NCPB vs. SMTH

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF (NCPB) and ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF (SMTH).

NCPB and SMTH are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NCPB is an actively managed fund by Nuveen. It was launched on Mar 5, 2024. SMTH is an actively managed fund by ALPS. It was launched on Dec 5, 2023.

Performance

NCPB vs. SMTH - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF (NCPB) and ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF (SMTH). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NCPB vs. SMTH - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
NCPB Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF	-0.18%	7.69%	3.55%
SMTH ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF	-0.18%	6.86%	2.94%

Returns By Period

As of year-to-date, both investments have demonstrated similar returns, with NCPB at -0.18% and SMTH at -0.18%.

NCPB

• 1D: 0.47%
• 1M: -2.00%
• YTD: -0.18%
• 6M: 1.18%
• 1Y: 4.77%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

SMTH

• 1D: 0.29%
• 1M: -1.92%
• YTD: -0.18%
• 6M: 0.56%
• 1Y: 3.97%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NCPB vs. SMTH - Expense Ratio Comparison

NCPB has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than SMTH's 0.59% expense ratio.

SMTH

ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF

NCPB

Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF

Return for Risk

NCPB vs. SMTH — Risk / Return Rank

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

NCPB

NCPB Risk / Return Rank: 62
NCPB Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
NCPB Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
NCPB Omega Ratio Rank: 57
NCPB Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
NCPB Martin Ratio Rank: 59

SMTH

SMTH Risk / Return Rank: 50
SMTH Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
SMTH Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
SMTH Omega Ratio Rank: 40
SMTH Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
SMTH Martin Ratio Rank: 48

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.

NCPB vs. SMTH - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF (NCPB) and ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF (SMTH). 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.

	NCPB	SMTH	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	0.93	+0.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.58	1.34	+0.24
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.22	1.16	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.78	1.56	+0.22
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	5.98	4.70	+1.28
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NCPB vs. SMTH - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NCPB Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is comparable to the SMTH Sharpe Ratio of 0.93. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NCPB and SMTH, 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

	NCPB	SMTH	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	0.93	+0.22
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	1.22	1.22	0.00

Correlation

The correlation between NCPB and SMTH is 0.91, 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

NCPB vs. SMTH - Dividend Comparison

NCPB's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 5.22%, more than SMTH's 4.42% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023
NCPB Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF	5.22%	5.21%	5.14%	0.00%
SMTH ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF	4.42%	4.46%	4.58%	0.24%

Drawdowns

NCPB vs. SMTH - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NCPB drawdown since its inception was -3.59%, smaller than the maximum SMTH drawdown of -4.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NCPB and SMTH.

Drawdown Indicators

	NCPB	SMTH	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-3.59%	-4.11%	+0.52%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-2.88%	-2.74%	-0.14%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.00%	-1.92%	-0.08%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-0.88%	-1.02%	+0.14%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	0.86%	0.91%	-0.05%

Volatility

NCPB vs. SMTH - Volatility Comparison

Nuveen Core Plus Bond ETF (NCPB) has a higher volatility of 1.70% compared to ALPS Smith Core Plus Bond ETF (SMTH) at 1.59%. This indicates that NCPB's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SMTH based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NCPB	SMTH	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.70%	1.59%	+0.11%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.39%	2.49%	-0.10%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	4.18%	4.31%	-0.13%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	4.39%	4.64%	-0.25%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	4.39%	4.64%	-0.25%