NQGIX vs. NWQIX

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

NQGIX (Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund) and NWQIX (Nuveen Flexible Income Fund) are both mutual funds - NQGIX is a Dividend fund managed by Nuveen, while NWQIX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by Nuveen. Over the past 10 years, NQGIX returned 10.30%/yr vs 5.14%/yr for NWQIX. Their 0.64 correlation means they have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently. NQGIX charges 0.85%/yr vs 0.70%/yr for NWQIX.

Performance

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund (NQGIX) and Nuveen Flexible Income Fund (NWQIX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NQGIX achieves a 12.98% return, which is significantly higher than NWQIX's 4.79% return. Over the past 10 years, NQGIX has outperformed NWQIX with an annualized return of 10.30%, while NWQIX has yielded a comparatively lower 5.14% annualized return.

NQGIX

• 1D: 1.18%
• 1M: 2.70%
• 6M: 8.02%
• YTD: 12.98%
• 1Y: 25.82%
• 3Y*: 18.69%
• 5Y*: 12.10%
• 10Y*: 10.30%
• ALL TIME*: 8.20%

NWQIX

• 1D: 0.30%
• 1M: -0.98%
• 6M: 3.20%
• YTD: 4.79%
• 1Y: 10.99%
• 3Y*: 9.67%
• 5Y*: 3.92%
• 10Y*: 5.14%
• ALL TIME*: 5.00%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
NQGIX Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
NWQIX Nuveen Flexible Income Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NQGIX Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund	12.98%	27.36%	12.36%	14.50%	-9.28%	22.55%	1.26%	24.40%	-14.41%	18.73%
NWQIX Nuveen Flexible Income Fund	4.79%	11.74%	6.03%	11.61%	-13.64%	4.94%	5.54%	18.57%	-4.07%	9.18%

Correlation

The correlation between NQGIX and NWQIX is 0.72, which is moderate. They have sometimes moved together and sometimes differently, sharing some price drivers without tracking each other closely.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.72
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.65
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.67
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.61
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 16, 2014	0.64

The correlation between NQGIX and NWQIX shifts across timeframes, from 0.61 (10 years) to 0.72 (1 year), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

NQGIX vs. NWQIX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

NQGIX

NQGIX Risk / Return Rank: 88
NQGIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
NQGIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
NQGIX Omega Ratio Rank: 84
NQGIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
NQGIX Martin Ratio Rank: 91

NWQIX

NWQIX Risk / Return Rank: 96
NWQIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 98
NWQIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
NWQIX Omega Ratio Rank: 96
NWQIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 94
NWQIX Martin Ratio Rank: 97

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund (NQGIX) and Nuveen Flexible Income Fund (NWQIX). 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.

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.

	NQGIX	NWQIX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	2.30	2.94	-0.64
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.22	4.60	-1.38
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.41	1.61	-0.20
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.43	3.96	-0.53
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	13.29	17.88	-4.59

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NQGIX Sharpe Ratio is 2.30, which is comparable to the NWQIX Sharpe Ratio of 2.94. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NQGIX and NWQIX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NQGIX drawdown since its inception was -38.52%, which is greater than NWQIX's maximum drawdown of -23.89%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NQGIX and NWQIX.

Drawdown Indicators

	NQGIX	NWQIX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.52%	-23.89%	-14.63%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.26%	-2.94%	-4.32%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-12.75%	-4.59%	-8.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.76%	-17.75%	-5.01%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-38.52%	-23.89%	-14.63%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-1.13%	+1.13%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-5.39%	-2.98%	-2.41%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.87%	0.65%	+1.22%

Volatility

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Volatility Comparison

Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund (NQGIX) has a higher volatility of 3.05% compared to Nuveen Flexible Income Fund (NWQIX) at 0.79%. This indicates that NQGIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NWQIX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NQGIX	NWQIX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.05%	0.79%	+2.26%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.71%	3.15%	+5.56%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.86%	3.96%	+6.90%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	13.35%	5.70%	+7.65%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.61%	6.29%	+9.32%

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Expense Ratio Comparison

NQGIX has a 0.85% expense ratio, which is higher than NWQIX's 0.70% expense ratio.

Dividends

NQGIX vs. NWQIX - Dividend Comparison

NQGIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.31%, less than NWQIX's 5.14% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NQGIX Nuveen Global Equity Income Fund	2.31%	2.28%	2.52%	2.54%	5.17%	3.33%	2.71%	2.95%	5.85%	4.03%	2.41%	3.31%
NWQIX Nuveen Flexible Income Fund	5.14%	6.09%	5.20%	7.84%	7.02%	4.39%	4.82%	5.71%	6.23%	5.67%	5.52%	5.70%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NQGIX and NWQIX in my portfolio?

NQGIX and NWQIX have a correlation of 0.72, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NQGIX or NWQIX?

NQGIX has higher volatility (3.05%) compared to NWQIX (0.79%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NQGIX dropped -38.52% vs NWQIX's -23.89%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NWQIX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.94 vs 2.30), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.