Which paid more, MDST or MLPD?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting price in cash and MLPD paid 14.1%, so MLPD paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, MDST or MLPD?

With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +22.6% and MLPD +15.4% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, MDST or MLPD?

MDST charges 0.80% a year and MLPD charges 0.60%, so MLPD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

MDST vs MLPD: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MLPD paid 14.1% of its price in cash against MDST’s 10.8%, though MDST returned more with it reinvested.

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Net assets: $287m on Jul 31, 2026 for Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF, and $26m on Oct 12, 2026 for Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF.

MDST on its own →MLPD on its own →

At a glance

10.8%

MDST cash paid, 1 year

14.1%

MLPD cash paid, 1 year

+22.6%

MDST total return, 1 year

+15.4%

MLPD total return, 1 year

MDST · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 9.1 pts behind ENFR

MDST

+22.6%

ENFR

+31.7%

9.1 pts behind ENFR

MDST over 1 year: paid 10.8%, price +11.5%, total +22.6%, ENFR +31.7%, −9.1 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

ENFR

+31.7%

MDST

+22.6%

10.8% of it arrived as cash

9.1 pts behind ENFR

Total return, distributions reinvested

9.1 pts behind ENFR

MDST over 1 year: paid 10.8%, price +11.5%, total +22.6%, ENFR +31.7%, −9.1 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

ENFR

+31.7%

MDST

+22.6%

9.1 pts behind ENFR

10.8% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. MDST over 1 year: paid 10.8%, price +11.5%, total +22.6%, ENFR +31.7%, −9.1 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MLPD · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 Not measured

MLPD

+15.4%

none

Not measured

MLPD over 1 year: paid 14.1%, price +0.6%, total +15.4%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MLPD

+15.4%

14.1% of it arrived as cash

Total return, distributions reinvested

Not measured

MLPD over 1 year: paid 14.1%, price +0.6%, total +15.4%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MLPD

+15.4%

14.1% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, 0 to +31.7%. MLPD over 1 year: paid 14.1%, price +0.6%, total +15.4%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Both charts share one scale, 0 to +31.7%. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

MLPD costs 0.20 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 7.2 points.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

MDST vs MLPD: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	MDST	MLPD
Paid and earned
Measure	MDST	MLPD
Total return, 1 year	+22.6%	+15.4%
Price change, 1 year	rose 11.5%	rose 0.6%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	100% of the Oct 5, 2026 payment	100% of the Sep 24, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	MDST	MLPD
Benchmark	Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF, measured through ENFR	not published
Cost and size
Measure	MDST	MLPD
Expense ratio	0.80%	0.60%
Net assets, MDST as of Jul 31, 2026 and MLPD as of Oct 12, 2026	$287m	$26m
Holdings
Measure	MDST	MLPD
Holdings in common	0%

Method

Risk and return

May 17, 2024 to Oct 30, 2026 · 128 weekly returns

MDST MLPD

Return

Total return edge MDST +48.9% +34.3%

Annualized edge MDST +17.6% +12.7%

Price return edge MDST +16.2% −0.5%

Risk

Volatility edge MLPD 14.7% 10.2%

Max drawdown edge MLPD (slight) −10.7% −9.7%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge MDST (slight) 0.89 0.81

Sortino edge MDST 1.24 1.03

Calmar edge MDST 1.64 1.31

Reading

From May 2024 to Oct 2026, MDST returned more: +48.9% to +34.3%. MLPD swung less: 10.2% to 14.7%. MLPD fell slightly less at its worst: −9.7% to −10.7%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: MDST vs MLPD: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	MDST	MLPD	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+48.9%	+34.3%	MDST	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+17.6%	+12.7%	MDST	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	+16.2%	−0.5%	MDST	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	14.7%	10.2%	MLPD	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	10.5%	8.0%	MLPD	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−10.7%	−9.7%	MLPD (slight)	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	0.89	0.81	MDST (slight)	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	1.24	1.03	MDST	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	1.64	1.31	MDST	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 128 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, MDST and MLPD hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first MDST MLPD

Only in one fund ↓

Only in MDST

ENERGY TRANSFER LP 9.17%

ENBRIDGE INC 8.76%

WILLIAMS COMPANIES INC (THE) 8.18%

ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS PARTNERS LP 6.85%

DT MIDSTREAM INC 6.08%

KINDER MORGAN INC 5.60%

CHENIERE ENERGY INC 4.90%

TC ENERGY CORP 4.82%

Only in MLPD

Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF 101.03%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

MDST Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF · Option income on ENFR, paying monthly MLPD Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF · Covered call, paying monthly

Issuer Westwood Global X

Strategy option income covered call

Benchmark Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) none

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 9.7% 12.2%

Expense ratio 0.80% 0.60%

Cash paid, 1 year 10.8% 14.1%

Price change, 1 year +11.5% +0.6%

Total return, 1 year +22.6% +15.4%

Benchmark return, 1 year +31.7% not published

Ahead or behind −9.1 pts not available

Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%

Age 2.6 years 2.5 years

Net assets, MDST as of Jul 31, 2026 and MLPD as of Oct 12, 2026 $287m $26m

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: MDST vs MLPD: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	MDST	MLPD	MDST	MLPD	MDST	MLPD
3 months	−0.5%	+3.6%	2.4%	3.1%	+0.7 pts	not measured
6 months	+1.9%	+3.4%	4.7%	6.0%	+0.6 pts	not measured
1 year	+22.6%	+15.4%	10.8%	14.1%	−9.1 pts	not measured
Since launchNot the same days: MDST Apr 2024 · MLPD May 2024	+44.5%	+32.7%	27.9%	30.2%	−21.5 pts	not measured

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About each fund

MDST

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 11.5%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +22.6%. Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) returned +31.7% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 9.1 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 9.7%, paid monthly. Westwood estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Oct 5, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

MLPD

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MLPD paid 14.1% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 0.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +15.4%. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 12.2%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Sep 24, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which paid more, MDST or MLPD?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting price in cash and MLPD paid 14.1%, so MLPD paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, MDST or MLPD?: With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +22.6% and MLPD +15.4% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, MDST or MLPD?: MDST charges 0.80% a year and MLPD charges 0.60%, so MLPD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

MDST vs NDIV MDST vs SEMY MDST vs XLKI MDST vs XLVI MLPD vs NDIV MLPD vs XLEI MLPD vs TDVI MLPD vs WEEI

Where to next

Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) →All income ETFs ranked by the Distribution Coverage Score →How the scores are computed →MDST on its own →MLPD on its own →MDST dividend history →MDST holdings →MLPD dividend history →MLPD holdings →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

MDST filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

MDST prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

MDST 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Westwood website ↗

MLPD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

MLPD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

MLPD 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Global X page for MLPD ↗

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

How this is computed

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

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, MDST against MLPD, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mdst-vs-mlpd

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.