Dividend comparison

XYLD vs RDTE: Which Is Better for Income?

Fees, yield, total returns, drawdowns, holdings overlap and dividend history for Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF and Roundhill Investments - Russell 2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF, side by side. Updated October 21, 2026.

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XYLD vs RDTE: key differences
The short answer, from the latest data on this page.
  • Fees. XYLD 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 10.44% for XYLD. That is about $3,376 more a year on $10,000. XYLD pays monthly, RDTE pays weekly.
  • Performance. Over the last 1 year, XYLD returned 5.6% versus -20.7% for RDTE, with dividends reinvested. $10,000 would have grown to $10,556 in XYLD 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 -18.6% for XYLD.
  • Diversification. XYLD holds 505 positions and RDTE holds 4. The ten largest positions make up 39.9% of XYLD and 190.9% of RDTE.
  • Size. XYLD is the larger fund with $3.4 billion in assets, against $155 million for RDTE.

Bottom line: XYLD 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.
MetricXYLD
Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF
RDTE
Roundhill Investments - Russell 2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF
Dividend yield (TTM)10.44%44.20%
Dividend / share (TTM)$4.32$11.26
Payout frequencyMonthlyWeekly
Last dividend$0.2964 on Sep 24, 2026$0.1484 on Oct 16, 2026
Ex-dividend dateOct 19, 2026Oct 15, 2026
Next payment$0.3140 on Oct 22, 2026—
Dividend growth (CAGR)4.8% over 4 yrs—
Price$41.40$25.48
Dividend growth streak1 year—
Beta0.411.04
Max drawdown (5Y)-18.6%-24.4%
Market cap$3.41B$154.0M
ExchangeAMEXCBOE
Expense ratio0.60%0.97%
Assets under management$3.38B$154.6M
Number of holdings5054
Top 10 concentration39.9%190.9%
Income on a $10,000 investment
Illustrative only — assumes current TTM yield stays constant. Actual distributions change.

XYLD

$87.02/mo

$1044 /yr at 10.44% yield

RDTE

$368.32/mo

$4420 /yr at 44.20% yield

Dividend history
Total dividends paid per share in each calendar year. XYLD pays monthly; RDTE pays weekly.
YearXYLDRDTE
2025$5.4603$13.6433
2024$3.9372—
2023$4.2377—
2022$5.3660—
2021$4.5310—
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 XYLD vs RDTE actually do

XYLD
The S&P 500 version of the Global X buy-write approach, owning the index and selling at-the-money monthly index calls.

It tracks the Cboe S&P 500 BuyWrite Index, holding S&P 500 stocks and writing one-month calls at roughly the current index level. The mechanics match its Nasdaq sibling, but S&P 500 implied volatility is lower, so the premium collected and the resulting distribution are smaller. The same distribution guideline applies, capped at the lower of half the premiums received or 1% of net asset value.

Suits someone who wants the buy-write structure applied to a broader, less concentrated index than the Nasdaq-100. Not appropriate for an account that still needs capital growth, since full at-the-money overwriting caps the market return that funds it.

High 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 $11,802 in XYLD and $9,497 in RDTE.
PeriodXYLDRDTE
1 month-0.05%-4.93%
3 months0.61%-11.16%
Year to date1.90%-13.22%
1 year5.56%-20.72%
3 years36.95%—
5 years30.19%—
  • XYLD
  • RDTE
8710512320242025202611895

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.
  • XYLD
  • RDTE
0%10%20%30%40%Technology40.5%14.5%Healthcare9.3%20.9%Financial Services11.2%18.0%Industrials7.5%13.3%Consumer Cyclical8.8%8.6%Communication Services9.9%2.3%Energy3.4%6.4%Real Estate1.7%6.4%Consumer Defensive4.3%2.6%Basic Materials1.6%4.3%Other1.9%2.7%
XYLD vs RDTE holdings overlap
At least 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.

XYLD505 holdings total

NameWeight
NVDANVIDIA CORP8.32%
AAPLAPPLE INC7.57%
MSFTMICROSOFT CORP6.10%
AMZNAMAZON.COM INC3.88%
GOOGLALPHABET INC-CL A3.14%
AVGOBROADCOM INC2.57%
GOOGALPHABET INC-CL C2.51%
METAMETA PLATFORMS INC2.49%
MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC1.70%
TSLATESLA INC1.62%

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

XYLD 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.

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Frequently asked questions

Is XYLD or RDTE better for dividend income?
It depends on your goals. XYLD currently yields 10.44% 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 XYLD and RDTE?
Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF (XYLD) is an ETF listed on AMEX. 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, XYLD or RDTE?
XYLD has the lower expense ratio. XYLD 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, XYLD or RDTE?
Over the last 1 year, XYLD has the higher total return with dividends reinvested: XYLD returned 5.6% and RDTE returned -20.7%. Past performance does not predict future returns.
Which is riskier, XYLD or RDTE?
Measured by the worst peak-to-trough decline over the last five years, RDTE has been riskier: XYLD fell as much as 18.6% and RDTE as much as 24.4%. Their betas are 0.41 and 1.04.
How often do XYLD and RDTE pay dividends?
XYLD pays monthly and RDTE pays weekly.
How much income does $10,000 in XYLD vs RDTE generate?
At current TTM yields, $10,000 in XYLD would generate roughly $87.02 per month ($1044 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 XYLD 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 XYLD vs RDTE with my full portfolio?
Create a free Dividend Wealth account to import or enter holdings, forecast dividend income, and see how XYLD 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.