Nuveen Growth Opportunities ETF (NUGO) Performance
NUGO total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +4.7% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +4.5% total return
- 5 years
- +10.5% a year
- Since first price
- +11.3% a year since 2021
NUGO trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | NUGO total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −5.8% | −5.8% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −0.9% | −0.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +1.9% | +1.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +4.7% | +4.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +4.5% | +4.5% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +87.2%+23.2%/yr | +86.8% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +65.1%+10.5%/yr | +64.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 28, 2021 | +72.3%+11.3%/yr | +71.6% | — | — | — |
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: NUGO vs SPY
From Sep 28, 2021: NUGO grew to $17,232, SPY to $18,734.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
NUGO returns by calendar year
3 of 4 full years positive. Best 2023 (+45.4%), worst 2022 (−32.7%). 2026 is year to date.
NUGO annual returns table
| Year | NUGO | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +4.7% | −14.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +14.9% | −24.9% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +36.0% | −15.0% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +45.4% | −9.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −32.7% | −36.9% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
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.
NUGO largest drawdowns
Now 8.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2021 | −38.0% | Oct 14, 2022 | Jan 24, 2024 | 11 months | 2.2 years |
| Dec 16, 2024 | −25.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 3, 2025 | 4 months | 7 months |
| Oct 29, 2025 | −17.5% | Mar 30, 2026 | May 6, 2026 | 5 months | 6 months |
| Jul 10, 2024 | −15.0% | Aug 7, 2024 | Oct 21, 2024 | 28 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
NUGO risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +25.6% | +13.0% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 17.1% | 19.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.18 | 0.55 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.35 | 0.85 |
| Best month | +14.5% | +14.5% |
| Worst month | −10.1% | −12.5% |
| Best 12 months | +47.5% | +54.5% |
| Worst 12 months | +4.2% | −32.7% |
| Positive months | 67% | 60% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.25 | 1.15 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.91 | 0.93 |
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.
NUGO rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 50 | −32.7% | +19.0% | +54.5% | 86% |
| 3-year (a year) | 26 | +7.8% | +23.6% | +32.2% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 2 | +9.9% | +11.5% | +13.0% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2021. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
NUGO performance overview
Nuveen Growth Opportunities ETF (NUGO) returned +4.5% over the past year and +10.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2021 it has returned +11.3% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,232. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −38.0%, from Nov 19, 2021 to Oct 14, 2022, and it took 1.3 years to get back to the old high. NUGO finished 3 of its 4 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+45.4%) and the worst 2022 (−32.7%). Volatility has been 19.5% a year.
Related: NUGO chart, NUGO holdings, NUGO valuation. See the NUGO overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
NUGO performance FAQ
What is the NUGO return over the past year?
NUGO returned +4.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 4.5%.
What is the average annual return of NUGO?
NUGO has returned +10.5% a year over 5 years, +11.3% a year since September 28, 2021 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in NUGO be worth?
$10,000 invested in NUGO at its first recorded close on September 28, 2021 would be worth about $17,232 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for NUGO?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −32.7%. The best was 2023 at +45.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of NUGO?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −38.0% between November 19, 2021 and October 14, 2022. It recovered to the old high on January 24, 2024, 1.3 years after the bottom.
How volatile is NUGO?
Over the past 3 years NUGO had an annualized volatility of 17.1% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.18 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).