Data as of .
KYLD vs WDTE: which paid, and which earned it?
KYLD and WDTE both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, KYLD and WDTE hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in KYLD | Only in WDTE |
|---|---|
| TREASURY BILL 12.96% | Spx Us 12/18/26 C600 92.83% |
| TREASURY BILL 11.01% | First American Government Obligations Fund 12/01/2031 6.61% |
| Global X Silver Miners ETF 7.09% | Cash & Other 0.69% |
| VanEck Gold Miners ETF/USA 6.38% | Spx 09/21/2026 7674.22 C 0.11% |
| Advanced Micro Devices Inc 6.21% | Spx 09/21/2026 7650.5 C -0.24% |
| Intel Corp 6.19% | |
| Howmet Aerospace Inc 5.97% | |
| Teradyne Inc 5.77% |
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 May 31, 2026 and Sep 21, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KYLD | WDTE | KYLD | WDTE | KYLD | WDTE | |
| 3 months | −6.3% | +3.2% | 5.6% | 7.4% | −8.5 pts | +0.9 pts |
| 6 months | +24.4% | +17.3% | 14.1% | 15.7% | +6.4 pts | −0.7 pts |
| 1 year | not published | +15.8% | not published | 28.0% | not published | −0.8 pts |
| 3 years | not published | +49.2% | not published | 77.8% | not published | −29.2 pts |
| Since launch | +2.0% | +49.2% | 20.9% | 77.8% | −10.9 pts | −29.2 pts |
| KYLD Kurv High Income ETF Option income on SPY, paying weekly | WDTE Defiance S&P 500 Weekly Distribution ETF Option income on SPY, paying weekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Kurv | Defiance |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy | S&P 500 (SPY) |
| Pays | weekly | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 25.6% | 29.9% |
| Expense ratio | 1.00% | 1.03% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 20.9% (since launch on Oct 31, 2025) | 28.0% |
| Price change, 1 year | −20.5% | −14.8% |
| Total return, 1 year | +2.0% (since launch on Oct 31, 2025) | +15.8% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +12.9% | +16.6% |
| Ahead or behind | −10.9 pts | −0.8 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 100% | 38% |
| Age | 322 days | 1095 days |
| Net assets | $49m | $71m |
KYLD in plain words
Over the period since launch on Oct 31, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, KYLD paid 20.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 20.5%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +2.0%. S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy returned +12.9% 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 25.6%, paid weekly. Kurv estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Sep 3, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
WDTE in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, WDTE paid 28.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 14.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +15.8%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +16.6% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 0.8 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 29.9%, paid weekly. Defiance estimates that 38% 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 is cheaper, KYLD or WDTE?
- KYLD charges 1.00% a year and WDTE charges 1.03%, so KYLD 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, KYLD against WDTE, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/kyld-vs-wdte Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.