Which is cheaper, FGSI or PCOV?

FGSI charges 0.85% a year and PCOV charges 0.34%, so PCOV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

FGSI vs PCOV: Dividend Yield & Total Return

FGSI and PCOV both write options for income.

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Net assets: $2.0m on Nov 3, 2026 for FT Vest Growth Strength & Target Income ETF, and $10m on Nov 2, 2026 for Principal Equity Premium Income ETF.

FGSI on its own →PCOV on its own →

At a glance

8.3%

FGSI cash paid, 1 year

1.9%

PCOV cash paid, since launch, Aug 19, 2026

+9.0%

FGSI total return, 1 year

−0.1%

PCOV total return, since launch, Aug 19, 2026

FGSI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 About even with FTGS

FGSI

+9.0%

FTGS

+8.8%

About even with FTGS

FGSI over 1 year: paid 8.3%, price +0.2%, total +9.0%, FTGS +8.8%, +0.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FTGS

+8.8%

FGSI

+9.0%

8.3% of it arrived as cash

about even with FTGS

Total return, distributions reinvested

About even with FTGS

FGSI over 1 year: paid 8.3%, price +0.2%, total +9.0%, FTGS +8.8%, +0.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

FTGS

+8.8%

FGSI

+9.0%

8.3% as cash

about even with FTGS

8.3% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. FGSI over 1 year: paid 8.3%, price +0.2%, total +9.0%, FTGS +8.8%, +0.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PCOV · since launch to Nov 4, 2026 Not measured

PCOV

−0.1%

none

Not measured

PCOV since launch: paid 1.9%, price −2.0%, total −0.1%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PCOV

−0.1%

Total return, distributions reinvested

Not measured

PCOV since launch: paid 1.9%, price −2.0%, total −0.1%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

PCOV

−0.1%

1.9% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. PCOV since launch: paid 1.9%, price −2.0%, total −0.1%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

PCOV costs 0.51 points a year less; PCOV is 5.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FGSI vs PCOV: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	FGSI	PCOV
Paid and earned
Measure	FGSI	PCOV
Total return, 1 year	+9.0%	not published
Price change	rose 0.2% (1 year)	fell 2.0% (since Aug 19, 2026)
Return of capital, issuer estimate	53% of the Oct 30, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	FGSI	PCOV
Benchmark	First Trust Growth Strength ETF, measured through FTGS	not published
Cost and size
Measure	FGSI	PCOV
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.34%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$2.0m	$10m
Holdings
Measure	FGSI	PCOV
Holdings in common	not published

Method

Side by side

FGSI FT Vest Growth Strength & Target Income ETF · Writes calls on the S&P 500, measured against The Growth Strength Index, paying monthly PCOV Principal Equity Premium Income ETF · Covered call

Issuer First Trust Principal

Strategy option income covered call

Benchmark First Trust Growth Strength ETF (FTGS) none

Pays monthly not established

Payout rate, annualized 8.3% 7.2%

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.34%

Cash paid, 1 year 8.3% 1.9% (since launch, Aug 19, 2026)

Price change, 1 year +0.2% −2.0% (since launch, Aug 19, 2026)

Total return, 1 year +9.0% −0.1% (since launch, Aug 19, 2026)

Benchmark return, 1 year +8.8% not published

Ahead or behind +0.2 pts not available

Return of capital, latest estimate 53% not published

Age 1.4 years 77 days

Net assets, FGSI as of Nov 3, 2026 and PCOV as of Nov 2, 2026 $2.0m $10m

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: FGSI vs PCOV: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	FGSI	PCOV	FGSI	PCOV	FGSI	PCOV
3 months	−2.2%	–	2.0%	–	+0.6 pts	–
6 months	+6.3%	–	4.3%	–	+0.2 pts	–
1 year	+9.0%	–	8.3%	–	+0.2 pts	–
Since launchNot the same days: FGSI Jun 2025 · PCOV Aug 2026	+13.6%	−0.1%	11.3%	1.9%	−0.7 pts	not measured

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Alert

About each fund

FGSI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, FGSI paid 8.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 0.2%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +9.0%. First Trust Growth Strength ETF (FTGS) returned +8.8% over the same days, so a holder was about even. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 8.3%, paid monthly. First Trust estimates that 53% of the distribution paid Oct 30, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

PCOV

Over the period from its first trade on Aug 19, 2026 to Nov 4, 2026, PCOV paid 1.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 2.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −0.1%. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 7.2%, paid periodically.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, FGSI or PCOV?: FGSI charges 0.85% a year and PCOV charges 0.34%, so PCOV is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

FGSI vs XSHP FGSI vs YQQQ FGSI vs XVSP FGSI vs SIOO PCOV vs SDTY PCOV vs YSPC PCOV vs QVOL PCOV vs XIJN

Where to next

First Trust Growth Strength ETF (FTGS) →All income ETFs ranked by the Distribution Coverage Score →How the scores are computed →FGSI on its own →PCOV on its own →FGSI dividend history →FGSI holdings →PCOV dividend history →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

FGSI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

FGSI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

FGSI 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

First Trust page for FGSI ↗

PCOV filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

PCOV prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Principal website ↗

Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.

How this is computed

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, FGSI against PCOV, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/fgsi-vs-pcov

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