Nuveen Core Equity Alpha FundJCE -0.32%46 WACC % is 4.25% as of Jun. 25, 2026, which is 47% below its 10-year median of 8.05. GuruFocus rates JCE with a GF Score™ of 46/100 and a GF Value™ of $15.42 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,657 Asset Management companies, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund ranks better than 67.89% on this metric.
As of today (2026-06-25), Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's weighted average cost of capital is 4.25%%. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's ROIC % is 0.00% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
For a comprehensive WACC calculation, please access the WACC Calculator.
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund (NYSE:JCE) WACC % Explanation
Because it costs money to raise capital. A firm that generates higher ROIC % than it costs the company to raise the capital needed for that investment is earning excess returns. A firm that expects to continue generating positive excess returns on new investments in the future will see its value increase as growth increases, whereas a firm that earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital will destroy value as it grows.
As of today, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's weighted average cost of capital is 4.25%%. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's ROIC % is 0.00% (calculated using TTM income statement data).
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund earns returns that do not match up to its cost of capital. It will destroy value as it grows.
Be Aware
1. GuruFocus uses book value of debt (D) to do the calculation. It is simplified by adding latest one-year semi-annual average Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation together.
For companies that report quarterly, GuruFocus combines all of the most recent year's quarterly debt data from the beginning of the year to the year-end and calculates the average.
For companies that report semi-annually, GuruFocus combines all of the most recent year's semi-annual debt data from the start of the year to the year-end and calculates the average.
For companies that report annually, GuruFocus combines the beginning and ending annual debt data from the most recent year and then calculates the average.
2. The WACC formula discussed above does not include Preferred Stock. Please adjust if preferred stock is considered.
3. (Expected Return of the Market - Risk-Free Rate of Return) is also called market premium. GuruFocus requires market premium to be 6%.
4. GuruFocus uses the latest TTM Interest Expense divided by the latest one-year semi-annual average debt to get the simplified cost of debt.
Related Terms
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund WACC % Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Asset Management subindustry, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's WACC %, along with its competitors' market caps and WACC % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund WACC % vs Asset Management Industry
For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's WACC % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's WACC % falls into.
The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. The WACC is commonly referred to as the firm's cost of capital. Generally speaking, a company's assets are financed by debt and equity. WACC is the average of the costs of these sources of financing, each of which is weighted by its respective use in the given situation. By taking a weighted average, we can see how much interest the company has to pay for every dollar it finances.
WACC
=
E
/
(E + D)
*
Cost of Equity
+
D
/
(E + D)
*
Cost of Debt
*
(1 - Tax Rate)
1. Weights:
Generally speaking, a company's assets are financed by debt and equity. We need to calculate the weight of equity and the weight of debt.
The market value of equity (E) is also called "Market Cap". As of today, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's market capitalization (E) is $267.792 Mil.
The market value of debt is typically difficult to calculate, therefore, GuruFocus uses book value of debt (D) to do the calculation. It is simplified by adding the latest one-year semi-annual average Short-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation and Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation together. As of Dec. 2025, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's latest one-year semi-annual average Book Value of Debt (D) is $0 Mil.
a) weight of equity = E / (E + D) = 267.792 / (267.792 + 0) = 1
b) weight of debt = D / (E + D) = 0 / (267.792 + 0) = 0
2. Cost of Equity:
GuruFocus uses Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) to calculate the required rate of return. The formula is:
Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate of Return + Beta of Asset * (Expected Return of the Market - Risk-Free Rate of Return)
a) GuruFocus uses 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate as the risk-free rate. It is updated daily. The current risk-free rate is 4.384%. Please go to Economic Indicators page for more information. Please note that we use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the country/region where the company is headquartered. If the data for that country/region is not available, then we will use the 10-Year Treasury Constant Maturity Rate of the United States as default.
b) Beta is the sensitivity of the expected excess asset returns to the expected excess market returns. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's beta is -0.0218.
c) (Expected Return of the Market - Risk-Free Rate of Return) is also called market premium. GuruFocus requires market premium to be 6%.
Cost of Equity = 4.384% + -0.0218 * 6% = 4.2532%
3. Cost of Debt:
GuruFocus uses latest TTM Interest Expense divided by the latest one-year semi-annual average debt to get the simplified cost of debt.
As of Dec. 2025, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's interest expense (positive number) was $0.001 Mil. Its total Book Value of Debt (D) is $0 Mil.
Cost of Debt = 0.001 / 0 = %.
4. Multiply by one minus TTM Tax Rate:
GuruFocus uses the most recent TTM Tax Expense divided by the most recent TTM Pre-Tax Income to calculate the tax rate. The calculated TTM tax rate is limited to between 0% and 100%. If the calculated tax rate is higher than 100%, it is set to 100%. If the calculated tax rate is less than 0%, it is set to 0%.
The latest calculated TTM Tax Rate = 0 / 46.616 = 0%.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund (JCE) has a WACC % of 4.25% as of Jun. 25, 2026. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the average rate a company pays to finance assets. View historical data on Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund and its competitors. This is 47% below median its historical median of 8.05. Over the past decade, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's WACC % has ranged from 3.68 to 11.95. According to the industry distribution chart, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund ranks #532 out of 1657 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 32.1%.
Is Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's WACC % too high?
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's current WACC % of 4.25% is 47% below median its 10-year median of 8.05. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.68 to a high of 11.95. The Asset Management industry median WACC % is 5.74. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's value of 4.25% is 26% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund ranks #532 out of 1657 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund has a GF Score™ of 46/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's WACC % compare to XFLT and TDF?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund ranks #532 out of 1657 companies for WACC %. This puts Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund in the upper half of its industry. The industry median WACC % is 5.74. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's value of 4.25% is 26% below this benchmark. Historically, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's own WACC % has ranged from 3.68 to 11.95 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 8.05 vs. the industry median of 5.74, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good WACC % for an Asset Management company?
The median WACC % among Asset Management companies is 5.74, based on 1,657 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a WACC % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, WACC % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's current WACC % of 4.25% is 26% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high WACC % mean?
A high WACC % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the average rate a company pays to finance assets. View historical data on Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median WACC % is 5.74 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's current WACC % is 4.25%, which is 47% below median its own 10-year median of 8.05. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund (JCE) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $15.42, compared to a current price of $15.75 — trading 2.1% above its estimated fair value. The current WACC % is 4.25%, which is 47% below median its 10-year median of 8.05 and 26% below the Asset Management industry median of 5.74. Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund's overall GF Score™ is 46/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is WACC % calculated?
WACC % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund (JCE), the current WACC % is 4.25% as of Jun. 25, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund (JCE) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $15.75 is trading 2.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $15.42.
GuruFocus considers Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for JCE:
WACC %: 4.25% (47% below median its 10-year median of 8.05)
GF Value™: $15.42 vs. price of $15.75 (2.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 26% below the Asset Management median (#532 of 1657)
No single metric tells the full story. See the JCE stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund Business Description
Nuveen Core Equity Alpha Fund is a diversified closed-end management investment company. Its investment objective is to seek attractive total return with less volatility than the S&P 500 Index. The Fund invests in a portfolio of actively managed large-capitalization U.S. common stocks, using the sub-adviser's proprietary quantitative process designed to provide the potential for long-term outperformance. Additionally, the Fund seeks to reduce the volatility of its returns relative to the returns of the Equity Portfolio over extended periods by writing (selling) index call options and/or call options on custom baskets of securities.
46GF Score
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