At a glance
NUKZ charges 0.85% a year, above the 0.27% average of the 6 funds most like it (the most expensive of 7). It has $889.9M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 1.0% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, annual. Over the past year it returned −17.3% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 5th of those 7 funds. Its ten largest positions make up 36.2% of the fund, out of 46 in all.
The short version
Range Nuclear Renaissance Index ETF (NUKZ), from Exchange Traded Concepts, tracks the VettaFi Nuclear Renaissance Index. The index holds about 45 nuclear-related companies: reactor developers, utilities, construction and service firms, and fuel suppliers. Each of those four groups has a weight cap, and fuel companies are capped at 20%. That spreads the fund across the nuclear supply chain. The breadth costs more, though. Its 0.85% expense ratio is above every similar fund compared, and their average is 0.27%.
Price history
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NUKZ -17.3% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUKZ official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2024 | — | +62.11% | — | — | — | — |
| NUKZ price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -8.5% | -17.3% | — | — | — | +36.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, NUKZ returned -17.3%, 5th of 7 among similar funds.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+56.6%); its best was 2025 (+56.6%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 33% (Feb 10, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by May 27, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -8.5% | — |
| 2025 | +56.6% | +56.75% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $0.5800 |
What's inside
As of May 31, 2026, the fund held 46 securities; the ten largest made up 36.23% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| CAMECO CORPORATION | 9.06% | |
| SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION | 3.43% | |
| GE VERNOVA INC. | 3.32% | |
| TALEN ENERGY CORP | 3.25% | |
| ROLLS-ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC | 3.00% | |
| CEZ, a.s. | 2.97% | |
| Dominion Energy, Inc. | 2.91% | |
| Endesa, Sociedad Anonima | 2.85% | |
| VISTRA CORP. | 2.74% | |
| SOLSTICE ADVANCED MATERIALS INC. | 2.70% | |
| Fortum Oyj | 2.62% | |
| CONSTELLATION ENERGY CORPORATION. | 2.60% | |
| DUKE ENERGY CORPORATION | 2.54% | |
| CURTISS-WRIGHT CORPORATION | 2.49% | |
| PG&E CORPORATION | 2.47% |
By country
United States 65.19%South Korea 10.47%Japan 6.8%United Kingdom 3%Czech Republic 2.97%By asset type
Stocks 99.56%What changed recently
- Over the three months to May 31, 2026, investors added a net $27.1M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -0.43%, +11.57%, -11.19%.
How it works
NUKZ, an index fund from Exchange Traded Concepts, aims to match, before fees, the VettaFi Nuclear Renaissance Index (formerly the Range Nuclear Renaissance Index). VettaFi selects companies that have said in filings or official company materials that they work, or plan to work, in nuclear energy. The fund keeps at least 80% of net assets in these companies and usually holds every index stock at its index weight.
Stocks are sorted into four buckets, each with a ceiling: advanced reactors (30%), utilities (30%), construction and services (35%) and fuel (20%). Within each bucket, larger companies by market value get larger weights. "Pure play" firms, which earn or may earn at least half their revenue from nuclear, and "pre-revenue" firms with no sales yet can each reach 10%. "Diversified" firms, where nuclear is under half of revenue, are capped at 3%. Stocks under 1% are dropped. Cameco, the largest holding, was 9.1% of assets as of May 31, 2026.
The index is reshuffled at the end of each March and September. Companies need a market value of $100 million to join and $50 million to stay. Companies based or listed in China or Russia are excluded. As of March 3, 2026, the index held 45 stocks, mostly US-based, and was concentrated in electric utilities.
What it really costs
- NUKZ charges 0.85% a year, versus an average of 0.27% for the similar funds below (7th of 7, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $87 in the first year and $1,049 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUKZ | $87 | $271 | $471 | $1,049 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a narrow, volatile, high-cost bet on a single industry, so it fits best as a small side position, not a foundation.
NUKZ launched in January 2024, so it has no record through the 2008, 2020 or 2022 market drops. Its only full calendar year, 2025, returned 56.75%, but the path was bumpy. The fund fell 33% from February 10 to April 8, 2025, and recovered by May 27, 2025. It lost 17.3% in the year to October 27, 2026. Over that year its beta was 1.69, meaning it tended to move about 1.7 times as much as the broad market. Anyone who has to withdraw money during a slump like that would lock in losses. Income is small: the yield was 1% as of October 27, 2026, paid once a year. On costs, the SEC's standard example puts expenses on $10,000 at $87 after one year and $1,049 after ten. Past results don't predict future returns, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want a small bet on nuclear power across reactors, utilities, construction and fuel, not just uranium producers.
- Investors who can sit through steep swings, like the 33% drop from February to April 2025 and a one-year beta of 1.69.
- Investors who want global nuclear names such as Cameco, Samsung C&T, Rolls-Royce and CEZ, with South Korea at 10.5% of assets as of May 31, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.85% expense ratio is far above the 0.27% average for similar funds. Vanguard Utilities ETF (VPU) charges 0.09%.
- Retirees who need regular income: the yield was 1% as of October 27, 2026, and the fund pays only once a year.
- Investors who want a long record: the fund dates from January 2024 and lost 17.3% in the year to October 27, 2026.
Close alternatives
Matched by closest holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports (no similar fund shares 20% or more of its holdings).
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUKZ this fund | — | 0.85% | $889.9M | -17.3% | — |
| URAN Themes Uranium & Nuclear ETF | 28% | 0.35% | $27.9M | -30.8% | — |
| NLR VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF | 27% | 0.61% | $4.21B | -33.4% | +15.0% |
| FUTY Fidelity MSCI Utilities Index ETF | 15% | 0.084% | $2.32B | -4.0% | +17.0% |
| IDU iShares U.S. Utilities ETF | 14% | 0.39% | $1.46B | -2.5% | +17.2% |
| VPU Vanguard Utilities ETF | 14% | 0.09% | $10.08B | -4.1% | +17.0% |
| XLU Utilities Select Sector SPDR Fund | 13% | 0.08% | $23.11B | -0.4% | -7.8% |
Questions investors ask
What does NUKZ invest in?
NUKZ holds stocks of companies tied to nuclear power, chosen by the VettaFi Nuclear Renaissance Index. As of May 31, 2026, it had 46 holdings. The largest were Cameco at 9.1%, Samsung C&T at 3.4%, GE Vernova at 3.3%, Talen Energy at 3.3% and Rolls-Royce at 3.0%. The top 10 made up 36.2% of the fund. About 65% was in US companies, with South Korea at 10.5% and Japan at 6.8%.
Is NUKZ good for retirement?
NUKZ is better viewed as a small, higher-risk side holding than a core retirement fund. It is concentrated in one industry and moves sharply: it fell 33% in early 2025 and lost 17.3% in the year to October 27, 2026. It yielded 1% as of that date, paid annually, and costs 0.85% a year. It launched in January 2024, so it has never been through a full bear market.
What's the difference between NUKZ and NLR?
Both funds track nuclear-related stocks, but they share only about 27% of their holdings. NLR, the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF, charges 0.61% a year against 0.85% for NUKZ. NLR is also much larger, with $4.2 billion in net assets as of June 30, 2026. Over the year to October 27, 2026, NLR returned -33.4% and NUKZ returned -17.3%. NUKZ caps fuel companies at 20% of its index.
Does NUKZ pay dividends?
Yes, but the payout is small, and it comes only once a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, NUKZ paid $0.58 per share, a yield of about 1%. The dividends come from the stocks it holds, many of them electric utilities. The fund uses no options or other income strategies to boost payouts. Investors who want regular monthly or quarterly income would need other sources.
What is the NUKZ expense ratio?
The NUKZ expense ratio is 0.85% a year, according to its prospectus filed March 27, 2026. That is the highest among the seven funds compared, whose average is 0.27%. In the SEC's standard example, $10,000 earning 5% a year would cost $87 in expenses after one year, $471 after five years and $1,049 after ten. Broad utility ETFs, which overlap less, charge as little as 0.08%.