Data as of .
DDDD vs QLDY: which paid, and which earned it?
DDDD and QLDY both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, DDDD and QLDY hold 2% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | DDDD | QLDY |
|---|---|---|
| First American Government Obligations Fund 12/01/2031 | 1.65% | 4.77% |
| Only in DDDD | Only in QLDY |
|---|---|
| Merck & Co Inc 4.93% | Ndx 12/18/2026 2001.44 C 94.80% |
| Abbott Laboratories 4.53% | United States Treasury Note/bond 2.375% 05/15/2027 0.53% |
| Amgen Inc 4.38% | Ndxp Us 09/21/26 P29500 0.08% |
| Coca-Cola Co/The 4.30% | Xnd 12/18/2026 10.44 C 0.05% |
| Chevron Corp 4.25% | Cash & Other -0.06% |
| ConocoPhillips 4.07% | Nasdaq-1 Put Opt 09/26 29650 -0.16% |
| Procter & Gamble Co/The 4.01% | |
| Verizon Communications Inc 3.96% |
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 dated Sep 21, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDDD | QLDY | DDDD | QLDY | DDDD | QLDY | |
| 3 months | +4.9% | −6.6% | 1.6% | 8.3% | +2.6 pts | −4.1 pts |
| 6 months | +10.5% | +20.1% | 1.7% | 18.7% | −7.6 pts | −4.2 pts |
| 1 year | not published | +10.6% | not published | 29.2% | not published | −11.2 pts |
| Since launch | +8.7% | +10.6% | 1.6% | 29.2% | −6.5 pts | −11.2 pts |
| DDDD YieldMax(R) U.S. Stocks Target Double Distribution ETF Synthetic covered call on SPY | QLDY Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread(TM) Income ETF Option income on QQQ, paying weekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | YieldMax | Defiance |
| Strategy | synthetic covered call | option income |
| Benchmark | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) |
| Pays | not established | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 18.4% | 19.6% |
| Expense ratio | 1.01% | 1.04% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 1.6% (since launch on Mar 12, 2026) | 29.2% |
| Price change, 1 year | +7.0% | −20.3% |
| Total return, 1 year | +8.7% (since launch on Mar 12, 2026) | +10.6% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +15.3% | +21.8% |
| Ahead or behind | −6.5 pts | −11.2 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 67% | 100% |
| Age | 190 days | 365 days |
| Net assets | $7m | $52m |
DDDD in plain words
Over the period since launch on Mar 12, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026, DDDD paid 1.6% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 7.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +8.7%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +15.3% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 6.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 18.4%, paid periodically. YieldMax estimates that 67% of the distribution paid Jul 6, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
QLDY in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, QLDY paid 29.2% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 20.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +10.6%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +21.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 11.2 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 19.6%, paid weekly. Defiance estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Sep 17, 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, DDDD or QLDY?
- DDDD charges 1.01% a year and QLDY charges 1.04%, so DDDD 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, DDDD against QLDY, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/dddd-vs-qldy Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.