a year since June 7, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in NUEM be worth?
$10,000 invested in NUEM at its first recorded close on June 7, 2017 would be worth about $18,571 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for NUEM?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −19.7%. The best was 2025 at +27.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of NUEM?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −39.5% between February 17, 2021 and October 24, 2022. It recovered to the old high on September 11, 2025, 2.9 years after the bottom.
How volatile is NUEM?
Over the past 3 years NUEM had an annualized volatility of 13.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.11 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).