NRO vs. NIE

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

NRO (Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund) and NIE (Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund) are both mutual funds - NRO is a REIT fund actively managed by Neuberger Berman, while NIE is a Derivative Income fund actively managed by Virtus. Both are actively managed. Over the past 10 years, NRO returned 4.93%/yr vs 14.43%/yr for NIE. A 0.50 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.

Performance

NRO vs. NIE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund (NRO) and Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NRO achieves a 1.50% return, which is significantly lower than NIE's 10.90% return. Over the past 10 years, NRO has underperformed NIE with an annualized return of 4.93%, while NIE has yielded a comparatively higher 14.43% annualized return.

NRO

• 1D: 0.34%
• 1M: -2.61%
• YTD: 1.50%
• 6M: 2.92%
• 1Y: 3.30%
• 3Y*: 14.13%
• 5Y*: 1.16%
• 10Y*: 4.93%

NIE

• 1D: 0.04%
• 1M: 3.96%
• YTD: 10.90%
• 6M: 12.85%
• 1Y: 28.61%
• 3Y*: 20.97%
• 5Y*: 11.05%
• 10Y*: 14.43%

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

NRO vs. NIE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NRO Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund	1.50%	0.85%	23.87%	15.24%	-35.04%	29.26%	-10.88%	47.57%	-16.37%	13.29%
NIE Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund	10.90%	12.15%	28.64%	26.71%	-26.73%	18.89%	33.78%	31.09%	-5.69%	23.68%

Correlation

The correlation between NRO and NIE is 0.39, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.39
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.46
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.53
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.47
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 26, 2007	0.50

The correlation between NRO and NIE shifts across timeframes, from 0.39 (1 year) to 0.53 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

NRO vs. NIE — Risk / Return Rank

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

NRO

NRO Risk / Return Rank: 4
NRO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 4
NRO Sortino Ratio Rank: 4
NRO Omega Ratio Rank: 4
NRO Calmar Ratio Rank: 3
NRO Martin Ratio Rank: 3

NIE

NIE Risk / Return Rank: 70
NIE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
NIE Sortino Ratio Rank: 73
NIE Omega Ratio Rank: 66
NIE Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
NIE Martin Ratio Rank: 69

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.

NRO vs. NIE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund (NRO) and Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE). 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.

	NRO	NIE	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.25	2.51	-2.27
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.43	3.56	-3.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.05	1.45	-0.40
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.17	3.20	-3.02
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.47	13.43	-12.96
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NRO vs. NIE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NRO Sharpe Ratio is 0.25, which is lower than the NIE Sharpe Ratio of 2.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NRO and NIE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NRO	NIE	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.25	2.51	-2.27
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.05	0.63	-0.58
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.19	0.73	-0.54
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.11	0.44	-0.33

Drawdowns

NRO vs. NIE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NRO drawdown since its inception was -92.91%, which is greater than NIE's maximum drawdown of -57.90%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NRO and NIE.

Drawdown Indicators

	NRO	NIE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-92.91%	-57.90%	-35.01%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.61%	-8.99%	-2.62%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-24.78%	-20.79%	-3.99%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-42.35%	-31.04%	-11.31%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-62.59%	-38.99%	-23.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.04%	0.00%	-10.04%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-27.21%	-8.01%	-19.20%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.28%	2.14%	+2.14%

Volatility

NRO vs. NIE - Volatility Comparison

Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund (NRO) has a higher volatility of 3.97% compared to Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund (NIE) at 3.37%. This indicates that NRO's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than NIE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NRO	NIE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.97%	3.37%	+0.60%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.18%	9.03%	+1.15%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	13.47%	11.46%	+2.01%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	21.58%	17.54%	+4.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.34%	19.76%	+6.58%

Dividends

NRO vs. NIE - Dividend Comparison

NRO's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 12.78%, more than NIE's 9.33% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
NIE Virtus Equity & Convertible Income Fund	9.33%	10.14%	8.11%	9.56%	21.81%	10.86%	5.37%	6.71%	8.20%	7.19%	8.25%	8.46%
NRO Neuberger Berman Real Estate Securities Income Fund	12.78%	12.27%	10.55%	11.74%	11.96%	7.10%	10.88%	8.60%	12.77%	9.31%	7.64%	7.19%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both NRO and NIE in my portfolio?

NRO and NIE have a correlation of 0.39, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, NRO or NIE?

NRO has higher volatility (3.97%) compared to NIE (3.37%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NRO dropped -92.91% vs NIE's -57.90%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

NIE currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.51 vs 0.25), 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.