Data as of .
BALQ vs XSHP: which paid, and which earned it?
BALQ and XSHP both write options for income.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALQ | XSHP | BALQ | XSHP | BALQ | XSHP | |
| 3 months | −0.5% | −11.0% | 2.8% | 7.4% | +1.9 pts | −13.3 pts |
| 6 months | +27.2% | not published | 6.5% | not published | +3.0 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +21.4% | −13.1% | 8.5% | 7.3% | +5.3 pts | −16.4 pts |
| BALQ iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF Covered call on QQQ, paying monthly | XSHP Kurv SpaceX (SPAX) Enhanced Income ETF Covered call on SPY, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | iShares | Kurv |
| Strategy | covered call | covered call |
| Benchmark | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | S&P 500 (SPY), used as the proxy |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 8.9% | 33.5% |
| Expense ratio | 0.35% | 0.99% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 8.5% (since launch on Dec 3, 2025) | 7.3% (since launch on Jun 17, 2026) |
| Price change, 1 year | +11.9% | −21.8% |
| Total return, 1 year | +21.4% (since launch on Dec 3, 2025) | −13.1% (since launch on Jun 17, 2026) |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +16.1% | +3.3% |
| Ahead or behind | +5.3 pts | −16.4 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | not published | 94% |
| Age | 289 days | 93 days |
| Net assets | $29m | $7m |
BALQ in plain words
Over the period since launch on Dec 3, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, BALQ paid 8.5% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 11.9%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +21.4%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +16.1% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 5.3 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 8.9%, paid monthly.
XSHP in plain words
Over the period since launch on Jun 17, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026, XSHP paid 7.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 21.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −13.1%. S&P 500 (SPY), used as the proxy returned +3.3% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 16.4 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 33.5%, paid monthly. Kurv estimates that 94% of the distribution paid Sep 3, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, BALQ or XSHP?
- BALQ charges 0.35% a year and XSHP charges 0.99%, so BALQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
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, BALQ against XSHP, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/balq-vs-xshp Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.