Dividend comparison
QQQI vs QYLD: Which Is Better for Income?
Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF and Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.
- Fees. QYLD is cheaper at 0.60% a year versus 0.68% for QQQI. On $10,000 that is $8 a year less in fees.
- Income. QQQI pays more income, yielding 14.11% over the last twelve months versus 11.66% for QYLD. That is about $245 more a year on $10,000. Both pay monthly.
- Performance. Over the last 1 year, QYLD returned 7.0% versus 0.7% for QQQI, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $10,696 in QYLD and $10,069 in QQQI.
- Risk. QYLD has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 1 year was -24.5%, against -20.0% for QQQI.
- Diversification. QYLD holds 102 positions and QQQI holds 10. The ten largest positions make up 47.0% of QQQI and 48.9% of QYLD.
- Overlap. 97% of the two portfolios overlap by weight, across 97 shared holdings. Owning both adds little diversification.
Bottom line: QQQI fits better if you care most about more income today and smaller drawdowns. QYLD fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 1-year returns and broader diversification. With 97% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both.
| Metric | QQQI NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF | QYLD Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield (TTM) | 14.11% | 11.66% |
| Dividend / share (TTM) | $7.64 | $2.13 |
| Payout frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Last dividend | $0.6339 on Sep 18, 2026 | $0.1767 on Sep 24, 2026 |
| Ex-dividend date | Sep 16, 2026 | Oct 19, 2026 |
| Next payment | — | $0.1830 on Oct 22, 2026 |
| Dividend growth (CAGR) | — | -2.0% over 4 yrs |
| Price | $54.16 | $18.28 |
| Beta | 0.93 | 0.48 |
| Max drawdown (5Y) | -20.0% | -24.5% |
| Market cap | $14.89B | $8.38B |
| Exchange | NASDAQ | NASDAQ |
| Expense ratio | 0.68% | 0.60% |
| Assets under management | $15.08B | $8.36B |
| Number of holdings | 10 | 102 |
| Top 10 concentration | 47.0% | 48.9% |
QQQI
$117.57/mo
$1411 /yr at 14.11% yield
QYLD
$97.14/mo
$1166 /yr at 11.66% yield
| Year | QQQI | QYLD |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7.4435 | $2.3793 |
| 2024 | — | $2.1045 |
| 2023 | — | $2.0380 |
| 2022 | — | $2.5261 |
| 2021 | — | $2.5810 |
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 QQQI vs QYLD actually do
It owns Nasdaq-100 constituents and applies the same call strategy of sold and purchased index options, sized actively rather than as a fixed full overwrite. Nasdaq-100 volatility is structurally higher, so the option premium collected is larger and the monthly distribution is bigger than the S&P 500 version. NDX options are also section 1256 contracts, so the same 60/40 tax treatment and loss-harvesting mechanics apply.
Suits someone who wants technology-heavy exposure converted into monthly cash with attention paid to tax character. A poor fit if you are holding the Nasdaq-100 specifically to compound growth, because the call overlay gives away the tail of exactly the rallies that index is bought for.
Aggressive tax-aware income
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
| Period | QQQI | QYLD |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | -0.42% | -0.49% |
| 3 months | -0.09% | 2.64% |
| Year to date | 0.56% | 3.45% |
| 1 year | 0.69% | 6.96% |
| 3 years | — | 42.70% |
| 5 years | — | 34.31% |
- QQQI
- QYLD
Both series indexed to 100 on 2024-01-30 using the adjusted closing price series. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
- QQQI
- QYLD
| Largest shared holdings | QQQI weight | QYLD weight |
|---|---|---|
| NVDANVIDIA Corp | 8.20% | 8.55% |
| AAPLApple Inc | 7.81% | 7.80% |
| MSFTMicrosoft Corp | 6.11% | 6.30% |
| MUMicron Technology Inc | 4.40% | 4.83% |
| AMZNAmazon.com Inc | 4.47% | 4.39% |
| AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc | 3.81% | 4.20% |
| METAMeta Platforms Inc | 3.25% | 3.46% |
| GOOGLAlphabet Inc | 3.13% | 3.25% |
| TSLATesla Inc | 2.96% | 3.11% |
| GOOGAlphabet Inc | 2.90% | 3.02% |
QQQI10 holdings total
Quick verdict
QQQI fits better if you care most about more income today and smaller drawdowns. QYLD fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 1-year returns and broader diversification. With 97% overlap, most investors would hold one or the other rather than both. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.
Frequently asked questions
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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.