Data as of .
MDST vs YRAM: which paid, and which earned it?
MDST and YRAM both write options for income.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDST | YRAM | MDST | YRAM | MDST | YRAM | |
| 3 months | +4.6% | not published | 2.4% | not published | −15.9 pts | not published |
| 6 months | +5.8% | not published | 4.7% | not published | −4.2 pts | not published |
| 1 year | +19.2% | not published | 10.0% | not published | −28.6 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +48.9% | +6.1% | 26.1% | 1.6% | +7.3 pts | +3.0 pts |
| MDST Westwood Salient Enhanced Midstream Income ETF Option income on XLE, paying monthly | YRAM YieldMax Memory and Storage Portfolio Option Income ETF Synthetic covered call on SMH | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Westwood | YieldMax |
| Strategy | option income | synthetic covered call |
| Benchmark | Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy | Semiconductors (SMH), used as the proxy |
| Pays | monthly | not established |
| Payout rate, annualized | 9.3% | 8.8% |
| Expense ratio | 0.80% | not published |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 10.0% | 1.6% (since launch on Aug 25, 2026) |
| Price change, 1 year | +8.2% | +4.5% |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.2% | +6.1% (since launch on Aug 25, 2026) |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +47.8% | +3.1% |
| Ahead or behind | −28.6 pts | +3.0 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | not published | 97% |
| Age | 892 days | 24 days |
| Net assets | $247m | $5m |
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.
YRAM in plain words
Over the period since launch on Aug 25, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026, YRAM paid 1.6% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 4.5%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +6.1%. Semiconductors (SMH), used as the proxy returned +3.1% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 3.0 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 8.8%, paid periodically. YieldMax estimates that 97% of the distribution paid Sep 17, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
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 YRAM, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mdst-vs-yram Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.