Data as of . Every figure is the income desk's own, on published data.
MSFO vs MSTY
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, MSFO and MSTY hold 55% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | MSFO | MSTY |
|---|---|---|
| TREASURY BILL | 31.42% | 21.68% |
| TREASURY BILL | 32.44% | 20.64% |
| TREASURY BILL | 8.72% | 17.38% |
| TREASURY BILL | 12.47% | 4.07% |
| Only in MSFO | Only in MSTY |
|---|---|
| TREASURY BILL 14.95% | TREASURY BILL 21.18% |
| TREASURY BILL 15.04% | |
| Strategy Inc 0.01% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings as filed for Apr 30, 2026 and Jan 31, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSFO | MSTY | MSFO | MSTY | MSFO | MSTY | |
| 3 months | +16.0% | +14.6% | 11.2% | 15.8% | −4.2 pts | −4.0 pts |
| 6 months | +18.9% | +4.2% | 20.6% | 33.4% | −3.8 pts | −2.7 pts |
| 1 year | +0.3% | −50.8% | 27.9% | 35.0% | +1.1 pts | +5.7 pts |
| 3 years | +51.3% | n/a | 78.8% | n/a | −2.1 pts | n/a |
| Since launch | +55.5% | +67.6% | 81.0% | 222.8% | −2.8 pts | −32.6 pts |
| MSFO YieldMax(R) MSFT Option Income Strategy ETF | MSTY YieldMax(R) MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | YieldMax | YieldMax |
| Strategy | synthetic covered call | synthetic covered call |
| Benchmark | Microsoft (MSFT) | MicroStrategy (MSTR) |
| Pays | weekly | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualised | 41.2% | 68.2% |
| Expense ratio | 1.03% | not published |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 27.9% | 35.0% |
| Price change, 1 year | −30.3% | −79.0% |
| Total return, 1 year | +0.3% | −50.8% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | −0.8% | −56.4% |
| Ahead or behind | +1.1 pts | +5.7 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 95% | 99% |
| Age | 1106 days | 925 days |
MSFO in plain words
Over the year to Sep 4, 2026, MSFO paid 27.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 30.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +0.3%. Microsoft (MSFT) returned −0.8% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 1.1 pts. At its price on Sep 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualises to 41.2%, paid weekly. YieldMax estimates that 95% of the distribution paid Sep 4, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterisation rather than a measure of erosion).
MSTY in plain words
Over the year to Sep 4, 2026, MSTY paid 35.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 79.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −50.8%. MicroStrategy (MSTR) returned −56.4% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 5.7 pts. At its price on Sep 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualises to 68.2%, paid weekly. YieldMax estimates that 99% of the distribution paid Sep 4, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterisation rather than a measure of erosion).
Questions people ask
- Which paid more, MSFO or MSTY?
- Over the year to Sep 4, 2026, MSFO paid 27.9% of its starting price in cash and MSTY paid 35.0%, so MSTY paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
- Which returned more once distributions are counted, MSFO or MSTY?
- With every distribution reinvested, MSFO returned +0.3% and MSTY returned −50.8% over the year to Sep 4, 2026, so MSFO returned more.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, MSFO against MSTY, data as of Sep 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/MSFO-MSTY.html Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.