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Data as of .

MDST vs MLPD: which paid, and which earned it?

Over the year MLPD paid 13.3% of its price in cash against MDST’s 10.0%, though MDST returned more with it reinvested.

Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF and Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF.

10.0%MDST cash paid, 1 year
13.3%MLPD cash paid, 1 year
+19.2%MDST total return, 1 year
+12.0%MLPD total return, 1 year

ETFIQ Return Stability Score: MDST scores higher

Was the payout funded by returns, or by your own capital?

MDST 43.1MLPD 24.33.8, the lowest in this set96.8, the highest

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

MDST28.6 pts behind XLE · 1 year to Sep 18, 2026
XLE+47.8%MDST+19.2%10.0% as cash28.6 pts behind XLETotal return, distributions reinvestedXLE+47.8%MDST+19.2%28.6 pts behind XLE
MLPD35.8 pts behind XLE · 1 year to Sep 18, 2026
XLE+47.8%MLPD+12.0%13.3% as cash35.8 pts behind XLETotal return, distributions reinvestedXLE+47.8%MLPD+12.0%35.8 pts behind XLE

What they hold in common

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

Only in each
Only in MDSTOnly in MLPD
ENERGY TRANSFER LP 8.97%GLOBAL X MLP & ENERGY INFRAS 102.10%
ENBRIDGE INC 8.79%CASH 1.05%
WILLIAMS COMPANIES INC (THE) 8.61%OTHER PAYABLE & RECEIVABLES -1.02%
ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS PARTNERS LP 6.87%2MLPX US 10/16/2026 C74 -2.13%
DT MIDSTREAM INC 6.43%
KINDER MORGAN INC 5.64%
CHENIERE ENERGY INC 5.05%
ONEOK INC 5.00%

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 18, 2026.

Performance, window by window

MDST and MLPD over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
MDSTMLPDMDSTMLPDMDSTMLPD
3 months+4.6%+4.2%2.4%3.0%−15.9 pts−16.2 pts
6 months+5.8%+4.1%4.7%5.7%−4.2 pts−5.8 pts
1 year+19.2%+12.0%10.0%13.3%−28.6 pts−35.8 pts
Since launch+48.9%+33.5%26.1%28.2%+7.3 pts−14.7 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
MDST and MLPD on the same fields, as of Sep 18, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
MDST
Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF
Option income on XLE, paying monthly
MLPD
Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF
Covered call on XLE, paying monthly
IssuerWestwoodGlobal X
Strategyoption incomecovered call
BenchmarkEnergy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxyEnergy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy
Paysmonthlymonthly
Payout rate, annualized9.3%12.0%
Expense ratio0.80%0.60%
Cash paid, 1 year10.0%13.3%
Price change, 1 year+8.2%−2.1%
Total return, 1 year+19.2%+12.0%
Benchmark return, 1 year+47.8%+47.8%
Ahead or behind−28.6 pts−35.8 pts
Return of capital, latest estimatenot published0%
Age892 days863 days
Net assets$247m$27m

MDST in plain words

Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, MDST paid 10.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 8.2%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +19.2%. Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy returned +47.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 28.6 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 9.3%, paid monthly.

MLPD in plain words

Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, MLPD paid 13.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 2.1%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +12.0%. Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy returned +47.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 35.8 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 12.0%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 0% of the distribution paid Aug 27, 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, MDST or MLPD?
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, MDST paid 10.0% of its starting price in cash and MLPD paid 13.3%, 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 +19.2% and MLPD returned +12.0% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so MDST returned more.
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

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.

MDST against MLPD, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 18, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, MDST against MLPD, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mdst-vs-mlpd Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources