Dividend comparison

QQQI vs RDTE: Which Is Better for Income?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF and Roundhill Investments - Russell 2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

QQQI vs RDTE: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. QQQI is cheaper at 0.68% a year versus 0.97% for RDTE. On $10,000 that is $29 a year less in fees.
  • Income. RDTE pays more income, yielding 44.20% over the last twelve months versus 14.11% for QQQI. That is about $3,009 more a year on $10,000. QQQI pays monthly, RDTE pays weekly.
  • Performance. Over the last 1 year, QQQI returned 0.7% versus -20.7% for RDTE, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $10,069 in QQQI and $7,928 in RDTE.
  • Risk. RDTE has been the bumpier ride. Its worst peak-to-trough decline over the last 1 year was -24.4%, against -20.0% for QQQI.
  • Diversification. QQQI holds 10 positions and RDTE holds 4. The ten largest positions make up 47.0% of QQQI and 190.9% of RDTE.
  • Overlap. QQQI and RDTE share no holdings, so they behave as separate building blocks.
  • Size. QQQI is the larger fund with $15.1 billion in assets, against $155 million for RDTE.

Bottom line: QQQI fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 1-year returns, smaller drawdowns and broader diversification. RDTE fits better if you care most about more income today.

Side-by-side snapshot
Trailing twelve-month figures where available. Higher yield is highlighted — not a buy recommendation.
MetricQQQI
NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF
RDTE
Roundhill Investments - Russell 2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)14.11%44.20%
Dividend / share (TTM)$7.64$11.26
Payout frequencyMonthlyWeekly
Last dividend$0.6339 on Sep 18, 2026$0.1484 on Oct 16, 2026
Ex-dividend dateSep 16, 2026Oct 15, 2026
Price$54.16$25.48
Beta0.931.04
Max drawdown (5Y)-20.0%-24.4%
Market cap$14.89B$154.0M
ExchangeNASDAQCBOE
Expense ratio0.68%0.97%
Assets under management$15.08B$154.6M
Number of holdings104
Top 10 concentration47.0%190.9%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

QQQI

$117.57/mo

$1411 /yr at 14.11% yield

RDTE

$368.32/mo

$4420 /yr at 44.20% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. QQQI pays monthly; RDTE pays weekly.
YearQQQIRDTE
2025$7.4435$13.6433
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 QQQI vs RDTE actually do

The Nasdaq-100 counterpart to NEOS's S&P 500 income fund, holding the index and writing NDX index options for monthly distributions.

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

Performance
Total returns with dividends reinvested, from the adjusted closing price series. $10,000 invested on Sep 10, 2024 would now be worth $13,158 in QQQI and $9,497 in RDTE.
PeriodQQQIRDTE
1 month-0.42%-4.93%
3 months-0.09%-11.16%
Year to date0.56%-13.22%
1 year0.69%-20.72%
3 years——
5 years——
  • QQQI
  • RDTE
8611414320242025202613295

Both series indexed to 100 on 2024-09-10 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.
  • QQQI
  • RDTE
0%15%31%46%61%Technology61.2%14.5%Healthcare3.9%20.9%Consumer Cyclical10.1%8.6%Financial Services0.2%18.0%Industrials3.8%13.3%Communication Services12.7%2.3%Consumer Defensive5.6%2.6%Energy0.5%6.4%Real Estate0.1%6.4%Basic Materials0.9%4.3%Other1.0%2.7%
QQQI vs RDTE holdings overlap
0% overlap by weight, with 0 holdings in common. Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for every stock both funds own, so 100% would mean identical portfolios.
Top 10 holdings
Largest positions by portfolio weight.

QQQI10 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA Corp8.20%
AAPLApple Inc7.81%
MSFTMicrosoft Corp6.11%
AMZNAmazon.com Inc4.47%
MUMicron Technology Inc4.40%
AMDAdvanced Micro Devices Inc3.81%
METAMeta Platforms Inc3.25%
GOOGLAlphabet Inc3.13%
TSLATesla Inc2.96%
GOOGAlphabet Inc2.90%

RDTE4 holdings total

NameWeight
4IWM 271119C00027810IWM 11/19/2027 27.81 C89.61%
4RUT 270319C00252300RUT 03/19/2027 252.3 C47.70%
4RUT 261218C002462004RUT US 12/18/26 C246.2 FLX43.79%
WEEKRoundhill Weekly T-Bill ETF6.77%
FGXXXFirst American Government Obligations Fund 12/01/20313.04%

Quick verdict

QQQI fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 1-year returns, smaller drawdowns and broader diversification. RDTE fits better if you care most about more income today. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

Still deciding? Compare them in your portfolio
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Frequently asked questions

Is QQQI or RDTE better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. QQQI currently yields 14.11% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while RDTE yields 44.20%. 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 QQQI and RDTE?
NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF (QQQI) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Roundhill Investments - Russell 2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF (RDTE) is an ETF listed on CBOE. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, QQQI or RDTE?
QQQI has the lower expense ratio. QQQI charges 0.68% a year and RDTE charges 0.97%, a difference of $29 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which has performed better, QQQI or RDTE?
Over the last 1 year, QQQI has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: QQQI returned 0.7% and RDTE returned -20.7%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, QQQI or RDTE?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, RDTE has been riskier: QQQI fell as much as 20.0% and RDTE as much as 24.4%. Their betas are 0.93 and 1.04.
How often do QQQI and RDTE pay dividends?
QQQI pays monthly and RDTE pays weekly.
How much income does $10,000 in QQQI vs RDTE generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in QQQI would generate roughly $117.57 per month ($1411 annually). The same amount in RDTE would produce about $368.32 per month ($4420 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both QQQI and RDTE?
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 QQQI vs RDTE with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how QQQI and RDTE 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.