Which paid more, MDST or XLCI?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting price in cash and XLCI paid 11.1%, so XLCI 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 XLCI?

With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +22.6% and XLCI +0.7% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, MDST or XLCI?

MDST charges 0.80% a year and XLCI charges 0.35%, so XLCI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

MDST vs XLCI: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLCI paid 11.1% 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 $3.4m on Nov 3, 2026 for State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF.

MDST on its own →XLCI on its own →

At a glance

10.8%

MDST cash paid, 1 year

11.1%

XLCI cash paid, 1 year

+22.6%

MDST total return, 1 year

+0.7%

XLCI 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% 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.

XLCI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 6.5 pts ahead of XLC

XLCI

+0.7%

XLC

−5.8%

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

XLCI over 1 year: paid 11.1%, price −10.0%, total +0.7%, XLC −5.8%, +6.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLC

−5.8%

XLCI

+0.7%

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

Total return, distributions reinvested

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

XLCI over 1 year: paid 11.1%, price −10.0%, total +0.7%, XLC −5.8%, +6.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLC

−5.8%

XLCI

+0.7%

6.5 pts ahead of XLC

11.1% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. XLCI over 1 year: paid 11.1%, price −10.0%, total +0.7%, XLC −5.8%, +6.5 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

XLCI costs 0.45 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 21.9 points.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

MDST vs XLCI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	MDST	XLCI
Paid and earned
Measure	MDST	XLCI
Total return, 1 year	+22.6%	+0.7%
Price change, 1 year	rose 11.5%	fell 10.0%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	100% of the Oct 5, 2026 payment	100% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	MDST	XLCI
Benchmark	Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF, measured through ENFR	Communication services, measured through XLC
Cost and size
Measure	MDST	XLCI
Expense ratio	0.80%	0.35%
Net assets, MDST as of Jul 31, 2026 and XLCI as of Nov 3, 2026	$287m	$3.4m
Holdings
Measure	MDST	XLCI
Holdings in common	0%

ETFIQ Distribution Coverage Score · MDST scores higher How much of what it paid out did its total return cover?

IQ Income Score87.7MDST20.1XLCI

How much of its payouts the fund's total return covered, ranked against 167 income ETFs not writing on a single company. 100 is best. How it is computed

MDST 87.7

XLCI 20.1

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

One year only, and a ratio of two published numbers: it says nothing about where a distribution came from. All income ETFs ranked by it →

Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, MDST and XLCI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Nov 3, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first MDST XLCI

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 XLCI

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER 100.11%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 116 CALL -0.00%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 111 CALL -0.02%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 114 CALL -0.04%

STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER NOV26 103 CALL -0.09%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

MDST Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF · Option income on ENFR, paying monthly XLCI State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF · Covered call on XLC, paying monthly

Issuer Westwood State Street

Strategy option income covered call

Benchmark Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) Communication services (XLC)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 9.7% 13.7%

Expense ratio 0.80% 0.35%

Cash paid, 1 year 10.8% 11.1%

Price change, 1 year +11.5% −10.0%

Total return, 1 year +22.6% +0.7%

Benchmark return, 1 year +31.7% −5.8%

Ahead or behind −9.1 pts +6.5 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%

Age 2.6 years 1.3 years

Net assets, MDST as of Jul 31, 2026 and XLCI as of Nov 3, 2026 $287m $3.4m

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 XLCI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	MDST	XLCI	MDST	XLCI	MDST	XLCI
3 months	−0.5%	−2.9%	2.4%	2.7%	+0.7 pts	+2.1 pts
6 months	+1.9%	−6.0%	4.7%	5.4%	+0.6 pts	+4.0 pts
1 year	+22.6%	+0.7%	10.8%	11.1%	−9.1 pts	+6.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: MDST Apr 2024 · XLCI Jul 2025	+44.5%	+3.2%	27.9%	14.3%	−21.5 pts	+3.0 pts

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Alert

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.

XLCI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLCI paid 11.1% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 10.0%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +0.7%. Communication services (XLC) returned −5.8% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 6.5 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 13.7%, paid monthly. State Street estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Nov 5, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which paid more, MDST or XLCI?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting price in cash and XLCI paid 11.1%, so XLCI 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 XLCI?: With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +22.6% and XLCI +0.7% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, MDST or XLCI?: MDST charges 0.80% a year and XLCI charges 0.35%, so XLCI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

MDST vs XLBI MDST vs TECY MDST vs SEMY MDST vs XLVI XLCI vs XLUI XLCI vs XLEI XLCI vs TDVI XLCI vs WEEI

Where to next

Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) →Communication services (XLC) →MDST on its own →XLCI on its own →MDST dividend history →MDST holdings →XLCI dividend history →XLCI 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 ↗

XLCI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLCI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

XLCI 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

State Street website ↗

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

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

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

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