- ISIN
- US63983V3087
- CUSIP
- 63983V308
- Issuer
- Needham
- Inception Date
- May 22, 2002
- Category
- Small Cap Growth Equities
- Min. Investment
- $2,000
- Distribution Policy
- Accumulating
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Small-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Growth
Share Price Chart
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Performance
NESGX Performance Chart
Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX) is up 84.1% since the beginning of the year. NESGX is currently trading at $38 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of NESGX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,617.
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Returns By Period
Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX) has returned 84.13% so far this year and 124.90% over the past 12 months. Looking at the last ten years, NESGX has achieved an annualized return of 20.21%, outperforming the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% per year.
Needham Small Cap Growth Fund
- 1D
- 3.47%
- 1M
- 10.92%
- YTD
- 84.13%
- 6M
- 79.29%
- 1Y
- 124.90%
- 3Y*
- 32.98%
- 5Y*
- 10.09%
- 10Y*
- 20.21%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
NESGX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since May 23, 2002, NESGX's average daily return is +0.06%, while the average monthly return is +1.28%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 4.5 years.
Historically, 60% of months were positive and 40% were negative. The best month was Nov 2002 with a return of +29.0%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -17.6%. The longest winning streak lasted 11 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, NESGX closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was Apr 9, 2025 with a return of +13.1%, while the worst single day was Apr 3, 2025 at -10.4%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 11.32% | 5.85% | -2.12% | 27.53% | 17.09% | 6.91% | 84.13% | ||||||
| 2025 | 1.95% | -8.02% | -12.70% | -4.56% | 10.95% | 11.74% | 2.63% | 1.63% | 6.81% | 8.23% | -7.60% | 2.41% | 10.50% |
| 2024 | -8.49% | 10.27% | 2.54% | -8.20% | 18.83% | -3.52% | 5.83% | -2.07% | -0.27% | -4.99% | 8.22% | -2.58% | 12.76% |
| 2023 | 12.84% | -2.34% | -4.22% | -14.67% | 10.60% | 3.17% | 3.83% | -10.94% | -2.99% | -13.72% | 14.03% | 16.50% | 5.68% |
| 2022 | -9.62% | -1.86% | -0.29% | -16.24% | -3.14% | -8.95% | 7.19% | 2.09% | -11.16% | 5.91% | 4.55% | -0.77% | -30.21% |
| 2021 | 8.41% | 3.65% | -4.42% | 1.23% | 4.49% | 5.42% | 0.61% | -0.48% | -3.81% | 0.03% | -5.23% | 1.13% | 10.59% |
Benchmark Metrics
Needham Small Cap Growth Fund has an annualized alpha of 6.98%, beta of 0.87, and R2 of 0.55 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since May 23, 2002.
- This fund captured 122.21% of S&P 500 Index gains but only 97.76% of its losses - a favorable profile for investors.
- This fund generated an annualized alpha of 6.98% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
- With beta of 0.87 and R2 of 0.55, this fund moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index - much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.
- Alpha
- 6.98%
- Beta
- 0.87
- R²
- 0.55
- Upside Capture
- 122.21%
- Downside Capture
- 97.76%
Expense Ratio
NESGX has a high expense ratio of 1.85%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
NESGX ranks 95 for risk / return — in the top 95% of mutual funds on our site. This means strong returns relative to risk — exactly what professional investors look for. Well-suited for investors who want to maximize return per unit of risk.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| NESGX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.89 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.52 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.56 | 1.37 | +0.19 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 7.16 | 2.78 | +4.37 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 29.16 | 12.44 | +16.72 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Needham Small Cap Growth Fund provided a 0.00% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.00 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.64 | $5.82 | $3.53 | $1.48 | $2.76 | $1.40 | $1.02 | $0.31 |
Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 4.16% | 25.09% | 13.69% | 8.43% | 22.26% | 8.94% | 6.67% | 2.52% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Needham Small Cap Growth Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.64 | $0.00 | $0.64 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $5.82 | $0.00 | $5.82 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Needham Small Cap Growth Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Needham Small Cap Growth Fund was 50.29%, occurring on Oct 30, 2023. Recovery took 601 trading sessions.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 bear market2023 | -50.29%Oct 2023 | 2y 8mo | 2y 4mo | 5y 1moFeb 2021 - Mar 2026 |
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -39.95%Mar 2009 | 1y 7mo | 10mo 4d | 2y 5moJul 2007 - Jan 2010 |
2011 bear market2011 | -32.81%Oct 2011 | 5mo 8d | 1y 9mo | 2y 2moApr 2011 - Jul 2013 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -31.87%Oct 2002 | 4mo 14d | 1mo 13d | 5mo 27dMay 2002 - Nov 2002 |
COVID crash2020 | -31.60%Mar 2020 | 2mo 1d | 1mo 12d | 3mo 13dJan 2020 - Apr 2020 |
Drawdown Indicators
| NESGX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -50.29% | -56.78% | +6.49% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -17.16% | -9.10% | -8.06% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -35.27% | -18.90% | -16.37% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -50.05% | -25.43% | -24.62% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -50.29% | -33.92% | -16.37% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | 0.00% | -1.80% | +1.80% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -11.64% | -10.71% | -0.93% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 4.20% | 2.03% | +2.17% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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