NUEM ETF: What Is It? Returns, Expense Ratio, Holdings, and Alternative ETFs
The Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF (NUEM) is a passive fund that invests in emerging market stocks meeting environmental, social, and governance criteria. Its ESG screening structure from a responsible investing perspective, along with differences in region and criteria versus ESGE, ESGD, and VSGX, are the key selection factors.
SubscribeWhat Is the Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF?
It is a passive ETF that tracks an index of emerging market stocks meeting environmental, social, and governance criteria. It screens holdings on ESG criteria and diversifies across emerging market equities while reflecting a responsible investing perspective.
It suits investors who want diversified emerging market exposure with an ESG lens and who can tolerate emerging market volatility and currency risk.
It is an ETF managed by Nuveen using a passive (index-tracking) approach.
How Does the Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF Invest?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Investment target | ESG emerging market stocks |
| Management style | Passive (ESG screening) |
| Screening criteria | Environmental, social, and governance |
| Dividend frequency | Annual |
| Total expense ratio | 0.36% |
It tracks an index of emerging market stocks that meet environmental, social, and governance criteria. It excludes or reduces the weight of companies that fall short of ESG criteria and spreads the rest of the portfolio across the remaining stocks. The result is a structure similar to a general emerging markets index while reflecting a responsible investing perspective.
- Emerging market exposure reflecting ESG criteria
- Selection based on environmental, social, and governance criteria
Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF Size and Costs (AUM and Management Fee)
Assets under management (AUM) stand at $444.1M, and the total expense ratio is 0.36% per year.
The main point of comparison is the ESG screening criteria versus general emerging market ETFs that invest in emerging markets without ESG criteria.
Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF Performance and Trends
1-Year Price Performance
Dividend & Yield
52-Week Price RangeEmerging market stocks react sensitively to global risk appetite, the strength of the dollar, and the economies of individual countries. Because ESG indexes exclude only a limited number of stocks, their performance tends not to differ greatly from general emerging market indexes. Given the emerging market weighting, currency variables also affect returns.
Fund flows into ESG emerging market stocks diverge depending on global risk appetite, currency trends, and demand for sustainability. In periods when interest in responsible investing rises, money sometimes shifts toward related products. It is also worth noting that performance varies with the economies and currencies of individual countries.
Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF Pros and Cons
ESG integration and emerging market diversification are its strengths, while emerging market risk, currency exposure, and tracking differences are considerations.
💪 Key Strengths
⚠️ Points to Watch
Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF Alternative ETFs and Related Products
For emerging market exposure without ESG criteria, direct substitutes include VWO and IEMG. Investors who want emerging markets excluding China can also compare products such as EMXC. The three products shown in the table, ESGE, ESGD, and VSGX, differ in investment region and criteria, covering emerging markets, developed markets, and a global ESG strategy, respectively. What sets this ETF apart is its narrower exposure to emerging market stocks that reflect ESG criteria.
Peer Comparison ETFs| Ticker | Name | Price | Change | AUM | Total Expense Ratio | Dividend Yield | 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ESGD | iShares Trust iShares ESG Aware MSCI EAFE ETF | $102.42 | -0.5% | $11.8B | 0.20% | 3.34% | +8.8% |
 VSGX | Vanguard ESG International Stock ETF | $77.94 | -0.4% | $6.5B | 0.10% | 3.11% | +10.5% |
 ESGE | iShare Inc iShares ESG Aware MSCI EM ETF | $49.51 | +0.1% | $6.2B | 0.25% | 2.29% | +10.0% |
 KLMN | Invesco MSCI North America Climate ETF | $30.94 | +0.2% | $2.4B | 0.09% | 1.17% | +10.1% |
 KLMT | Invesco MSCI Global Climate 500 ETF | $34.18 | +0.0% | $1.5B | 0.10% | 1.83% | +10.1% |
Top Holdings| Ticker | Name | Weight | Price | Change | Market Cap | P/E | Dividend Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSM | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing ADR | 0.32% | $404.80 | +1.6% | $2.10T | 26.1 | 1.03% |
| SKHY | SK Hynix Inc ADR | 0.07% | $150.79 | +2.1% | $1.10T | 9.8 | 1.53% |
 PASW | Ping An Biomedical Co Ltd | 0.03% | $4.96 | +6.0% | $14.0M | - | - |
| HDB | HDFC Bank Ltd ADR | 0.01% | $23.05 | +1.5% | $118.5B | 13.7 | 1.86% |
| NTES | NetEase Inc ADR | 0.01% | $116.23 | +0.6% | $74.0B | 16.1 | 2.76% |
 MYMK | State Street My2031 Municipal Bond ETF | 0.02% | $24.65 | +0.0% | $0.0M | - | 2.61% |
| KB | KB Financial Group Inc ADR | 0.01% | $110.93 | -0.9% | $39.2B | 9.5 | 3.45% |
Nuveen ESG Emerging Markets Equity ETF Investor Checkpoints
Here are the points to review before investing in NUEM. ESG integration and emerging market diversification are appealing, but emerging market risk, currency exposure, and tracking differences need to be checked in advance. It is also a good idea to compare it with emerging market products run without ESG criteria.
| Checkpoint | What to check | Current status |
|---|---|---|
| 🌱 ESG integration | Review the environmental, social, and governance screening criteria | Criteria applied |
| 🌏 Emerging market diversification | Review country weightings in emerging markets | Emerging market diversification |
| 💱 Currency | Review exposure to emerging market currencies | Not currency hedged |
| 📊 Tracking difference | Review performance versus general emerging markets indexes | Needs checking |
Political and policy risk in each country, currency fluctuations, and tracking differences from ESG screening are the main variables for long-term performance, and ESG screening can make the composition differ from general emerging markets indexes. Losses can occur during broad emerging market downturns.
It is a suitable candidate for investors who want diversified emerging market exposure with an ESG lens. For emerging market investing without ESG criteria, consider products such as VWO and IEMG, and for ESG emerging market exposure, it is advisable to compare this product alongside them before choosing.
SubscribeDisclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. All investment responsibility lies with the investor.
This article reflects information as of June 10, 2026.
Today's 5 AI picks, all free