At a glance
RNRG charges 0.65% a year, above the 0.6% average of the 6 funds most like it (the 5th cheapest of 7). It has $26.0M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 1.86% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned −5.1% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 5th of those 7 funds; over three years it returned +5.4% a year. At its worst it fell 25.4% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and is still below its earlier high. Its ten largest positions make up 54.3% of the fund, out of 41 in all.
The short version
Global X Renewable Energy Producers ETF (RNRG) tracks the Indxx Renewable Energy Producers Index, which holds companies earning at least half their revenue from generating renewable power. Its biggest positions are overseas power producers such as Brazil's AXIA Energia, Austria's Verbund and Denmark's Orsted, with just 11% in US companies as of July 31, 2026. At roughly $26 million in assets, it is small, and its 0.65% annual fee sits above the 0.60% peer average.
Price history
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RNRG -5.1% 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNRG official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +29.36% | — | -8.01% | +3.27% | — |
| RNRG price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -5.7% | -5.1% | +5.4% | -7.9% | — | -7.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, RNRG returned -5.1%, 5th of 7 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was -7.9%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2024 (-22.0%); its best was 2025 (+29.6%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 52.2% (Oct 28, 2021 to Apr 8, 2025), not yet recovered.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -5.7% | — |
| 2025 | +29.6% | +29.36% |
| 2024 | -22.0% | -22.08% |
| 2023 | -12.8% | -12.33% |
| 2022 | -15.3% | -15.06% |
| 2021 | — | -12.27% |
| 2020 | — | +25.31% |
| 2019 | — | +36.53% |
| 2018 | — | -5.47% |
| 2017 | — | +22.14% |
| 2016 | — | +6.01% |
| 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 | Not in the price data, which starts Feb 22, 2021 |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 21.6% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 25.4%, not recovered by the end of the data |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.2100 | |
| 2025 | $0.4901 | +25.7% |
| 2024 | $0.3900 | -18.7% |
| 2023 | $0.4800 | +6.7% |
| 2022 | $0.4500 |
What's inside
As of Jul 31, 2026, the fund held 41 securities; the ten largest made up 54.28% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| AXIA Energia S.A. | 6.38% | |
| VERBUND AG | 6.26% | |
| Oersted A/S | 6.06% | |
| EDP RENEWABLES SOCIEDAD ANONIMA | 5.99% | |
| ENLIGHT RENEWABLE ENERGY LTD | 5.74% | |
| PT Barito Renewables Energy Tbk | 5.69% | |
| MERIDIAN ENERGY LIMITED | 4.69% | |
| Brookfield Renewable Partners L.P. | 4.61% | |
| ENGIE Brasil Energia S.A. | 4.61% | |
| ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC. | 4.24% | |
| CONTACT ENERGY LIMITED | 4.06% | |
| MERCURY NZ LIMITED | 3.98% | |
| China Power International Development Limited | 3.17% | |
| ENERGIX - RENEWABLE ENERGIES LTD | 2.98% | |
| NORTHLAND POWER INC | 2.88% |
By country
New Zealand 12.73%Brazil 10.99%United States 10.96%Canada 9.41%Israel 8.73%By asset type
Stocks 100.01%RA 0.47%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jul 31, 2026, investors withdrew a net $4.7M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: -3.62%, -9.11%, +1.99%.
How it works
RNRG, run by Global X Management Company LLC, seeks to track the Indxx Renewable Energy Producers Index. Indxx screens FactSet industries tied to renewable power. It then keeps companies earning at least 50% of revenue from producing energy from wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal or biofuel sources. That includes YieldCos, which are companies formed to own operating power assets with defined cash flows. Utilities, industrials and energy firms of any size can qualify.
The index weights companies mainly by market capitalization (the total value of their shares), but it caps each position to limit how much the largest names dominate. It is rebuilt and reweighted twice a year. The fund generally holds every index stock in about the same proportion. It may hold a representative subset instead when buying every stock is impractical or costly. It must keep at least 80% of assets in index securities or depositary receipts (ADRs and GDRs, which are certificates representing foreign shares).
Because the fund is non-diversified, it can hold larger stakes in fewer companies. As of December 31, 2025, the index was concentrated in the independent power and renewable energy industry, with significant utilities exposure. The fund does not shift to defensive positions in falling markets. It may lend out securities worth up to a third of its total assets, and its index can be changed without a shareholder vote.
What it really costs
- RNRG charges 0.65% a year, versus an average of 0.6% for the similar funds below (5th of 7, cheapest first).
- Using the prospectus's standard example, $10,000 invested would cost about $66 in the first year and $810 over 10 years (assuming a 5% annual return).
| Cost of $10,000 (SEC example) | 1 yr | 3 yrs | 5 yrs | 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNRG | $66 | $208 | $362 | $810 |
In a retirement portfolio
It is a non-diversified, single-industry fund of mostly foreign power producers that lost money four calendar years in a row, from 2021 through 2024.
RNRG could add renewable producers from New Zealand, Brazil and Israel. That focus has brought steep swings. It launched in 2015, so it has no 2008 record. It fell 18.03% in the first quarter of 2020 but ended that year up 25.31%. It lost money four calendar years running, 2021 through 2024. Its worst year was 2024, at -22.08%. In the 2022 bear market it fell 25.4% from its April peak. Its biggest drop since early 2021, 52.2% from October 2021 to April 2025, had not been recovered as of October 27, 2026.
Anyone selling shares for income after such a fall would lock in losses. The 1.86% yield (as of October 27, 2026) is paid twice a year. Fees are 0.65%, or $66 in year one on $10,000 under the SEC's standard example. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should weigh the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors wanting a modest position in renewable power producers spread across New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Israel and Indonesia rather than mainly US companies.
- People who want utility-like renewable producers, such as Verbund, Orsted and Meridian Energy, chosen because at least half their revenue comes from generating renewable power.
- Long-term holders who can ride out deep swings, including a 52.2% drop from October 2021 that had not been recovered as of October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.65% expense ratio is above the 0.60% peer average, and iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) charges 0.41%.
- Retirees who need steady income: the trailing yield was 1.86% as of October 27, 2026, and payments arrive only twice a year.
- Those wary of very small funds: net assets were about $26 million as of July 31, 2026, sixth of seven among similar funds.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNRG this fund | — | 0.65% | $26.0M | -5.1% | +5.4% |
| FAN First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF | 31% | 0.6% | $304.4M | +10.3% | +19.1% |
| TAN Invesco Solar ETF | 20% | 0.71% | $1.05B | -14.1% | +1.1% |
| PBD Invesco Global Clean Energy ETF | 14% | 0.75% | $182.7M | -5.1% | +7.9% |
| WNDY Global X Wind Energy ETF | 14% | 0.51% | $1.5M | 0.0% | +1.9% |
| ICLN iShares Global Clean Energy ETF | 14% | 0.41% | $2.31B | -4.3% | +8.8% |
| SMOG VanEck Low Carbon Energy ETF | 10% | 0.61% | $143.7M | -1.1% | +13.4% |
Questions investors ask
What does RNRG invest in?
RNRG invests in companies that earn at least half their revenue from producing renewable energy, as defined by index provider Indxx. As of July 31, 2026, the largest holdings were AXIA Energia (6.4%), Verbund (6.3%), Orsted (6.1%), EDP Renewables (6.0%) and Enlight Renewable Energy (5.7%). The top 10 made up about 54% of assets. New Zealand, Brazil and the US were the biggest country weights, at roughly 11% to 13% each. With most assets outside the US, currency swings also affect returns.
Does RNRG pay dividends?
Yes. RNRG pays distributions twice a year. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $0.58 per share, a trailing yield of 1.86%. Those payments pass along dividends from the companies the fund owns, so the amount can change from one payout to the next. Twice-yearly payments and a modest yield may not suit someone who needs steady monthly income.
RNRG vs FAN: what's the difference?
The main differences are focus, cost and track record. First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN) is RNRG's closest match by holdings, though the overlap is limited. As its name suggests, FAN centers on wind, while RNRG holds producers across several renewable sources. FAN charges 0.60% a year, versus 0.65% for RNRG. As of October 27, 2026, FAN returned 10.3% over one year and 19.1% a year over three years, against -5.1% and 5.4% for RNRG. FAN is also far larger, at about $304 million in assets as of June 30, 2026.
Is RNRG good for retirement?
RNRG is more likely to fit as a small, higher-risk add-on than as the center of a retirement portfolio. It is non-diversified, concentrated in one industry and mostly invested outside the US. It lost money every calendar year from 2021 through 2024, then gained 29.36% in 2025. Its 10-year average annual return was 3.27% as of December 31, 2025. Its deepest drop since 2021, 52.2%, had not been recovered as of October 27, 2026. That is a risk for anyone who may need to sell in a downturn.
What is RNRG's expense ratio?
RNRG's expense ratio, the annual fee taken from fund assets, is 0.65%, according to the prospectus filed February 26, 2026. The SEC's standard example assumes $10,000 invested, a 5% annual return and a sale at the end of each period. On that basis, costs would total $66 after one year, $208 after three, $362 after five and $810 after ten. The fee is above the 0.60% average for similar funds. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) charges 0.41%, while Invesco Global Clean Energy ETF (PBD) charges 0.75%.