Data as of .
IWMI vs IWMW: which paid, and which earned it?
Over the year IWMW paid 19.0% of its price in cash against IWMI’s 15.9%, though IWMI returned more with it reinvested.
ETFIQ Return Stability Score: IWMI scores higher
Was the payout funded by returns, or by your own capital?
A percentile among the 173 income ETFs writing on an index or proxy. It is a position in a set, not a rating, and neither end of it is a recommendation. All income ETFs ranked by it · How it is computed
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, IWMI and IWMW hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IWMI | Only in IWMW |
|---|---|
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF 100.10% | ISHARES RUSSELL 2000 ETF 100.60% |
| RUT US 10/16/26 C3050 -0.03% | USD CASH 0.38% |
| RUT US 10/16/26 C3005 -0.07% | ETD LO USD BALANCE WITH R93535 0.00% |
| ETD USD BALANCE WITH R93535 0.00% | |
| OCT26 RUT C @ 2915.000000 -0.98% |
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWMI | IWMW | IWMI | IWMW | IWMI | IWMW | |
| 3 months | −1.7% | +0.5% | 3.5% | 3.6% | +1.9 pts | +4.2 pts |
| 6 months | +16.0% | +14.7% | 8.0% | 9.7% | −1.9 pts | −3.2 pts |
| 1 year | +18.4% | +14.2% | 15.9% | 19.0% | +1.1 pts | −3.0 pts |
| Since launch | +40.2% | +28.4% | 33.3% | 42.5% | −4.9 pts | −16.2 pts |
| IWMI NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF Option income on IWM, paying monthly | IWMW iShares Russell 2000 BuyWrite ETF Covered call on IWM, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | NEOS | iShares |
| Strategy | option income | covered call |
| Benchmark | Russell 2000 (IWM) | Russell 2000 (IWM) |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 14.6% | 7.4% |
| Expense ratio | 0.68% | 0.39% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 15.9% | 19.0% |
| Price change, 1 year | +1.3% | −6.2% |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.4% | +14.2% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +17.2% | +17.2% |
| Ahead or behind | +1.1 pts | −3.0 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 100% | not published |
| Age | 815 days | 917 days |
| Net assets | $1.3bn | $58m |
IWMI in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, IWMI paid 15.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 1.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +18.4%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +17.2% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 1.1 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 14.6%, paid monthly. NEOS estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Jun 18, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
IWMW in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, IWMW paid 19.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 6.2%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +14.2%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +17.2% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 3.0 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 7.4%, paid monthly.
Questions people ask
- Which paid more, IWMI or IWMW?
- Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, IWMI paid 15.9% of its starting price in cash and IWMW paid 19.0%, so IWMW paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
- Which returned more once distributions are counted, IWMI or IWMW?
- With every distribution reinvested, IWMI returned +18.4% and IWMW returned +14.2% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so IWMI returned more.
- Which is cheaper, IWMI or IWMW?
- IWMI charges 0.68% a year and IWMW charges 0.39%, so IWMW 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, IWMI against IWMW, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/iwmi-vs-iwmw Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.