Nuveen ESG US Aggregate Bond ETF boasts strong Process and People Pillar ratings, but other weaknesses hold this strategy's Morningstar Medalist Rating at Neutral.  The portfolio maintains a cost advantage over competitors, priced within the least expensive fee quintile among peers.  

 The strategy's investment process inspires confidence and earns an Above Average Process Pillar rating. Independent of the rating, analysis of the strategy's portfolio shows it has maintained an underweight position in A rated bonds and an overweight in government bonds compared with category peers. The team managing the passive product drives the strategy's Above Average People Pillar rating. The strategy's parent organization earns the firm an Average Parent Pillar rating, and this rating is inherited from vehicles belonging to the same branding entity and is indirectly assigned by an analyst.

Analyst Rating

Nuveen ESG US Aggregate Bond ETF earns an Above Average Process Pillar rating. Morningstar's evaluation of this security's process aims to determine the likelihood that it will outperform its Morningstar Category index on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. The main contributor to the rating is that this fund tracks an index. Historical data, like Morningstar's Active/Passive Barometer, finds that passively managed funds have generally outperformed their active counterparts, especially over longer time horizons. The parent firm's risk-adjusted performance, as shown by its average 10-year Morningstar Rating of 3.1 stars, also bolsters the rating. Lastly, the process is limited by the parent firm's five-year risk-adjusted success ratio of 50%. The measure indicates the percentage of a firm's funds that survived and beat their respective category's median Morningstar Risk-Adjusted Return for the period. The parent's modest success ratio suggests that the firm could do better across its fund lineup.

The investment strategy as stated in the fund's prospectus is: 

The investment seeks to track the investment results, before fees and expenses, of the Bloomberg MSCI U.S. Aggregate ESG Select Index (the "index").  Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of the sum of its net assets and the amount of any borrowings for investment purposes in component securities of the index. The index utilizes certain environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") criteria to select from the securities included in the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the "base index"), which is designed to broadly capture the U.S. investment grade, and taxable fixed income market.  

 This strategy has a modest 3.1% 12-month yield, lower than its average peers' 3.6%. It also has a 4.3% 30-day SEC yield (a measure similar to yield-to-maturity). Typically, a lower yield comes with the benefit of less credit risk. But that isn't always the case. Over the past 12 months, the average yield of the fund has been lower than the average yield of its Morningstar Category peers. The portfolio's average surveyed credit quality is on par with peers, with both the fund and the average being rated A. In terms of long-term interest-rate risk, this strategy is on par with peers. The longer a strategy's duration, the more sensitive it is to shifts in interest rates. This fund, with a 6.2-year duration, is expected to gain 6.2% of its net asset value if interest rates drop by 1 percentage point, and vice versa.

Above Average

Process

Nuveen’s team earns an Above Average People Pillar rating. The main contributor to the rating is its parent firm's five-year success ratio of 51%. The measure indicates the percentage of a firm's funds that survived and beat their respective category's median return for the period. A low cost, with fees that rank in its category's least costly quintile, also bolsters the rating. Fees detract from net returns, so the managers have a lower expense hurdle to overcome. Lastly, the rating is limited by the turnover of its management team. The fund last saw a manager change 11 months ago, which suggests that it could do more to retain its portfolio managers.

People

Nuveen has accomplished years of refinement, but a handful of areas keep it from landing among the industry’s best. It retains an Average Parent rating.
Nuveen is the asset-management arm of TIAA. TIAA purchased Nuveen in October 2014 and in January 2017 announced that Nuveen would become the umbrella brand for all its asset-management capabilities, including the legacy Nuveen and TIAA investment teams and their affiliates. 
Since then, a dramatic transformation has taken place. This includes merging all but one affiliated investment team into centralized equity and fixed-income groups, which are now among the industry’s largest. All operations, technology, and sales functions were centralized and modernized; in 2019, the firm rolled out a comprehensive long-term incentive plan that has helped attract and retain talent, and the previously expansive investment lineup has been mostly cleaned up.
Nuveen’s investment strengths are predominantly in fixed income and real assets. While its municipal team is among the industry’s more ubiquitous, its aggressive approach has been a sticking point for several years. Its experienced equity team hasn’t distinguished its performance from peers’. Finally, CEO Jose Minaya has built a robust management team, but several of them are recent outside hires and so it will take time to see how they integrate with Minaya’s modernized vision for the firm.

Average

Parent

NuShares ESG U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

NUBD tracks an index of US investment-grade bonds selected for exhibiting certain environmental, social, and governance criteria.

iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

iShares ESG Aware US Aggregate Bond ETF

Ishares ESG Advanced Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

iShares ESG Advanced Total USD Bond Market ETF

iShares iBoxx High Yield Corporate Bond ETF

iShares Trust iShares 1-5 Year Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF

Nuveen Enhanced Yield U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

iShares ESG Aware 1-5 Year USD Corporate Bond ETF

iShares ESG USD Corporate Bond ETF

Vanguard ESG U.S. Corporate Bond ETF

Vanguard Total Corporate Bond ETF

As the energy sector continues to trounce other sectors in 2022, a portfolio of corporate bonds with reduced energy sector exposure seems less than ideal. However, year-to-date, investors have bucked the trend to put net millions into ESG bond ETFs.

Millions Are Still Flowing Into ESG Bond ETFs

iShares Global Green Bond ETF

First Trust EIP Carbon Impact ETF

SPDR S&P 500 ESG ETF

FlexShares STOXX US ESG Impact Index Fund

FlexShares STOXX Global ESG Select Index Fund

Columbia International ESG Equity Income ETF

iShares MSCI USA ESG Optimized ETF

Invesco Real Assets ESG ETF

Blackrock US Carbon Transition Readiness ETF

Xtrackers S&P 500 ESG ETF

Momentum for the U.S. Responsible Investing industry picked up in January when President Joe Biden signed executive orders to re-enter into the Paris Climate Agreement. In 2021 through October month-end, there were 110 equity and fixed income funds that launched focused on Responsible Investing—71 RI-related ETFs and 39 RI-related mutual funds.

Responsible Investing Making Strides With U.S. Investors, Fund Companies, And Regulators In 2021

WisdomTree Barclays Yield Enhanced U.S. Aggregate Bond Fund

Avantis Core Fixed Income ETF

Vanguard Intermediate-Term Bond ETF

Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF

FlexShares Core Select Bond Fund

iShares CMBS ETF

Fieldstone UVA Unconstrained Medium-Term Fixed Income ETF

Franklin Liberty U.S. Core Bond ETF

iShares Government/Credit Bond ETF

Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF

JPMorgan U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF

Janus Henderson Sustainable & Impact Core Bond ETF

PGIM Active Aggregate Bond ETF

Invesco PureBeta US Aggregate Bond ETF

Schwab US Aggregate Bond ETF

SPDR Portfolio Aggregate Bond ETF

T Rowe Price QM US Bond ETF

USAA Core Intermediate-Term Bond ETF

Investors continued to plow money into taxable (+$32.0 billion) and tax-exempt (+$4.8 billion) bond funds (including ETFs) for the month of September. For the month, the average taxable and tax-exempt fixed income mutual fund posted a 0.48% and 0.75% decline, respectively, for September and are up 0.50% and 1.27% so far this year.

Despite Inflationary Concerns, Investors Favor Fixed Income Funds In September

NuShares ESG International Developed Markets Equity ETF

NuShares ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF

Nuveen ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF

NuShares ESG

NuShares ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF

Nuveen ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF

Nuveen ESG Small-Cap ETF

The issuer launched an active growth fund and an ESG fund with a dividend focus, in additon to cutting expense ratios on nine of its ETFs.

Nuveen Debuts Active, ESG ETFs

With the global recovery peaking — and concerns about inflation, rising rates, and fuller valuations just getting started — how can advisors best implement ESG strategies to help their clients navigate today's challenging markets? In the upcoming webcast, How to Use ESG Factors to Navigate the Recovery, Jordan Farris, Managing Director, Head of ETF Product Development, Nuveen; [.

How to Use ESG Factors to Navigate the Recovery

Given the magnitude of the changes we foresee, long-term investors may find opportunities in the technologies and innovations that create renewable energy sources or reduce the carbon intensity of energy production. Net zero is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions so that over time we can achieve an overall balance between emissions produced, and the emissions removed from the overall atmosphere.

Clean And Green Investing For A Low-Carbon Economy

Financial advisors can generate alpha across style, size, and region with environmental, social, and governance ETF strategies. In the recent webcast, ESG: The Key to Portfolios with Both Growth And Value, Brian Griggs, Managing Director, Portfolio Strategist, Nuveen, noted that since the late 2000s, growth has been the standout style.

ESG ETFs Offer Both Growth and Value Opportunities

Responsible investing isn't just a localized growth opportunity, it's truly a global trend that's full of value generation. But where should advisors begin?

ESG: The Key to Portfolios with Both Growth And Value

iShares MSCI KLD 400 Social ETF

Xtrackers MSCI EAFE ESG Leaders Equity ETF

Xtrackers MSCI Emerging Markets ESG Leaders Equity ETF

Workplace Equality

Vanguard ESG US Stock ETF

Amplify Etho Climate Leadership US ETF

 JPMorgan Carbon Transition U.S. Equity ETF

Adasina Social Justice All Cap Global ETF

Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF 

Nuveen ESG Large-Cap ETF

Barclays Bank PLC - ZC SP REDEEM 17/09/2024 USD 50 - GMTN Sr A

iShares MSCI Global Impact ETF

Impact Shares Trust I - Impact Shares Sustainable Development Goals Global Equity ETF

SPDR S&P 500 Fossil Fuel Reserves Free ETF

iShares MSCI USA ESG Select ETF

iShares ESG MSCI USA Leaders ETF

Essentially unheard of a decade ago, investing strategies that screen holdings for adherence to Environmental, Social and Governance values have captured increasing investor interest. Tony Campos, Head of Sustainable Investment, Americas, FTSE Russell, joins the podcast to explain how the process of ESG screening works at FTSE Russell.

From Fad To Sustainable Trend: The ESG Juggernaut Continues To Pick Up Steam (Podcast)

Nuveen Enhanced Yield 1-5 Year US Aggregate Bond ETF

Exchange traded fund investors looking to craft a well-diversified investment portfolio should consider various income strategies in an evolving market environment.

Bond ETF Strategies to Adapt to Today’s Markets

iShares MSCI Kokusai ETF

Xtrackers MSCI USA ESG Leaders Equity ETF

US Vegan Climate ETF

Pacer Funds Trust - Pacer Military Times Best Employers ETF

ClearBridge Dividend Strategy ESG ETF

More than ever, investors recognize the risks and opportunities associated with the low carbon transition and are incorporating a wider set of considerations into their decision making.

Targeted Sustainability

According to Morningstar, the global sustainable funds universe experienced net inflows of nearly $46 billion during the first quarter of 2020, compared with net outflows of $385 billion for the overall funds universe.

COVID-19 Drives ESG Demand

When expanding their line of products for investors, money managers can fall back on what they’re good at.

ESG ETF Strategies Are Backed by Years of Research and Experience

Passive index-based fixed-income investors face various risks today, but they can look to factor-based bond ETF strategies that could enhance yields and limit downside risks.

A Smart Way to Build Out a Bond ETF Portfolio

News for NuShares ESG U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF ETF (NUBD)