Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC) Performance
NUSC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +11.8% total return
- 5 years
- +4.1% a year
- Since first price
- +9.2% a year since 2016
NUSC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | NUSC total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +0.4% | +0.4% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −2.8% | −2.8% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +1.8% | +1.8% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.0% | +11.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +11.8% | +10.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +57.9%+16.5%/yr | +52.9% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +22.1%+4.1%/yr | +8.9% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionDec 14, 2016 | +138.9%+9.2%/yr | +99.9% | — | — | — |
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: NUSC vs SPY
From Dec 14, 2016: NUSC grew to $23,893, SPY to $39,397.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
NUSC returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2019 (+27.1%), worst 2022 (−17.7%). 2026 is year to date.
NUSC annual returns table
| Year | NUSC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.0% | −10.1% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +7.7% | −24.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +8.3% | −8.7% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +15.7% | −18.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.7% | −26.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +17.5% | −10.1% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +23.7% | −41.5% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +27.1% | −8.4% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −9.4% | −25.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +16.5% | −5.4% | +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.
NUSC largest drawdowns
Now 6.9% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16, 2020 | −41.5% | Mar 23, 2020 | Oct 8, 2020 | 2 months | 9 months |
| Nov 5, 2021 | −28.9% | Jun 16, 2022 | Oct 16, 2024 | 7 months | 2.9 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −27.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | Dec 10, 2025 | 4 months | 1.0 years |
| Aug 29, 2018 | −25.2% | Dec 24, 2018 | Dec 17, 2019 | 4 months | 1.3 years |
| Feb 20, 2026 | −10.1% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 38 days | 56 days |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
NUSC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +12.9% | +4.6% | +9.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 17.9% | 19.7% | 20.0% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.53 | 0.14 | 0.42 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.84 | 0.21 | 0.62 |
| Best month | +11.4% | +11.4% | +16.8% |
| Worst month | −7.9% | −9.5% | −22.3% |
| Best 12 months | +32.2% | +32.2% | +100.3% |
| Worst 12 months | −6.8% | −20.9% | −24.1% |
| Positive months | 61% | 53% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.14 | 1.06 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.79 | 0.85 | — |
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.
NUSC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 107 | −24.1% | +7.9% | +100.3% | 69% |
| 3-year (a year) | 83 | −3.5% | +9.6% | +22.7% | 94% |
| 5-year (a year) | 59 | +3.3% | +8.4% | +14.6% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
NUSC performance overview
Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC) returned +11.8% over the past year and +4.1% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +9.2% a year, turning $10,000 into about $23,893. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −41.5%, from Jan 16, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 7 months to get back to the old high. NUSC finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+27.1%) and the worst 2022 (−17.7%). Volatility has been 20.0% a year.
Related: NUSC chart, NUSC holdings, NUSC dividends, NUSC valuation. See the NUSC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
NUSC performance FAQ
What is the NUSC return over the past year?
NUSC returned +11.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.6%.
What is the average annual return of NUSC?
NUSC has returned +4.1% a year over 5 years, +9.2% a year since December 14, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in NUSC be worth?
$10,000 invested in NUSC at its first recorded close on December 14, 2016 would be worth about $23,893 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for NUSC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −17.7%. The best was 2019 at +27.1%.
What is the biggest drawdown of NUSC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −41.5% between January 16, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on October 8, 2020, 7 months after the bottom.
How volatile is NUSC?
Over the past 3 years NUSC had an annualized volatility of 17.9% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.53 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).