ARTSX vs. NESGX

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Artisan Small Cap Fund (ARTSX) and Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX).

ARTSX is managed by Artisan. It was launched on Mar 28, 1995. NESGX is managed by Needham. It was launched on May 22, 2002.

Performance

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Artisan Small Cap Fund (ARTSX) and Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ARTSX Artisan Small Cap Fund	-2.72%	8.46%	20.56%	9.29%	-29.44%	-9.05%	60.95%	40.04%	1.97%	26.97%
NESGX Needham Small Cap Growth Fund	15.34%	10.50%	12.76%	5.68%	-30.21%	10.59%	71.90%	54.42%	-5.43%	11.96%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ARTSX achieves a -2.72% return, which is significantly lower than NESGX's 15.34% return. Over the past 10 years, ARTSX has underperformed NESGX with an annualized return of 11.29%, while NESGX has yielded a comparatively higher 14.90% annualized return.

ARTSX

• 1D: 5.24%
• 1M: -10.59%
• YTD: -2.72%
• 6M: 0.19%
• 1Y: 16.90%
• 3Y*: 8.92%
• 5Y*: -1.68%
• 10Y*: 11.29%

NESGX

• 1D: 5.32%
• 1M: -3.72%
• YTD: 15.34%
• 6M: 15.45%
• 1Y: 55.17%
• 3Y*: 12.89%
• 5Y*: 1.14%
• 10Y*: 14.90%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Expense Ratio Comparison

ARTSX has a 1.19% expense ratio, which is lower than NESGX's 1.85% expense ratio.

NESGX

Needham Small Cap Growth Fund

ARTSX

Artisan Small Cap Fund

Return for Risk

ARTSX vs. NESGX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ARTSX

ARTSX Risk / Return Rank: 27
ARTSX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
ARTSX Sortino Ratio Rank: 29
ARTSX Omega Ratio Rank: 24
ARTSX Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
ARTSX Martin Ratio Rank: 30

NESGX

NESGX Risk / Return Rank: 83
NESGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 81
NESGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
NESGX Omega Ratio Rank: 71
NESGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 93
NESGX Martin Ratio Rank: 89

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Artisan Small Cap Fund (ARTSX) and Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ARTSX	NESGX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.69	1.58	-0.90
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.14	2.17	-1.03
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.29	-0.14
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.88	3.11	-2.23
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.58	10.44	-6.86
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ARTSX Sharpe Ratio is 0.69, which is lower than the NESGX Sharpe Ratio of 1.58. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ARTSX and NESGX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ARTSX	NESGX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.69	1.58	-0.90
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.06	0.04	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.45	0.58	-0.14
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.35	0.52	-0.17

Correlation

The correlation between ARTSX and NESGX is 0.84, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Dividend Comparison

ARTSX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.47%, while NESGX has not paid dividends to shareholders.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ARTSX Artisan Small Cap Fund	8.47%	8.24%	10.40%	0.00%	0.26%	12.11%	5.26%	7.83%	20.83%	16.26%	1.18%	10.12%
NESGX Needham Small Cap Growth Fund	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	4.16%	25.09%	13.69%	8.43%	22.26%	8.94%	6.67%	2.52%

Drawdowns

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ARTSX drawdown since its inception was -62.77%, which is greater than NESGX's maximum drawdown of -50.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ARTSX and NESGX.

Drawdown Indicators

	ARTSX	NESGX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-62.77%	-50.29%	-12.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.44%	-17.27%	+1.83%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-47.88%	-50.05%	+2.17%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.51%	-50.29%	-1.22%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-20.81%	-4.31%	-16.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-14.72%	-11.74%	-2.98%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.80%	5.14%	-1.34%

Volatility

ARTSX vs. NESGX - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Artisan Small Cap Fund (ARTSX) is 10.27%, while Needham Small Cap Growth Fund (NESGX) has a volatility of 12.14%. This indicates that ARTSX experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NESGX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ARTSX	NESGX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	10.27%	12.14%	-1.87%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.55%	23.43%	-6.88%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	25.63%	35.37%	-9.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.32%	29.13%	-1.81%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	25.40%	25.56%	-0.16%