Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Income ETFs

BALQ vs JEPQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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BALQ and JEPQ both write options for income.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $43m for iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF and $42.1bn for JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF.

At a glance
10.0%
BALQ cash paid, since launch, Dec 3, 2025
11.9%
JEPQ cash paid, 1 year
+15.6%
BALQ total return, since launch, Dec 3, 2025
+10.4%
JEPQ total return, 1 year
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. Total return, distributions reinvested. 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.
JEPQ · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 1.9 pts behind QQQ
JEPQ
+10.4%
QQQ
+12.3%

1.9 pts behind QQQ

JEPQ over 1 year: paid 11.9%, price −1.9%, total +10.4%, QQQ +12.3%, −1.9 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QQQ

+12.3%

JEPQ

+10.4%

11.9% of it arrived as cash

1.9 pts behind QQQ

Total return, distributions reinvested

1.9 pts behind QQQ

JEPQ over 1 year: paid 11.9%, price −1.9%, total +10.4%, QQQ +12.3%, −1.9 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QQQ

+12.3%

JEPQ

+10.4%

11.9% cash

1.9 pts behind QQQ

11.9% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. JEPQ over 1 year: paid 11.9%, price −1.9%, total +10.4%, QQQ +12.3%, −1.9 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.35% a year; JEPQ is far larger, $42.1bn against $43m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BALQ vs JEPQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
MeasureBALQJEPQ
Paid and earned
Total return, 1 yearnot published+10.4%
Price changerose 5.1% (since Dec 3, 2025)fell 1.9% (1 year)
Return of capital, issuer estimate97% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
BenchmarkNasdaq-100, measured through QQQNasdaq-100, measured through QQQ
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.35%0.35%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$43m$42.1bn
Holdings
Holdings in common53%

Method

Risk and return

Dec 12, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 46 weekly returns
BALQ JEPQ
Return
Total return edge BALQ +16.8% +9.3%
Price return edge BALQ +7.0% −1.0%
Risk
Max drawdown edge JEPQ −9.3% −7.4%
Reading

From Dec 2025 to Oct 2026, BALQ returned more: +16.8% to +9.3%. JEPQ fell less at its worst: −7.4% to −9.3%.

Full scorecard

3 measures, with how each is measured
Open ↓
Risk and return: BALQ vs JEPQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
MeasureBALQJEPQEdgeHow it is measured
Return
Total return+16.8%+9.3%BALQPrice change plus distributions, reinvested.
Price return+7.0%−1.0%BALQPrice change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Max drawdown−9.3%−7.4%JEPQDeepest fall from a high to the low after it.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 46 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

53%

By the books each fund has filed, BALQ and JEPQ hold 53% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Nov 3, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

53% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first BALQ JEPQ
NVIDIA 8.33% 7.09%
APPLE 7.82% 6.76%
MICROSOFT 7.46% 5.61%
MICRON TECHNOLOGY 4.74% 4.19%
AMAZON.COM INC 5.04% 3.98%
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES 4.10% 3.31%
META PLATFORMS CLASS A 3.09% 2.70%
ALPHABET CLASS C 2.44% 4.10%
TESLA INC 2.88% 2.40%
WALMART 2.97% 2.03%
BROADCOM INC 2.99% 1.95%
SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES COR 2.10% 1.61%
Only in one fund ↓
Only in BALQ
ALPHABET CLASS A 2.75%
GOLDMAN SACHS GROUP 0.82%
VALERO ENERGY CORP 0.79%
VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC 0.74%
LOCKHEED MARTIN 0.65%
MORGAN STANLEY 0.63%
MERCK & CO INC 0.57%
TJX 0.55%
Only in JEPQ
PALO ALTO NETWORKS INC 1.28%
ANALOG DEVICES INC 1.20%
SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY 1.20%
Nasdaq-100 equity-linked note 12 1.17%
Nasdaq-100 equity-linked note 13 1.17%
Nasdaq-100 equity-linked note 14 1.17%
Nasdaq-100 equity-linked note 15 1.16%
Nasdaq-100 equity-linked note 17 1.16%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

BALQ iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF · Covered call on QQQ, paying monthly JEPQ JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF · Writes calls through equity-linked notes (ELNs) on the Nasdaq-100, paying monthly
Strategy covered call covered call
Benchmark Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) Nasdaq-100 (QQQ)
Pays monthly monthly
Payout rate, annualized 8.5% 11.3%
Expense ratio 0.35% 0.35%
Cash paid, 1 year 10.0% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) 11.9%
Price change, 1 year +5.1% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) −1.9%
Total return, 1 year +15.6% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) +10.4%
Benchmark return, 1 year +11.5% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) +12.3%
Ahead or behind +4.1 pts (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) −1.9 pts
Return of capital, latest estimate 97% not published
Age 336 days 4.5 years
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $43m $42.1bn

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: BALQ vs JEPQ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Total returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
WindowBALQJEPQBALQJEPQBALQJEPQ
3 months−3.8%−0.9%2.1%3.0%−0.3 pts+2.6 pts
6 months+1.3%+2.3%5.2%6.2%+1.7 pts+2.6 pts
1 year–+10.4%–11.9%–−1.8 pts
3 years–+66.7%–38.3%–−24.7 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BALQ Dec 2025 · JEPQ May 2022+15.6%+85.2%10.0%51.4%+4.1 pts−30.6 pts

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Client brief

No client brief for this pair: ETFIQ prints no one-year total return for BALQ.

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About each fund
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). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

JEPQ

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, JEPQ paid 11.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 1.9%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +10.4%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +12.3% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 1.9 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 11.3%, paid monthly.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, BALQ or JEPQ?
BALQ and JEPQ both charge 0.35% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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ETFIQ, BALQ against JEPQ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/balq-vs-jepq

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