NUSA vs. FLOT
NUSA (Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF) and FLOT (iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - NUSA is a Short-Term Bond fund tracking the ICE BofA Enhanced Yield US Broad Bond (1-5 Y), while FLOT is a Corporate Bonds fund tracking the Bloomberg US Floating Rate Notes (<5 Y). Both are passively managed. Over the past 5 years, NUSA returned 1.53%/yr vs 4.19%/yr for FLOT. At a 0.10 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. NUSA charges 0.15%/yr vs 0.20%/yr for FLOT.
Performance
NUSA vs. FLOT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, NUSA achieves a 0.48% return, which is significantly lower than FLOT's 1.81% return.
NUSA
- 1D
- 0.09%
- 1M
- 0.22%
- YTD
- 0.48%
- 6M
- 0.72%
- 1Y
- 3.56%
- 3Y*
- 4.37%
- 5Y*
- 1.53%
- 10Y*
- —
FLOT
- 1D
- -0.08%
- 1M
- 0.41%
- YTD
- 1.81%
- 6M
- 2.13%
- 1Y
- 4.80%
- 3Y*
- 5.58%
- 5Y*
- 4.19%
- 10Y*
- 3.02%
NUSA vs. FLOT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NUSA Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 0.48% | 5.89% | 3.52% | 5.19% | -5.91% | -1.04% | 4.85% | 5.62% | 1.40% | 1.00% |
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 1.81% | 4.91% | 6.53% | 6.43% | 1.28% | 0.45% | 0.87% | 3.97% | 1.48% | 1.27% |
Correlation
The correlation between NUSA and FLOT is 0.11, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.11 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.11 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.10 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 4, 2017 | 0.10 |
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Return for Risk
NUSA vs. FLOT — Risk / Return Rank
NUSA
FLOT
NUSA vs. FLOT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NUSA) and iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT). 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.
| NUSA | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -4.51 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -8.55 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.39 | 3.18 | -1.79 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.79 | 11.18 | -8.39 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.89 | 104.01 | -94.12 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| NUSA | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.98 | 6.48 | -4.51 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.55 | 2.37 | -1.82 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | — | 0.73 | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.82 | 0.66 | +0.16 |
Drawdowns
NUSA vs. FLOT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum NUSA drawdown since its inception was -9.44%, smaller than the maximum FLOT drawdown of -13.54%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for NUSA and FLOT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| NUSA | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -9.44% | -13.54% | +4.10% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -1.28% | -0.43% | -0.85% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -1.62% | -1.57% | -0.05% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -9.44% | -2.36% | -7.08% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -13.54% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.46% | -0.08% | -0.38% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -1.65% | -0.21% | -1.44% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.36% | 0.05% | +0.31% |
Volatility
NUSA vs. FLOT - Volatility Comparison
Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (NUSA) has a higher volatility of 0.66% compared to iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF (FLOT) at 0.20%. This indicates that NUSA's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than FLOT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| NUSA | FLOT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 0.66% | 0.20% | +0.46% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 1.33% | 0.63% | +0.70% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.82% | 0.74% | +1.08% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 2.80% | 1.77% | +1.03% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 2.72% | 4.15% | -1.43% |
NUSA vs. FLOT - Expense Ratio Comparison
NUSA has a 0.15% expense ratio, which is lower than FLOT's 0.20% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.
Dividends
NUSA vs. FLOT - Dividend Comparison
NUSA's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 3.86%, less than FLOT's 4.54% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FLOT iShares Floating Rate Bond ETF | 4.54% | 4.84% | 5.82% | 5.66% | 2.06% | 0.43% | 1.25% | 2.78% | 2.41% | 1.46% | 0.97% | 0.53% |
NUSA Nuveen ESG 1-5 Year U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF | 3.86% | 3.83% | 3.93% | 3.54% | 2.44% | 2.16% | 2.51% | 2.85% | 3.22% | 2.20% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
NUSA and FLOT have a correlation of 0.11, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
NUSA has higher volatility (0.66%) compared to FLOT (0.20%). In terms of maximum drawdown, NUSA dropped -9.44% vs FLOT's -13.54%.
On 5-year performance, FLOT leads with 4.19% vs 1.53% for NUSA. On fees, NUSA is cheaper at 0.15% per year. On volatility, FLOT has been the lower-risk option at 0.20%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 5-year period, FLOT has performed better with a 4.19% return vs 1.53%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
NUSA is cheaper with a 0.15% expense ratio, compared with 0.20% for FLOT.
FLOT has the higher dividend yield at 4.54%, compared with 3.86% for NUSA.
NUSA is categorized as Short-Term Bond, while FLOT is Corporate Bonds. NUSA tracks ICE BofA Enhanced Yield US Broad Bond (1-5 Y), while FLOT tracks Bloomberg US Floating Rate Notes (<5 Y). They also come from different issuers: Nuveen and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.15% for NUSA and 0.20% for FLOT.
FLOT currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (6.48 vs 1.98), 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.
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