Which paid more, FGSI or XISE?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, FGSI paid 8.3% of its starting price in cash and XISE paid 6.1%, so FGSI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, FGSI or XISE?

With every distribution reinvested, FGSI returned +9.0% and XISE +7.0% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, FGSI or XISE?

FGSI and XISE both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

FGSI vs XISE: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, FGSI paid 8.3% of its price in cash against XISE’s 6.1%, and returned more with it reinvested.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $2.0m for FT Vest Growth Strength & Target Income ETF and $33m for FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - September.

FGSI on its own →XISE on its own →

At a glance

8.3%

FGSI cash paid, 1 year

6.1%

XISE cash paid, 1 year

+9.0%

FGSI total return, 1 year

+7.0%

XISE total return, 1 year

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% 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.

XISE · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 7.8 pts behind VOO

XISE

+7.0%

VOO

+14.8%

7.8 pts behind VOO

XISE over 1 year: paid 6.1%, price +0.7%, total +7.0%, VOO +14.8%, −7.8 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

VOO

+14.8%

XISE

+7.0%

6.1% of it arrived as cash

7.8 pts behind VOO

Total return, distributions reinvested

7.8 pts behind VOO

XISE over 1 year: paid 6.1%, price +0.7%, total +7.0%, VOO +14.8%, −7.8 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

VOO

+14.8%

XISE

+7.0%

7.8 pts behind VOO

6.1% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, 0 to +14.8%. XISE over 1 year: paid 6.1%, price +0.7%, total +7.0%, VOO +14.8%, −7.8 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Both charts share one scale, 0 to +14.8%. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

Both cost 0.85% a year; their one-year returns differ by 2.0 points; XISE is 16.5 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

FGSI vs XISE: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	FGSI	XISE
Paid and earned
Measure	FGSI	XISE
Total return, 1 year	+9.0%	+7.0%
Price change, 1 year	rose 0.2%	rose 0.7%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	53% of the Oct 30, 2026 payment	0% of the Nov 3, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	FGSI	XISE
Benchmark	First Trust Growth Strength ETF, measured through FTGS	Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, measured through VOO
Cost and size
Measure	FGSI	XISE
Expense ratio	0.85%	0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$2.0m	$33m
Holdings
Measure	FGSI	XISE
Holdings in common	0%

ETFIQ Distribution Coverage Score · XISE scores higher How much of what it paid out did its total return cover?

IQ Income Score63.2FGSI67.4XISE

How much of its payouts the fund's total return covered, ranked against 167 income ETFs not writing on a single company. 100 is best. How it is computed

FGSI 63.2

XISE 67.4

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

One year only, and a ratio of two published numbers: it says nothing about where a distribution came from. All income ETFs ranked by it →

Method

What they share

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

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first FGSI XISE

Only in one fund ↓

Only in FGSI

Vertiv Holdings Co (Class A) 2.28%

Eli Lilly and Company 2.25%

United Therapeutics Corporation 2.25%

Blackstone Inc. 2.21%

Delta Air Lines, Inc. 2.20%

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. 2.18%

General Dynamics Corporation 2.16%

S&P Global Inc. 2.16%

Only in XISE

2027-09-17 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 0.08 98.27%

2027-09-17 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust P 761.61 5.23%

2027-09-17 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust P 685.44 -2.83%

2027-09-17 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 761.61 -7.76%

Check overlap with more funds →

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 XISE FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - September · Buffer with income on VOO, paying monthly

Issuer First Trust First Trust

Strategy option income buffer with income

Benchmark First Trust Growth Strength ETF (FTGS) Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 8.3% 6.8%

Expense ratio 0.85% 0.85%

Cash paid, 1 year 8.3% 6.1%

Price change, 1 year +0.2% +0.7%

Total return, 1 year +9.0% +7.0%

Benchmark return, 1 year +8.8% +14.8%

Ahead or behind +0.2 pts −7.8 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 53% 0%

Age 1.4 years 3.1 years

Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $2.0m $33m

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 XISE: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	FGSI	XISE	FGSI	XISE	FGSI	XISE
3 months	−2.2%	+1.4%	2.0%	1.6%	+0.6 pts	+1.6 pts
6 months	+6.3%	+2.9%	4.3%	3.1%	+0.2 pts	−2.1 pts
1 year	+9.0%	+7.0%	8.3%	6.1%	+0.2 pts	−7.8 pts
3 years	–	+21.3%	–	19.1%	–	−62.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: FGSI Jun 2025 · XISE Sep 2023	+13.6%	+22.3%	11.3%	19.7%	−0.7 pts	−57.3 pts

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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.

XISE

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XISE paid 6.1% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 0.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +7.0%. Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) returned +14.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 7.8 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 6.8%, paid monthly. First Trust estimates that 0% of the distribution paid Nov 3, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which paid more, FGSI or XISE?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, FGSI paid 8.3% of its starting price in cash and XISE paid 6.1%, so FGSI paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, FGSI or XISE?: With every distribution reinvested, FGSI returned +9.0% and XISE +7.0% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, FGSI or XISE?: FGSI and XISE both charge 0.85% a year, so neither is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

FGSI vs XIMR FGSI vs OVLH FGSI vs XPAY FGSI vs TSPY XISE vs ODTE XISE vs KIQQ XISE vs OARK XISE vs SDTY

Where to next

First Trust Growth Strength ETF (FTGS) →Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) →FGSI on its own →XISE on its own →FGSI dividend history →FGSI holdings →XISE dividend history →XISE holdings →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 ↗

XISE filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XISE prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

XISE 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

First Trust page for XISE ↗

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

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

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

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