NUMG vs. COWZ

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) and Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ).

NUMG and COWZ are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. NUMG is a passively managed fund by Nuveen that tracks the performance of the MSCI TIAA ESG USA Mid Cap Growth. It was launched on Dec 13, 2016. COWZ is a passively managed fund by Pacer that tracks the performance of the Pacer US Cash Cows 100 Index. It was launched on Dec 16, 2016. Both NUMG and COWZ 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

NUMG vs. COWZ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) and Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

NUMG vs. COWZ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
NUMG Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF	-13.96%	0.78%	11.99%	20.47%	-28.31%	12.27%	45.73%	34.87%	-5.79%	19.00%
COWZ Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF	4.30%	8.98%	10.64%	14.73%	0.19%	42.57%	11.65%	23.41%	-10.05%	20.22%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, NUMG achieves a -13.96% return, which is significantly lower than COWZ's 4.30% return.

NUMG

• 1D: 3.29%
• 1M: -6.68%
• YTD: -13.96%
• 6M: -15.60%
• 1Y: -4.28%
• 3Y*: 2.51%
• 5Y*: -1.83%
• 10Y*: —

COWZ

• 1D: 1.08%
• 1M: -3.36%
• YTD: 4.30%
• 6M: 10.31%
• 1Y: 16.75%
• 3Y*: 12.26%
• 5Y*: 11.01%
• 10Y*: —

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

NUMG vs. COWZ - Expense Ratio Comparison

NUMG has a 0.30% expense ratio, which is lower than COWZ's 0.49% expense ratio.

COWZ

Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF

NUMG

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF

Return for Risk

NUMG vs. COWZ — Risk / Return Rank

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

NUMG

NUMG Risk / Return Rank: 8
NUMG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 8
NUMG Sortino Ratio Rank: 8
NUMG Omega Ratio Rank: 8
NUMG Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
NUMG Martin Ratio Rank: 7

COWZ

COWZ Risk / Return Rank: 60
COWZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 58
COWZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
COWZ Omega Ratio Rank: 62
COWZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 57
COWZ Martin Ratio Rank: 65

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.

NUMG vs. COWZ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) and Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ). 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.

	NUMG	COWZ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.18	0.96	-1.14
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.10	1.44	-1.54
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.99	1.21	-0.23
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.21	1.30	-1.52
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.65	6.06	-6.71
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

NUMG vs. COWZ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current NUMG Sharpe Ratio is -0.18, which is lower than the COWZ Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of NUMG and COWZ, 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

	NUMG	COWZ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.18	0.96	-1.14
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.08	0.62	-0.70
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.37	0.63	-0.26

Correlation

The correlation between NUMG and COWZ is 0.67, 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

NUMG vs. COWZ - Dividend Comparison

NUMG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.01%, less than COWZ's 2.06% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016
NUMG Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF	0.01%	0.01%	0.06%	0.18%	0.18%	12.76%	3.82%	0.27%	5.14%	0.56%	0.00%
COWZ Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF	2.06%	2.19%	1.82%	1.92%	1.96%	1.48%	2.54%	1.96%	1.67%	1.95%	0.13%

Drawdowns

NUMG vs. COWZ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum NUMG drawdown since its inception was -38.85%, roughly equal to the maximum COWZ drawdown of -38.63%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NUMG and COWZ.

Drawdown Indicators

	NUMG	COWZ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-38.85%	-38.63%	-0.22%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-19.71%	-13.55%	-6.16%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-38.85%	-22.00%	-16.85%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-21.68%	-3.36%	-18.32%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-11.30%	-4.85%	-6.45%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.47%	2.91%	+3.56%

Volatility

NUMG vs. COWZ - Volatility Comparison

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NUMG) has a higher volatility of 6.83% compared to Pacer US Cash Cows 100 ETF (COWZ) at 3.00%. This indicates that NUMG's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than COWZ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	NUMG	COWZ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	6.83%	3.00%	+3.83%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.15%	8.36%	+5.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	23.42%	17.50%	+5.92%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.83%	17.73%	+5.10%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.92%	20.08%	+1.84%