Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV) Performance
NULV total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +20.3% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +24.4% total return
- 5 years
- +9.2% a year
- Since first price
- +10.5% a year since 2016
NULV trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | NULV total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.6% | +1.6% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +7.1% | +7.1% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +11.7% | +11.7% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +20.3% | +20.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +24.4% | +22.4% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +78.4%+21.3%/yr | +67.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +55.6%+9.2%/yr | +36.9% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 14, 2016 | +166.7%+10.5%/yr | +116.7% | — | — | — |
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: NULV vs SPY
From Dec 14, 2016: NULV grew to $26,674, SPY to $39,397.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
NULV returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2019 (+27.3%), worst 2022 (−10.1%). 2026 is year to date.
NULV annual returns table
| Year | NULV | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +20.3% | −7.3% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +16.3% | −13.4% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +11.9% | −8.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +7.6% | −10.9% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −10.1% | −21.5% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +23.5% | −5.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +1.9% | −37.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +27.3% | −6.0% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −4.9% | −16.5% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +15.7% | −3.5% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
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.
NULV largest drawdowns
Now 0.6% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2020 | −37.0% | Mar 23, 2020 | Dec 4, 2020 | 40 days | 10 months |
| Jan 4, 2022 | −21.5% | Sep 30, 2022 | Mar 6, 2024 | 9 months | 2.2 years |
| Sep 21, 2018 | −16.5% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 5, 2019 | 3 months | 6 months |
| Nov 29, 2024 | −15.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 3, 2025 | 4 months | 7 months |
| Jan 29, 2018 | −11.3% | Feb 9, 2018 | Sep 20, 2018 | 11 days | 8 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
NULV risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.6% | +9.8% | +10.3% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.8% | 15.3% | 15.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.07 | 0.45 | 0.56 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.83 | 0.70 | 0.84 |
| Best month | +9.4% | +11.1% | +12.9% |
| Worst month | −7.2% | −9.4% | −15.8% |
| Best 12 months | +29.1% | +29.1% | +50.4% |
| Worst 12 months | +6.3% | −13.8% | −15.5% |
| Positive months | 67% | 58% | 65% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.83 | 0.86 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.81 | 0.88 | — |
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.
NULV rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 107 | −15.5% | +10.2% | +50.4% | 79% |
| 3-year (a year) | 83 | +0.6% | +8.0% | +20.9% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 59 | +4.9% | +8.5% | +13.5% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
NULV performance overview
Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV) returned +24.4% over the past year and +9.2% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +10.5% a year, turning $10,000 into about $26,674. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −37.0%, from Feb 12, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. NULV finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+27.3%) and the worst 2022 (−10.1%). Volatility has been 15.5% a year.
Related: NULV chart, NULV holdings, NULV dividends, NULV valuation. See the NULV overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
NULV performance FAQ
What is the NULV return over the past year?
NULV returned +24.4% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 22.4%.
What is the average annual return of NULV?
NULV has returned +9.2% a year over 5 years, +10.5% a year since December 14, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in NULV be worth?
$10,000 invested in NULV at its first recorded close on December 14, 2016 would be worth about $26,674 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for NULV?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −10.1%. The best was 2019 at +27.3%.
What is the biggest drawdown of NULV?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −37.0% between February 12, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on December 4, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is NULV?
Over the past 3 years NULV had an annualized volatility of 12.8% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.07 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).