Data as of .
MDST vs USOY: which paid, and which earned it?
Over the year USOY paid 47.6% of its price in cash against MDST’s 10.0%, and returned more with it reinvested.
ETFIQ Return Stability Score: USOY 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, MDST and USOY hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in MDST | Only in USOY |
|---|---|
| ENERGY TRANSFER LP 8.97% | TREASURY BILL 41.16% |
| ENBRIDGE INC 8.79% | TREASURY BILL 25.51% |
| WILLIAMS COMPANIES INC (THE) 8.61% | TREASURY BILL 23.15% |
| ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS PARTNERS LP 6.87% | TREASURY BILL 8.37% |
| DT MIDSTREAM INC 6.43% | TREASURY BILL 1.80% |
| 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 May 31, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDST | USOY | MDST | USOY | MDST | USOY | |
| 3 months | +4.6% | +22.6% | 2.4% | 11.6% | −15.9 pts | +2.1 pts |
| 6 months | +5.8% | +10.5% | 4.7% | 21.4% | −4.2 pts | +0.6 pts |
| 1 year | +19.2% | +59.4% | 10.0% | 47.6% | −28.6 pts | +11.6 pts |
| Since launch | +48.9% | +67.0% | 26.1% | 81.9% | +7.3 pts | +19.9 pts |
| MDST Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF Option income on XLE, paying monthly | USOY Defiance Oil Enhanced Options Income ETF Option income on XLE, paying weekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Westwood | Defiance |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy | Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy |
| Pays | monthly | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 9.3% | 46.8% |
| Expense ratio | 0.80% | 1.12% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 10.0% | 47.6% |
| Price change, 1 year | +8.2% | −4.8% |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.2% | +59.4% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +47.8% | +47.8% |
| Ahead or behind | −28.6 pts | +11.6 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | not published | 95% |
| Age | 892 days | 861 days |
| Net assets | $247m | $75m |
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.
USOY in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, USOY paid 47.6% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 4.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +59.4%. Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy returned +47.8% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 11.6 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 46.8%, paid weekly. Defiance estimates that 95% 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, MDST or USOY?
- Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, MDST paid 10.0% of its starting price in cash and USOY paid 47.6%, so USOY 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 USOY?
- With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +19.2% and USOY returned +59.4% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so USOY returned more.
- Which is cheaper, MDST or USOY?
- MDST charges 0.80% a year and USOY charges 1.12%, so MDST 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, MDST against USOY, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mdst-vs-usoy Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.