Data as of .
DFII vs XBCI: which paid, and which earned it?
DFII and XBCI both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, DFII and XBCI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in DFII | Only in XBCI |
|---|---|
| 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index P 2,997.64 1283.75% | United States Treasury Bill 11/03/2026 46.10% |
| US Dollar 0.98% | CBTX US 10/16/26 C1390 36.52% |
| 2026-09-30 iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF C 49.94 0.46% | iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF 19.12% |
| 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index C 2,810.29 0.01% | CBTX US 10/16/26 P1390 -0.29% |
| 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index C 2,997.64 -0.01% | CBTX US 10/16/26 C2060 -0.54% |
| 2026-09-25 iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF C 46.02 -0.36% | CBTX US 10/16/26 C1980 -0.92% |
| 2026-09-30 iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF P 49.94 -8.84% | |
| 2026-09-30 S&P 500® Mini Index P 2,810.29 -1175.99% |
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 18, 2026 and Sep 21, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DFII | XBCI | DFII | XBCI | DFII | XBCI | |
| 3 months | +23.6% | +32.2% | 4.7% | 10.1% | −5.6 pts | +3.0 pts |
| 6 months | +10.5% | +14.7% | 8.4% | 18.0% | −5.2 pts | −1.0 pts |
| 1 year | −32.5% | not published | 11.5% | not published | −1.5 pts | not published |
| Since launch | −5.6% | +3.7% | 24.3% | 21.3% | −4.4 pts | −2.5 pts |
| DFII FT Vest Bitcoin Strategy & Target Income ETF Option income on IBIT, paying monthly | XBCI NEOS Boosted Bitcoin High Income ETF Option income on IBIT, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | First Trust | NEOS |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | Bitcoin (IBIT) | Bitcoin (IBIT) |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 17.4% | 38.0% |
| Expense ratio | 0.85% | 0.98% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 11.5% | 21.3% (since launch on Feb 3, 2026) |
| Price change, 1 year | −43.7% | −20.3% |
| Total return, 1 year | −32.5% | +3.7% (since launch on Feb 3, 2026) |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | −31.1% | +6.3% |
| Ahead or behind | −1.5 pts | −2.5 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | not published | 95% |
| Age | 533 days | 227 days |
| Net assets | $21m | $179m |
DFII in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, DFII paid 11.5% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 43.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −32.5%. Bitcoin (IBIT) returned −31.1% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 1.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 17.4%, paid monthly.
XBCI in plain words
Over the period since launch on Feb 3, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026, XBCI paid 21.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 20.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +3.7%. Bitcoin (IBIT) returned +6.3% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 2.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 38.0%, paid monthly. NEOS estimates that 95% of the distribution paid Jul 10, 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, DFII or XBCI?
- DFII charges 0.85% a year and XBCI charges 0.98%, so DFII 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, DFII against XBCI, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/dfii-vs-xbci Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.