NHYM vs. HIMU

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF (NHYM) and iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF (HIMU).

NHYM and HIMU are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NHYM is an actively managed fund by Nuveen. It was launched on Jan 22, 2025. HIMU is an actively managed fund by iShares. It was launched on Feb 7, 2025.

Performance

NHYM vs. HIMU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF (NHYM) and iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF (HIMU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NHYM vs. HIMU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
NHYM Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF	0.27%	2.48%
HIMU iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF	-0.62%	1.14%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NHYM achieves a 0.27% return, which is significantly higher than HIMU's -0.62% return.

NHYM

• 1D: 0.57%
• 1M: -2.08%
• YTD: 0.27%
• 6M: 2.40%
• 1Y: 3.07%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

HIMU

• 1D: 0.57%
• 1M: -2.58%
• YTD: -0.62%
• 6M: 0.10%
• 1Y: 1.99%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NHYM vs. HIMU - Expense Ratio Comparison

NHYM has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is lower than HIMU's 0.42% expense ratio.

HIMU

iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF

NHYM

Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF

Return for Risk

NHYM vs. HIMU — Risk / Return Rank

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

NHYM

NHYM Risk / Return Rank: 25
NHYM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 26
NHYM Sortino Ratio Rank: 22
NHYM Omega Ratio Rank: 26
NHYM Calmar Ratio Rank: 28
NHYM Martin Ratio Rank: 23

HIMU

HIMU Risk / Return Rank: 19
HIMU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
HIMU Sortino Ratio Rank: 17
HIMU Omega Ratio Rank: 19
HIMU Calmar Ratio Rank: 19
HIMU Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

NHYM vs. HIMU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF (NHYM) and iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF (HIMU). 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.

	NHYM	HIMU	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.49	0.25	+0.24
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.66	0.38	+0.27
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.06	+0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.69	0.32	+0.37
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.56	1.07	+0.49
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NHYM vs. HIMU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NHYM Sharpe Ratio is 0.49, which is higher than the HIMU Sharpe Ratio of 0.25. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NHYM and HIMU, 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

	NHYM	HIMU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.49	0.25	+0.24
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.48	0.06	+0.43

Correlation

The correlation between NHYM and HIMU is 0.61, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

NHYM vs. HIMU - Dividend Comparison

NHYM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.52%, less than HIMU's 5.23% yield.

	TTM	2025
NHYM Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF	4.52%	4.06%
HIMU iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF	5.23%	4.57%

Drawdowns

NHYM vs. HIMU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NHYM drawdown since its inception was -6.11%, smaller than the maximum HIMU drawdown of -8.01%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NHYM and HIMU.

Drawdown Indicators

	NHYM	HIMU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-6.11%	-8.01%	+1.90%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-5.52%	-6.93%	+1.41%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.08%	-2.58%	+0.50%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-1.89%	-1.93%	+0.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.44%	2.09%	+0.35%

Volatility

NHYM vs. HIMU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Nuveen High Yield Municipal Income ETF (NHYM) is 1.62%, while iShares High Yield Muni Active ETF (HIMU) has a volatility of 2.21%. This indicates that NHYM experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than HIMU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NHYM	HIMU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	1.62%	2.21%	-0.59%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	2.67%	2.87%	-0.20%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	6.38%	8.05%	-1.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	6.19%	7.79%	-1.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	6.19%	7.79%	-1.60%