Which paid more, MDST or XLFI?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting price in cash and XLFI paid 10.7%, so MDST 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 XLFI?

With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +22.6% and XLFI +8.1% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, MDST or XLFI?

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

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

MDST vs XLFI: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its price in cash against XLFI’s 10.7%, and returned more with it reinvested.

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Net assets: $287m on Jul 31, 2026 for Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF, and $13m on Nov 3, 2026 for State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF.

MDST on its own →XLFI on its own →

At a glance

10.8%

MDST cash paid, 1 year

10.7%

XLFI cash paid, 1 year

+22.6%

MDST total return, 1 year

+8.1%

XLFI 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.

XLFI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 6.6 pts behind XLF

XLFI

+8.1%

XLF

+14.7%

6.6 pts behind XLF

XLFI over 1 year: paid 10.7%, price −3.2%, total +8.1%, XLF +14.7%, −6.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLF

+14.7%

XLFI

+8.1%

10.7% as cash

6.6 pts behind XLF

Total return, distributions reinvested

6.6 pts behind XLF

XLFI over 1 year: paid 10.7%, price −3.2%, total +8.1%, XLF +14.7%, −6.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLF

+14.7%

XLFI

+8.1%

6.6 pts behind XLF

10.7% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. XLFI over 1 year: paid 10.7%, price −3.2%, total +8.1%, XLF +14.7%, −6.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

XLFI costs 0.45 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 14.5 points.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

MDST vs XLFI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	MDST	XLFI
Paid and earned
Measure	MDST	XLFI
Total return, 1 year	+22.6%	+8.1%
Price change, 1 year	rose 11.5%	fell 3.2%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	100% of the Oct 5, 2026 payment	100% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	MDST	XLFI
Benchmark	Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF, measured through ENFR	Financials sector, measured through XLF
Cost and size
Measure	MDST	XLFI
Expense ratio	0.80%	0.35%
Net assets, MDST as of Jul 31, 2026 and XLFI as of Nov 3, 2026	$287m	$13m
Holdings
Measure	MDST	XLFI
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 Score87.7MDST45.8XLFI

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

XLFI 45.8

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 XLFI 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 XLFI

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 XLFI

STATE STREET FINANCIAL SELECT 102.90%

STATE STREET FINANCIAL SELECT NOV26 58 CALL -0.06%

STATE STREET FINANCIAL SELECT NOV26 57.5 CALL -0.11%

STATE STREET FINANCIAL SELECT NOV26 57 CALL -0.18%

STATE STREET FINANCIAL SELECT NOV26 56 CALL -2.55%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

MDST Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF · Option income on ENFR, paying monthly XLFI State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF · Covered call on XLF, paying monthly

Issuer Westwood State Street

Strategy option income covered call

Benchmark Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) Financials sector (XLF)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 9.7% 11.0%

Expense ratio 0.80% 0.35%

Cash paid, 1 year 10.8% 10.7%

Price change, 1 year +11.5% −3.2%

Total return, 1 year +22.6% +8.1%

Benchmark return, 1 year +31.7% +14.7%

Ahead or behind −9.1 pts −6.6 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%

Age 2.6 years 1.3 years

Net assets, MDST as of Jul 31, 2026 and XLFI as of Nov 3, 2026 $287m $13m

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 XLFI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	MDST	XLFI	MDST	XLFI	MDST	XLFI
3 months	−0.5%	−0.3%	2.4%	2.3%	+0.7 pts	−2.7 pts
6 months	+1.9%	+9.0%	4.7%	5.0%	+0.6 pts	−6.0 pts
1 year	+22.6%	+8.1%	10.8%	10.7%	−9.1 pts	−6.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: MDST Apr 2024 · XLFI Jul 2025	+44.5%	+10.5%	27.9%	14.1%	−21.5 pts	−4.0 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.

XLFI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLFI paid 10.7% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 3.2%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +8.1%. Financials sector (XLF) returned +14.7% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 6.6 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 11.0%, 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 XLFI?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MDST paid 10.8% of its starting price in cash and XLFI paid 10.7%, so MDST 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 XLFI?: With every distribution reinvested, MDST returned +22.6% and XLFI +8.1% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, MDST or XLFI?: MDST charges 0.80% a year and XLFI charges 0.35%, so XLFI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

MDST vs FINY MDST vs TYLG MDST vs XLII MDST vs XLBI XLFI vs XLEI XLFI vs TDVI XLFI vs TECY XLFI vs WEEI

Where to next

Alerian Energy Infrastructure ETF (ENFR) →Financials sector (XLF) →MDST on its own →XLFI on its own →MDST dividend history →MDST holdings →XLFI dividend history →XLFI 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 ↗

XLFI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLFI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

XLFI 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 XLFI, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mdst-vs-xlfi

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