NUEM vs. VEXC

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NUEM) and Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (VEXC).

NUEM and VEXC are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NUEM is a passively managed fund by Nuveen that tracks the performance of the MSCI TIAA ESG Emerging Markets. It was launched on Jun 7, 2017. VEXC is a passively managed fund by Vanguard that tracks the performance of the FTSE Emerging ex China Index. It was launched on Sep 30, 2025. Both NUEM and VEXC are passive ETFs, meaning that they are not actively managed but aim to replicate the performance of the underlying index as closely as possible.

Performance

NUEM vs. VEXC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NUEM) and Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (VEXC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NUEM vs. VEXC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025
NUEM Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF	3.71%	1.98%
VEXC Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF	3.49%	4.80%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NUEM achieves a 3.71% return, which is significantly higher than VEXC's 3.49% return.

NUEM

• 1D: 0.44%
• 1M: -4.45%
• YTD: 3.71%
• 6M: 6.33%
• 1Y: 30.75%
• 3Y*: 14.14%
• 5Y*: 3.37%
• 10Y*: —

VEXC

• 1D: 0.86%
• 1M: -5.85%
• YTD: 3.49%
• 6M: —
• 1Y: —
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

NUEM vs. VEXC - Expense Ratio Comparison

NUEM has a 0.35% expense ratio, which is higher than VEXC's 0.07% expense ratio.

NUEM

Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF

VEXC

Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF

Return for Risk

NUEM vs. VEXC — Risk / Return Rank

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

NUEM

NUEM Risk / Return Rank: 81
NUEM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 80
NUEM Sortino Ratio Rank: 82
NUEM Omega Ratio Rank: 80
NUEM Calmar Ratio Rank: 84
NUEM Martin Ratio Rank: 78

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.

NUEM vs. VEXC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NUEM) and Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF (VEXC). 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.

	NUEM	VEXC	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.60	—	—
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.25	—	—
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	—	—
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.67	—	—
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.30	—	—
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	NUEM	VEXC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.60	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.17	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.33	1.03	-0.70

Correlation

The correlation between NUEM and VEXC is 0.90, 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

NUEM vs. VEXC - Dividend Comparison

NUEM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.45%, more than VEXC's 0.86% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NUEM Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF	3.45%	3.58%	1.95%	2.37%	1.90%	2.45%	1.26%	1.98%	2.05%	0.62%
VEXC Vanguard Emerging Markets Ex-China ETF	0.86%	0.43%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

NUEM vs. VEXC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NUEM drawdown since its inception was -39.48%, which is greater than VEXC's maximum drawdown of -12.42%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NUEM and VEXC.

Drawdown Indicators

	NUEM	VEXC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-39.48%	-12.42%	-27.06%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.56%	—	—
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.10%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.70%	-8.79%	+1.09%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-15.28%	-2.32%	-12.96%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.31%	—	—

Volatility

Volatility by Period

	NUEM	VEXC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.99%	—	—
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.17%	—	—
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	19.28%	17.48%	+1.80%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	19.42%	17.48%	+1.94%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.09%	17.48%	+2.61%