Is Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV) a Strong ETF Right Now?

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV), a smart beta ETF with $1.69 billion in assets, aims to track the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Value Index and has an expense ratio of 0.26% with a 2.01% dividend yield. NULV's largest sector allocation is Financials at 23.30%, with top holdings including Coca-Cola (2.58%), McDonald's, and IBM; the fund is up 4.22% YTD and 11.16% over the past year, offering an option for investors seeking to outperform the large-cap value segment with an ESG focus, though alternatives like ESGV and ESGU exist with potentially lower expense ratios.

Analysis

The Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (NULV), launched on December 13, 2016, is a smart beta exchange-traded fund offering exposure to the U.S. large-cap value equity segment with an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) screen. It tracks the TIAA ESG USA Large-Cap Value Index and has accumulated $1.69 billion in assets under management, positioning it as an average-sized ETF in its category. NULV's annual operating expense ratio is 0.26%, which is stated to be on par with peers, and it offers a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 2.01%. The portfolio is most heavily weighted towards the Financials sector, accounting for 23.30% of assets, followed by Healthcare and Industrials. Key individual holdings include Coca-Cola Co. (2.58%), McDonald's Corp., and International Business Machines Corp., with the top 10 holdings representing approximately 20.6% of total assets. Performance-wise, NULV has returned roughly 4.22% year-to-date and 11.16% over the past year as of June 12, 2025, trading within a 52-week range of $36.02 to $43.28. The fund exhibits a beta of 0.88 and a standard deviation of 14.75% over the trailing three-year period, holding approximately 111 securities, which aids in diversifying company-specific risk. While NULV is presented as an option for outperforming the large-cap value segment with an ESG focus, alternative ETFs such as Vanguard ESG U.S. Stock ETF (ESGV) and iShares ESG Aware MSCI USA ETF (ESGU) offer significantly larger asset bases ($10.31 billion and $13.51 billion, respectively) and lower expense ratios (0.09% for ESGV and 0.15% for ESGU).

Key Decisions for Investors

• Investors seeking ESG-integrated exposure to U.S. large-cap value stocks should evaluate NULV, considering its specific index methodology, recent 11.16% one-year return, and 2.01% dividend yield.
• A comparative analysis of NULV's 0.26% expense ratio and smart beta strategy against potentially lower-cost and larger ESG ETFs like ESGV and ESGU is recommended to align with cost and investment objectives.