Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Income ETFs

ACKY vs BALQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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ACKY and BALQ both write options for income.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $45m for VistaShares Target 15 ACKtivist Distribution ETF and $43m for iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF.

At a glance
14.0%
ACKY cash paid, 1 year
10.0%
BALQ cash paid, since launch, Dec 3, 2025
+6.4%
ACKY total return, 1 year
+15.6%
BALQ total return, since launch, Dec 3, 2025
ACKY · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 8.4 pts behind SPY
ACKY
+6.4%
SPY
+14.8%

8.4 pts behind SPY

ACKY over 1 year: paid 14.0%, price −8.5%, total +6.4%, SPY +14.8%, −8.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SPY

+14.8%

ACKY

+6.4%

14.0% of it arrived as cash

8.4 pts behind SPY

Total return, distributions reinvested

8.4 pts behind SPY

ACKY over 1 year: paid 14.0%, price −8.5%, total +6.4%, SPY +14.8%, −8.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SPY

+14.8%

ACKY

+6.4%

8.4 pts behind SPY

14.0% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. ACKY over 1 year: paid 14.0%, price −8.5%, total +6.4%, SPY +14.8%, −8.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
BALQ · since launch to Nov 4, 2026 4.1 pts ahead of QQQ
BALQ
+15.6%
QQQ
+11.5%

4.1 pts ahead of QQQ

BALQ since launch: paid 10.0%, price +5.1%, total +15.6%, QQQ +11.5%, +4.1 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QQQ

+11.5%

BALQ

+15.6%

10.0% of it arrived as cash

4.1 pts ahead of QQQ

Total return, distributions reinvested

4.1 pts ahead of QQQ

BALQ since launch: paid 10.0%, price +5.1%, total +15.6%, QQQ +11.5%, +4.1 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QQQ

+11.5%

BALQ

+15.6%

10.0% cash

4.1 pts ahead of QQQ

10.0% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. BALQ since launch: paid 10.0%, price +5.1%, total +15.6%, QQQ +11.5%, +4.1 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BALQ costs 0.60 points a year less.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

ACKY vs BALQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
MeasureACKYBALQ
Paid and earned
Total return, 1 year+6.4%not published
Price changefell 8.5% (1 year)rose 5.1% (since Dec 3, 2025)
Return of capital, issuer estimate98% of the Sep 29, 2026 payment97% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
BenchmarkS&P 500, measured through SPYNasdaq-100, measured through QQQ
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.95%0.35%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$45m$43m
Holdings
Holdings in common16%

Method

What they share

16%

By the books each fund has filed, ACKY and BALQ hold 16% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Nov 3, 2026 and Nov 4, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

16% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first ACKY BALQ
Microsoft Corp 12.01% 7.46%
Amazon.com Inc 9.54% 5.04%
Meta Platforms Inc 9.13% 3.09%
Only in one fund ↓
Only in ACKY
Brookfield Corp 11.51%
Howard Hughes Holdings Inc 10.79%
Uber Technologies Inc 9.89%
Pershing Square USA Ltd 9.73%
Restaurant Brands International Inc 8.26%
Visa Inc 5.85%
Mastercard Inc 5.62%
S&P Global Inc 5.39%
Only in BALQ
NVIDIA 8.33%
APPLE 7.82%
MICRON TECHNOLOGY 4.74%
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES 4.10%
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP 3.46%
BROADCOM INC 2.99%
WALMART 2.97%
TESLA INC 2.88%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

ACKY VistaShares Target 15 ACKtivist Distribution ETF · Covered call on SPY, paying monthly BALQ iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF · Covered call on QQQ, paying monthly
Strategy covered call covered call
Benchmark S&P 500 (SPY) Nasdaq-100 (QQQ)
Pays monthly monthly
Payout rate, annualized 14.5% 8.5%
Expense ratio 0.95% 0.35%
Cash paid, 1 year 14.0% 10.0% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025)
Price change, 1 year −8.5% +5.1% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025)
Total return, 1 year +6.4% +15.6% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025)
Benchmark return, 1 year +14.8% +11.5% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025)
Ahead or behind −8.4 pts +4.1 pts (since launch, Dec 3, 2025)
Return of capital, latest estimate 98% 97%
Age 1.2 years 336 days
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $45m $43m

As of Nov 4, 2026. Source: ETFIQ. Cash paid: distributions over the window, as a share of the starting price. Payout rate: the latest payment, annualized, over today’s price.

Window by window

Window by window: ACKY vs BALQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Total returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
WindowACKYBALQACKYBALQACKYBALQ
3 months+4.8%−3.8%3.7%2.1%+5.0 pts−0.3 pts
6 months+1.0%+1.3%6.9%5.2%−4.0 pts+1.7 pts
1 year+6.4%–14.0%–−8.4 pts–
Since launchNot the same days: ACKY Sep 2025 · BALQ Dec 2025+6.9%+15.6%16.2%10.0%−12.6 pts+4.1 pts

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About each fund
ACKY

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, ACKY paid 14.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 8.5%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +6.4%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 8.4 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 14.5%, paid monthly. VistaShares estimates that 98% of the distribution paid Sep 29, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

BALQ

Over the period from its first trade on Dec 3, 2025 to Nov 4, 2026, BALQ paid 10.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 5.1%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +15.6%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +11.5% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 4.1 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 8.5%, paid monthly. iShares estimates that 97% of the distribution paid Nov 5, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, ACKY or BALQ?
ACKY charges 0.95% a year and BALQ charges 0.35%, so BALQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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ETFIQ, ACKY against BALQ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/acky-vs-balq

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