Dividend comparison

QQQI vs RYLD: 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 - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

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QQQI vs RYLD: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. RYLD 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 12.32% for RYLD. That is about $179 more a year on $10,000. Both pay monthly.
  • Performance. Over the last 1 year, QQQI returned 0.7% versus -0.2% for RYLD, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $10,069 in QQQI and $9,980 in RYLD.
  • Risk. Their worst declines over the last 1 year were similar: -20.0% for QQQI and -21.5% for RYLD from peak to trough.
  • Diversification. QQQI holds 10 positions and RYLD holds 8. The ten largest positions make up 47.0% of QQQI and 100.0% of RYLD.
  • Overlap. QQQI and RYLD share no holdings, so they behave as separate building blocks.
  • Size. QQQI is the larger fund with $15.1 billion in assets, against $1.3 billion for RYLD.

Bottom line: QQQI fits better if you care most about more income today. RYLD fits better if you care most about lower fees.

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
RYLD
Global X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)14.11%12.32%
Dividend / share (TTM)$7.64$1.87
Payout frequencyMonthlyMonthly
Last dividend$0.6339 on Sep 18, 2026$0.1475 on Sep 24, 2026
Ex-dividend dateSep 16, 2026Oct 19, 2026
Next payment—$0.1480 on Oct 22, 2026
Dividend growth (CAGR)—-9.1% over 4 yrs
Price$54.16$15.19
Beta0.930.54
Max drawdown (5Y)-20.0%-21.5%
Market cap$14.89B$1.29B
ExchangeNASDAQAMEX
Expense ratio0.68%0.60%
Assets under management$15.08B$1.29B
Number of holdings108
Top 10 concentration47.0%100.0%
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

RYLD

$102.65/mo

$1232 /yr at 12.32% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. QQQI pays monthly; RYLD pays monthly.
YearQQQIRYLD
2025$7.4435$2.0022
2024—$1.9660
2023—$2.1365
2022—$2.6570
2021—$2.9360
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 RYLD actually do

QQQI
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 Jan 30, 2024 would now be worth $14,126 in QQQI and $11,525 in RYLD.
PeriodQQQIRYLD
1 month-0.42%-2.57%
3 months-0.09%-6.00%
Year to date0.56%-0.72%
1 year0.69%-0.20%
3 years—21.33%
5 years—-1.11%
  • QQQI
  • RYLD
89121154202420252026141115

Both series indexed to 100 on 2024-01-30 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
  • RYLD
0%15%31%46%61%Technology61.2%13.9%Healthcare3.9%20.1%Consumer Cyclical10.1%9.0%Financial Services0.2%18.4%Industrials3.8%13.2%Communication Services12.7%2.3%Consumer Defensive5.6%2.8%Energy0.5%6.7%Real Estate0.1%6.5%Basic Materials0.9%4.3%Other1.0%2.9%
QQQI vs RYLD 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%

RYLD8 holdings total

NameWeight
RSSLGLOBAL X RUSSELL 2000 ETF100.03%
RAINRAIN ONCOLOGY INC0.00%

Quick verdict

QQQI fits better if you care most about more income today. RYLD fits better if you care most about lower fees. Model the holding inside your real portfolio before deciding.

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Frequently asked questions

Is QQQI or RYLD better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. QQQI currently yields 14.11% Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) while RYLD yields 12.32%. 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 RYLD?
NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF (QQQI) is an ETF listed on NASDAQ. Global X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD) is an ETF listed on AMEX. Side-by-side metrics on this page cover yield, fees, returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history when available.
Which is cheaper, QQQI or RYLD?
RYLD has the lower expense ratio. QQQI charges 0.68% a year and RYLD charges 0.60%, a difference of $8 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which has performed better, QQQI or RYLD?
Over the last 1 year, QQQI has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: QQQI returned 0.7% and RYLD returned -0.2%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, QQQI or RYLD?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, RYLD has been riskier: QQQI fell as much as 20.0% and RYLD as much as 21.5%. Their betas are 0.93 and 0.54.
How often do QQQI and RYLD pay dividends?
Both pay monthly. The most recent payments were $0.6339 for QQQI and $0.1475 for RYLD.
How much income does $10,000 in QQQI vs RYLD generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in QQQI would generate roughly $117.57 per month ($1411 annually). The same amount in RYLD would produce about $102.65 per month ($1232 annually). Actual payouts vary with distribution changes and reinvestment.
Can I hold both QQQI and RYLD?
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 RYLD with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how QQQI and RYLD 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.