Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Income ETFs

BALQ vs JULJ: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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BALQ and JULJ both write options for income.

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Net assets: $43m on Nov 3, 2026 for iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF, and $14m on Nov 4, 2026 for Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July.

At a glance
10.0%
BALQ cash paid, since launch, Dec 3, 2025
5.6%
JULJ cash paid, 1 year
+15.6%
BALQ total return, since launch, Dec 3, 2025
+5.4%
JULJ 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.
JULJ · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 9.4 pts behind SPY
JULJ
+5.4%
SPY
+14.8%

9.4 pts behind SPY

JULJ over 1 year: paid 5.6%, price −0.4%, total +5.4%, SPY +14.8%, −9.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SPY

+14.8%

JULJ

+5.4%

5.6% of it arrived as cash

9.4 pts behind SPY

Total return, distributions reinvested

9.4 pts behind SPY

JULJ over 1 year: paid 5.6%, price −0.4%, total +5.4%, SPY +14.8%, −9.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SPY

+14.8%

JULJ

+5.4%

9.4 pts behind SPY

5.6% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. JULJ over 1 year: paid 5.6%, price −0.4%, total +5.4%, SPY +14.8%, −9.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

BALQ costs 0.44 points a year less; BALQ is 3.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

BALQ vs JULJ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
MeasureBALQJULJ
Paid and earned
Total return, 1 yearnot published+5.4%
Price changerose 5.1% (since Dec 3, 2025)fell 0.4% (1 year)
Return of capital, issuer estimate97% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment39% of the Oct 2, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
BenchmarkNasdaq-100, measured through QQQS&P 500, measured through SPY
Cost and size
Expense ratio0.35%0.79%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026$43m$14m
Holdings
Holdings in common0%

Method

What they share

0%

By the books each fund has filed, BALQ and JULJ hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Nov 3, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first BALQ JULJ
Only in one fund ↓
Only in BALQ
NVIDIA 8.33%
APPLE 7.82%
MICROSOFT 7.46%
AMAZON.COM INC 5.04%
MICRON TECHNOLOGY 4.74%
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES 4.10%
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP 3.46%
META PLATFORMS CLASS A 3.09%
Only in JULJ
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

BALQ iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF · Covered call on QQQ, paying monthly JULJ Innovator Premium Income 30 Barrier ETF - July · Defined income on SPY, paying quarterly
Strategy covered call defined income
Benchmark Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) S&P 500 (SPY)
Pays monthly quarterly
Payout rate, annualized 8.5% 5.4%
Expense ratio 0.35% 0.79%
Cash paid, 1 year 10.0% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) 5.6%
Price change, 1 year +5.1% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) −0.4%
Total return, 1 year +15.6% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) +5.4%
Benchmark return, 1 year +11.5% (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) +14.8%
Ahead or behind +4.1 pts (since launch, Dec 3, 2025) −9.4 pts
Return of capital, latest estimate 97% 39%
Age 336 days 3.3 years
Net assets, BALQ as of Nov 3, 2026 and JULJ as of Nov 4, 2026 $43m $14m

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 JULJ: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Total returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
WindowBALQJULJBALQJULJBALQJULJ
3 months−3.8%+1.3%2.1%1.3%−0.3 pts+1.5 pts
6 months+1.3%+2.6%5.2%2.7%+1.7 pts−2.4 pts
1 year–+5.4%–5.6%–−9.4 pts
3 years–+18.6%–17.3%–−64.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: BALQ Dec 2025 · JULJ Jul 2023+15.6%+21.3%10.0%19.0%+4.1 pts−58.5 pts

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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.

JULJ

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, JULJ paid 5.6% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 0.4%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +5.4%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 9.4 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 5.4%, paid quarterly. Innovator estimates that 39% of the distribution paid Oct 2, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, BALQ or JULJ?
BALQ charges 0.35% a year and JULJ charges 0.79%, so BALQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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ETFIQ, BALQ against JULJ, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/balq-vs-julj

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