Dividend comparison

QYLD vs RDTE: Which Is Better for Income?

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

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QYLD vs RDTE: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. QYLD is cheaper at 0.60% a year versus 0.97% for RDTE. On $10,000 that is $37 a year less in fees.
  • Income. RDTE pays more income, yielding 44.20% over the last twelve months versus 11.66% for QYLD. That is about $3,254 more a year on $10,000. QYLD pays monthly, RDTE pays weekly.
  • Performance. Over the last 1 year, QYLD returned 7.0% versus -20.7% for RDTE, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $10,696 in QYLD and $7,928 in RDTE.
  • Risk. Their worst declines over the last 1 year were similar: -24.5% for QYLD and -24.4% for RDTE from peak to trough.
  • Diversification. QYLD holds 102 positions and RDTE holds 4. The ten largest positions make up 48.9% of QYLD and 190.9% of RDTE.
  • Overlap. QYLD and RDTE share no holdings, so they behave as separate building blocks.
  • Size. QYLD is the larger fund with $8.4 billion in assets, against $155 million for RDTE.

Bottom line: QYLD fits better if you care most about lower fees, stronger 1-year returns 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.
MetricQYLD
Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF
RDTE
Roundhill Investments - Russell 2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)11.66%44.20%
Dividend / share (TTM)$2.13$11.26
Payout frequencyMonthlyWeekly
Last dividend$0.1767 on Sep 24, 2026$0.1484 on Oct 16, 2026
Ex-dividend dateOct 19, 2026Oct 15, 2026
Next payment$0.1830 on Oct 22, 2026—
Dividend growth (CAGR)-2.0% over 4 yrs—
Price$18.28$25.48
Beta0.481.04
Max drawdown (5Y)-24.5%-24.4%
Market cap$8.38B$154.0M
ExchangeNASDAQCBOE
Expense ratio0.60%0.97%
Assets under management$8.36B$154.6M
Number of holdings1024
Top 10 concentration48.9%190.9%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

QYLD

$97.14/mo

$1166 /yr at 11.66% yield

RDTE

$368.32/mo

$4420 /yr at 44.20% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. QYLD pays monthly; RDTE pays weekly.
YearQYLDRDTE
2025$2.3793$13.6433
2024$2.1045—
2023$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 QYLD vs RDTE actually do

QYLD
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 Sep 10, 2024 would now be worth $12,203 in QYLD and $9,497 in RDTE.
PeriodQYLDRDTE
1 month-0.49%-4.93%
3 months2.64%-11.16%
Year to date3.45%-13.22%
1 year6.96%-20.72%
3 years42.70%—
5 years34.31%—
  • QYLD
  • RDTE
8710712820242025202612295

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.
  • QYLD
  • RDTE
0%15%30%45%60%Technology60.3%14.5%Healthcare3.8%20.9%Consumer Cyclical10.1%8.6%Industrials5.1%13.3%Financial Services0.2%18.0%Communication Services12.6%2.3%Consumer Defensive5.6%2.6%Energy0.4%6.4%Real Estate0.1%6.4%Basic Materials0.9%4.3%Other1.0%2.7%
QYLD 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.

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%

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

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

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Frequently asked questions

Is QYLD or RDTE better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. QYLD currently yields 11.66% 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 QYLD and RDTE?
Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF (QYLD) 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, QYLD or RDTE?
QYLD has the lower expense ratio. QYLD charges 0.60% a year and RDTE charges 0.97%, a difference of $37 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which has performed better, QYLD or RDTE?
Over the last 1 year, QYLD has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: QYLD returned 7.0% and RDTE returned -20.7%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, QYLD or RDTE?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, QYLD has been riskier: QYLD fell as much as 24.5% and RDTE as much as 24.4%. Their betas are 0.48 and 1.04.
How often do QYLD and RDTE pay dividends?
QYLD pays monthly and RDTE pays weekly.
How much income does $10,000 in QYLD vs RDTE generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in QYLD would generate roughly $97.14 per month ($1166 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 QYLD 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 QYLD vs RDTE with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how QYLD 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.