NSCR vs. NUSC

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF (NSCR) and Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC).

NSCR and NUSC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NSCR is an actively managed fund by Nuveen. It was launched on Mar 5, 2024. NUSC is a passively managed fund by Nuveen that tracks the performance of the MSCI TIAA ESG USA Small Cap. It was launched on Dec 13, 2016.

Performance

NSCR vs. NUSC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF (NSCR) and Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NSCR vs. NUSC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
NSCR Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF	-7.53%	13.32%	12.92%
NUSC Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF	0.92%	7.72%	5.44%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NSCR achieves a -7.53% return, which is significantly lower than NUSC's 0.92% return.

NSCR

• 1D: 2.92%
• 1M: -5.86%
• YTD: -7.53%
• 6M: -5.35%
• 1Y: 11.61%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

NUSC

• 1D: 3.46%
• 1M: -5.64%
• YTD: 0.92%
• 6M: 3.24%
• 1Y: 18.75%
• 3Y*: 9.56%
• 5Y*: 2.95%
• 10Y*: —

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

NSCR vs. NUSC - Expense Ratio Comparison

NSCR has a 0.45% expense ratio, which is higher than NUSC's 0.30% expense ratio.

NSCR

Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF

NUSC

Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF

Return for Risk

NSCR vs. NUSC — Risk / Return Rank

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

NSCR

NSCR Risk / Return Rank: 35
NSCR Sharpe Ratio Rank: 32
NSCR Sortino Ratio Rank: 34
NSCR Omega Ratio Rank: 34
NSCR Calmar Ratio Rank: 38
NSCR Martin Ratio Rank: 39

NUSC

NUSC Risk / Return Rank: 49
NUSC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
NUSC Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
NUSC Omega Ratio Rank: 46
NUSC Calmar Ratio Rank: 49
NUSC Martin Ratio Rank: 53

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.

NSCR vs. NUSC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF (NSCR) and Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC). 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.

	NSCR	NUSC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.61	0.84	-0.23
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.00	1.33	-0.33
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.14	1.17	-0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.00	1.24	-0.24
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	3.68	5.06	-1.38
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NSCR vs. NUSC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NSCR Sharpe Ratio is 0.61, which is comparable to the NUSC Sharpe Ratio of 0.84. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NSCR and NUSC, 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

	NSCR	NUSC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.61	0.84	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	—	0.14	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.51	0.39	+0.12

Correlation

The correlation between NSCR and NUSC is 0.76, 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

NSCR vs. NUSC - Dividend Comparison

NSCR's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.07%, more than NUSC's 1.04% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NSCR Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF	2.07%	1.92%	1.57%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
NUSC Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF	1.04%	1.05%	1.15%	1.11%	1.16%	7.06%	0.52%	0.90%	3.95%	0.94%

Drawdowns

NSCR vs. NUSC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NSCR drawdown since its inception was -20.75%, smaller than the maximum NUSC drawdown of -41.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NSCR and NUSC.

Drawdown Indicators

	NSCR	NUSC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-20.75%	-41.49%	+20.74%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.47%	-14.76%	+2.29%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	—	-28.85%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-9.24%	-7.00%	-2.24%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.93%	-8.33%	+5.40%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.38%	3.61%	-0.23%

Volatility

NSCR vs. NUSC - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Nuveen Sustainable Core ETF (NSCR) is 5.53%, while Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF (NUSC) has a volatility of 6.95%. This indicates that NSCR experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than NUSC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NSCR	NUSC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.53%	6.95%	-1.42%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	10.20%	12.88%	-2.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.11%	22.30%	-3.19%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	16.63%	21.19%	-4.56%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.63%	22.46%	-5.83%