Data as of .
IWMI vs RDTY: which paid, and which earned it?
Over the year RDTY paid 34.2% 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 RDTY hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in IWMI | Only in RDTY |
|---|---|
| Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF 100.10% | TREASURY BILL 100.00% |
| RUT US 10/16/26 C3050 -0.03% | |
| RUT US 10/16/26 C3005 -0.07% |
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 Apr 30, 2026 and Sep 21, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IWMI | RDTY | IWMI | RDTY | IWMI | RDTY | |
| 3 months | −1.7% | +0.8% | 3.5% | 8.8% | +1.9 pts | +4.4 pts |
| 6 months | +16.0% | +19.6% | 8.0% | 19.5% | −1.9 pts | +1.7 pts |
| 1 year | +18.4% | +15.7% | 15.9% | 34.2% | +1.1 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Since launch | +40.2% | +30.1% | 33.3% | 49.9% | −4.9 pts | −10.8 pts |
| IWMI NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF Option income on IWM, paying monthly | RDTY YieldMax(R) R2000 0DTE Covered Call Strategy ETF 0DTE covered call on IWM, paying weekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | NEOS | YieldMax |
| Strategy | option income | 0DTE covered call |
| Benchmark | Russell 2000 (IWM) | Russell 2000 (IWM) |
| Pays | monthly | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 14.6% | 29.1% |
| Expense ratio | 0.68% | 1.73% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 15.9% | 34.2% |
| Price change, 1 year | +1.3% | −21.8% |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.4% | +15.7% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +17.2% | +17.2% |
| Ahead or behind | +1.1 pts | −1.5 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 100% | 70% |
| Age | 815 days | 561 days |
| Net assets | $1.3bn | $19m |
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).
RDTY in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, RDTY paid 34.2% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 21.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +15.7%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +17.2% 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 29.1%, paid weekly. YieldMax estimates that 70% of the distribution paid Sep 17, 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 RDTY?
- Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, IWMI paid 15.9% of its starting price in cash and RDTY paid 34.2%, so RDTY 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 RDTY?
- With every distribution reinvested, IWMI returned +18.4% and RDTY returned +15.7% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so IWMI returned more.
- Which is cheaper, IWMI or RDTY?
- IWMI charges 0.68% a year and RDTY charges 1.73%, 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 RDTY, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/iwmi-vs-rdty Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.