Data as of .
IWMI vs IWMY: which paid, and which earned it?
Over the year IWMY paid 29.9% 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 IWMY hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IWMI | Only in IWMY |
|---|---|
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF 100.10% | Rut 12/18/2026 200.34 C 92.47% |
| RUT US 10/16/26 C3050 -0.03% | Cash & Other 4.95% |
| RUT US 10/16/26 C3005 -0.07% | First American Government Obligations Fund 12/01/2031 2.71% |
| Rut 09/21/2026 2868.98 C 0.22% | |
| Rut 09/21/2026 2860.4 C -0.35% |
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 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWMI | IWMY | IWMI | IWMY | IWMI | IWMY | |
| 3 months | −1.7% | −3.9% | 3.5% | 7.2% | +1.9 pts | −0.3 pts |
| 6 months | +16.0% | +14.5% | 8.0% | 16.1% | −1.9 pts | −3.4 pts |
| 1 year | +18.4% | +6.3% | 15.9% | 29.9% | +1.1 pts | −10.9 pts |
| Since launch | +40.2% | +41.5% | 33.3% | 91.8% | −4.9 pts | −37.1 pts |
| IWMI NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF Option income on IWM, paying monthly | IWMY Defiance R2000 Weekly Distribution ETF Option income on IWM, paying weekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | NEOS | Defiance |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | Russell 2000 (IWM) | Russell 2000 (IWM) |
| Pays | monthly | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 14.6% | 30.2% |
| Expense ratio | 0.68% | 1.05% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 15.9% | 29.9% |
| Price change, 1 year | +1.3% | −24.9% |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.4% | +6.3% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +17.2% | +17.2% |
| Ahead or behind | +1.1 pts | −10.9 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 100% | 0% |
| Age | 815 days | 1053 days |
| Net assets | $1.3bn | $90m |
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).
IWMY in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, IWMY paid 29.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 24.9%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +6.3%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +17.2% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 10.9 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 30.2%, paid weekly. Defiance estimates that 0% of the distribution paid Sep 18, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
Questions people ask
- Which paid more, IWMI or IWMY?
- Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, IWMI paid 15.9% of its starting price in cash and IWMY paid 29.9%, so IWMY 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 IWMY?
- With every distribution reinvested, IWMI returned +18.4% and IWMY returned +6.3% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so IWMI returned more.
- Which is cheaper, IWMI or IWMY?
- IWMI charges 0.68% a year and IWMY charges 1.05%, so IWMI 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 IWMY, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/iwmi-vs-iwmy Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.