ETFs That Deliberately Avoid Gun Exposure

Investors can fill out their equity portfolio with Nuveen’s U.S. ESG-related ETFs, such as the NuShares ESG Large-Cap Value ETF (BATS: NULV), NuShares ESG Large-Cap Growth ETF (BATS: NULG), NuShares ESG Mid-Cap Value ETF (BATS: NUMV), NuShares ESG Mid-Cap Growth ETF (BATS: NUMG) and NuShares ESG Small-Cap ETF (BATS: NUSC), among others, which screen companies of various market capitalization and asset categories for environmental, social and governance principles.

These types of socially responsible or ESG-reated ETF themes all include some kind of screen that specifically avoid companies with controversial practices or industries that may cause significant social harm, such as gun manufacturers.

However, investors don’t seem to be biting. According to Bloomberg data, since 17 people were gunned down in America’s latest mass killing, just $82 million of the $22 billion that’s flowed into ETFs went to the 50 or so products that put money to work in accordance with environmental, social and governance or ESG principles. The amount of inflows is less than what these funds absorbed in the week immediately preceding the atrocity.

For more information on socially responsible investments, visit our socially responsible ETFs category.