TCPC vs. JQC

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

TCPC (BlackRock TCP Capital Corp.) is a stock, while JQC (Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund) is Bank Loan fund managed by Nuveen. Over the past 10 years, TCPC returned -1.99%/yr vs 5.78%/yr for JQC. At a 0.23 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

TCPC vs. JQC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. (TCPC) and Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, TCPC achieves a -28.47% return, which is significantly lower than JQC's 0.73% return. Over the past 10 years, TCPC has underperformed JQC with an annualized return of -1.99%, while JQC has yielded a comparatively higher 5.78% annualized return.

TCPC

• 1D: -4.85%
• 1M: -15.03%
• YTD: -28.47%
• 6M: -33.44%
• 1Y: -43.27%
• 3Y*: -17.65%
• 5Y*: -13.29%
• 10Y*: -1.99%

JQC

• 1D: -0.83%
• 1M: 1.03%
• YTD: 0.73%
• 6M: 0.62%
• 1Y: 2.31%
• 3Y*: 11.73%
• 5Y*: 4.75%
• 10Y*: 5.78%

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

TCPC vs. JQC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
TCPC BlackRock TCP Capital Corp.	-28.47%	-26.24%	-12.26%	3.23%	5.61%	30.76%	-9.17%	19.31%	-5.59%	-1.22%
JQC Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund	0.73%	-0.36%	22.29%	15.26%	-14.22%	13.29%	-2.96%	21.78%	-4.33%	-0.27%

Correlation

The correlation between TCPC and JQC is 0.17, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.17
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.21
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.27
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 5, 2012	0.23

The correlation between TCPC and JQC shifts across timeframes, from 0.17 (1 year) to 0.27 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

TCPC vs. JQC — Risk / Return Rank

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

TCPC

TCPC Risk / Return Rank: 4
TCPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 1
TCPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 3
TCPC Omega Ratio Rank: 3
TCPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 8
TCPC Martin Ratio Rank: 5

JQC

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

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.

TCPC vs. JQC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. (TCPC) and Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC). 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.

	TCPC	JQC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-1.30	0.21	-1.51
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-1.90	0.38	-2.27
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.77	1.05	-0.28
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.86	0.23	-1.09
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.53	0.46	-1.99
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

TCPC vs. JQC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current TCPC Sharpe Ratio is -1.30, which is lower than the JQC Sharpe Ratio of 0.21. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of TCPC and JQC, 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

	TCPC	JQC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-1.30	0.21	-1.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.51	0.36	-0.87
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.06	0.33	-0.39
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.05	0.23	-0.18

Drawdowns

TCPC vs. JQC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum TCPC drawdown since its inception was -69.08%, smaller than the maximum JQC drawdown of -75.18%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for TCPC and JQC.

Drawdown Indicators

	TCPC	JQC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-69.08%	-75.18%	+6.10%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-50.21%	-10.15%	-40.06%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-58.91%	-15.37%	-43.54%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-58.91%	-19.83%	-39.08%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-69.08%	-47.99%	-21.09%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-55.44%	-5.34%	-50.10%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.91%	-8.82%	-1.09%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	28.30%	5.04%	+23.26%

Volatility

TCPC vs. JQC - Volatility Comparison

BlackRock TCP Capital Corp. (TCPC) has a higher volatility of 11.24% compared to Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund (JQC) at 2.16%. This indicates that TCPC's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than JQC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	TCPC	JQC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.24%	2.16%	+9.08%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	29.82%	8.80%	+21.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	33.47%	11.11%	+22.36%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.25%	13.17%	+13.08%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	34.43%	17.56%	+16.87%

Dividends

TCPC vs. JQC - Dividend Comparison

TCPC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 26.81%, more than JQC's 13.22% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
JQC Nuveen Credit Strategies Income Fund	13.22%	12.91%	11.39%	11.42%	9.71%	10.03%	16.11%	16.14%	6.53%	7.42%	6.99%	7.51%
TCPC BlackRock TCP Capital Corp.	26.81%	20.48%	16.76%	14.64%	9.81%	8.88%	11.74%	10.25%	11.04%	9.42%	8.52%	10.34%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both TCPC and JQC in my portfolio?

TCPC and JQC have a correlation of 0.17, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, TCPC or JQC?

TCPC has higher volatility (11.24%) compared to JQC (2.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, TCPC dropped -69.08% vs JQC's -75.18%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

JQC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.21 vs -1.30), 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.