Dividend comparison

JEPQ vs QYLD: Which Is Better for Income?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF and Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF, side by side. Updated October 24, 2026.

JEPQ vs QYLD: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. JEPQ is cheaper at 0.35% a year versus 0.60% for QYLD. On $10,000 that is $25 a year less in fees.
  • Income. QYLD pays more income, yielding 12.79% over the last twelve months versus 11.78% for JEPQ. That is about $101 more a year on $10,000. Both pay monthly.
  • Performance. Over the last 3 years, JEPQ returned 58.2% versus 41.1% for QYLD, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $15,823 in JEPQ and $14,106 in QYLD.
  • Risk. QYLD has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 3 years was -24.5%, against -20.1% for JEPQ.
  • Diversification. JEPQ holds 109 positions and QYLD holds 102. The ten largest positions make up 43.0% of JEPQ and 48.9% of QYLD.
  • Overlap. At least 74% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 73 shared holdings. Owning both adds little diversification.
  • Dividend growth. JEPQ grew its yearly payout 7.6% a year over the last 2 years, versus -2.0% for QYLD.
  • Size. JEPQ is the larger fund with $43.1 billion in assets, against $8.4 billion for QYLD.

Bottom line: JEPQ fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 3-year returns, smaller drawdowns and faster dividend growth. QYLD fits better if you care most about more income today. With 74% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both.

Side-by-side snapshot
Trailing twelve-month figures where available. Higher yield is highlighted — not a buy recommendation.
MetricJEPQ
JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF
QYLD
Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)11.78%12.79%
Dividend / share (TTM)$6.88$2.31
Payout frequencyMonthlyMonthly
Last dividend$0.5669 on Oct 5, 2026$0.1830 on Oct 22, 2026
Ex-dividend dateOct 1, 2026Oct 19, 2026
Dividend growth (CAGR)7.6% over 2 yrs-2.0% over 4 yrs
Price$58.43$18.09
Dividend growth streak2 years—
Beta0.830.48
Max drawdown (5Y)-20.1%-24.5%
Market cap$43.19B$8.38B
ExchangeNASDAQNASDAQ
Expense ratio0.35%0.60%
Assets under management$43.15B$8.36B
Number of holdings109102
Top 10 concentration43.0%48.9%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

JEPQ

$98.19/mo

$1178 /yr at 11.78% yield

QYLD

$106.59/mo

$1279 /yr at 12.79% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. JEPQ pays monthly; QYLD pays monthly.
YearJEPQQYLD
2025$6.0025$2.3793
2024$5.3800$2.1045
2023$5.1840$2.0380
2022—$2.5261
2021—$2.5810
Strategy: Options income
These funds own equities and sell call options against them, converting a share of future price appreciation into cash paid out now. How much upside is surrendered depends on the design: writing at the money on the whole portfolio pays the most and keeps the least, while writing on a partial slice or using purchased offsets keeps more of a rally. Distributions come mainly from option premium rather than from company dividends, so the headline yield is not comparable to a dividend fund's.

Payouts are variable rather than contractual, are often taxed as ordinary income, and a fund that pays out more than the strategy earns will see its net asset value drift down over time.

What JEPQ vs QYLD actually do

The Nasdaq-100 version of the same JPMorgan strategy: an actively managed portfolio of large-cap growth stocks plus call options written through equity-linked notes.

The equity sleeve stays close to the Nasdaq-100 while applying JPMorgan's own research overlay, and equity-linked notes supply the short call exposure on the index. Because Nasdaq-100 options carry higher implied volatility than S&P 500 options, the fund collects more premium and pays a bigger monthly distribution than its S&P 500 sibling. The trade is symmetrical: the underlying portfolio is more volatile, so drawdowns are deeper and the capped upside costs more in a technology-led melt-up.

Suits an income investor who wants exposure to large-cap technology but would rather be paid monthly than wait for capital gains. Not a fit for anyone who wants full participation in Nasdaq rallies or who cannot tolerate a growth-heavy, concentrated portfolio underneath the options.

Aggressive equity income

A Global X ETF that owns the Nasdaq-100 and sells at-the-money monthly calls against the entire portfolio.

It follows the Cboe Nasdaq-100 BuyWrite V2 Index: hold the constituents, then write a one-month index call struck at roughly the current level. Writing at the money collects the maximum premium but leaves almost no room to participate when the index rises, so in an up year the fund keeps the premium and forfeits the move. Global X's stated guideline caps the monthly distribution at the lower of half the premiums received or 1% of net asset value, with the excess reinvested.

Suits an investor whose priority is the largest, steadiest monthly payment available from Nasdaq exposure and who does not need the principal to grow. It is a poor long-horizon holding: surrendering nearly all upside on a high-growth index while paying out the premium has historically left the share price grinding lower over full cycles.

Maximum current income, capped upside

Performance
Total returns with dividends reinvested, from the adjusted closing price series. $10,000 invested on May 4, 2022 would now be worth $16,992 in JEPQ and $13,847 in QYLD.
PeriodJEPQQYLD
1 month-4.50%-2.59%
3 months-1.75%1.52%
Year to date0.52%2.26%
1 year2.94%6.04%
3 years58.23%41.06%
5 years—32.87%
  • JEPQ
  • QYLD
7212918620222023202420252026170138

Both series indexed to 100 on 2022-05-04 using the adjusted closing price series. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Sector allocation
Weight of each sector within the fund. Sectors are aligned on the same row so the two funds can be read against each other directly.
  • JEPQ
  • QYLD
0%15%30%46%61%Technology61.0%60.3%Communication Services12.6%12.6%Consumer Cyclical10.5%10.1%Consumer Defensive5.2%5.6%Industrials3.9%5.1%Healthcare4.2%3.8%Utilities0.9%1.0%Basic Materials0.8%0.9%Energy0.3%0.4%Financial Services0.4%0.2%Other0.2%0.1%
JEPQ vs QYLD holdings overlap
At least 74% overlap by weight, with 73 holdings in common. Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for every stock both funds own, so 100% would mean identical portfolios.
Largest shared holdingsJEPQ weightQYLD weight
NVDANVIDIA CORP COMMON STOCK7.27%8.55%
AAPLAPPLE INC COMMON STOCK6.69%7.80%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP COMMON5.49%6.30%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC4.30%4.83%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC COMMON3.98%4.39%
AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES3.62%4.20%
GOOGALPHABET INC-CL C -4.66%3.02%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC2.90%3.46%
TSLATESLA INC COMMON STOCK2.22%3.11%
AVGOBROADCOM INC COMMON1.90%2.65%
Top 10 holdings
Largest positions by portfolio weight.

JEPQ109 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA CORP COMMON STOCK7.27%
AAPLAPPLE INC COMMON STOCK6.69%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP COMMON5.49%
GOOGALPHABET INC-CL C -4.66%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC4.30%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC COMMON3.98%
AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES3.62%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC2.90%
TSLATESLA INC COMMON STOCK2.22%
AVGOBROADCOM INC COMMON1.90%

QYLD102 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA CORP8.55%
AAPLAPPLE INC7.80%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP6.30%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC4.83%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC4.39%
AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES4.20%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC3.46%
GOOGLALPHABET INC-CL A3.25%
TSLATESLA INC3.11%
SPCXSPACE EXPLORATION TECHN-CL A3.03%

Quick verdict

JEPQ fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 3-year returns, smaller drawdowns and faster dividend growth. QYLD fits better if you care most about more income today. With 74% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

Still deciding? Compare them in your portfolio
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Frequently asked questions

Is JEPQ or QYLD better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. JEPQ currently yields 11.78% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while QYLD yields 12.79%. Higher yield means more current income per dollar invested, but may come with different risk, growth, or NAV characteristics. Compare total return and payout sustainability — not just the headline yield.
What is the difference between JEPQ and QYLD?
JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, JEPQ or QYLD?
JEPQ has the lower expense ratio. JEPQ charges 0.35% a year and QYLD charges 0.60%, a difference of $25 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which has performed better, JEPQ or QYLD?
Over the last 3 years, JEPQ has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: JEPQ returned 58.2% and QYLD returned 41.1%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, JEPQ or QYLD?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, QYLD has been riskier: JEPQ fell as much as 20.1% and QYLD as much as 24.5%. Their betas are 0.83 and 0.48.
How much do JEPQ and QYLD overlap?
At least 74% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 73 shared holdings. The largest shared positions are NVDA, AAPL, MSFT. Holding both adds little diversification.
How often do JEPQ and QYLD pay dividends?
Both pay monthly. The most recent payments were $0.5669 for JEPQ and $0.1830 for QYLD.
How much income does $10,000 in JEPQ vs QYLD generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in JEPQ would generate roughly $98.19 per month ($1178 annually). The same amount in QYLD would produce about $106.59 per month ($1279 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both JEPQ and QYLD?
Yes. Many income investors hold both to diversify strategy or index exposure. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on overlapping holdings and factor exposure. Model both inside Dividend Wealth to see combined income, sector mix, and forecast impact.
Where can I compare JEPQ vs QYLD with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how JEPQ and QYLD fit alongside the rest of your portfolio. A 14-day free trial of Standard is available with no credit card required; a limited Free plan is also available.

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For informational and educational purposes only. Not investment advice. Past performance and current yields do not guarantee future results. Verify figures independently before making investment decisions.