Data as of .
MLPD vs XLCI: which paid, and which earned it?
Over the year MLPD paid 13.3% of its price in cash against XLCI’s 10.9%, and returned more with it reinvested.
ETFIQ Return Stability Score: XLCI 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, MLPD and XLCI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in MLPD | Only in XLCI |
|---|---|
| GLOBAL X MLP & ENERGY INFRAS 102.10% | STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER 99.79% |
| CASH 1.05% | SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS 0.38% |
| OTHER PAYABLE & RECEIVABLES -1.02% | STATE STREET COMMUNICATION SER OCT26 117 CALL -0.17% |
| 2MLPX US 10/16/2026 C74 -2.13% |
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 Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLPD | XLCI | MLPD | XLCI | MLPD | XLCI | |
| 3 months | +4.2% | +3.2% | 3.0% | 2.9% | −16.2 pts | +1.6 pts |
| 6 months | +4.1% | +2.8% | 5.7% | 5.5% | −5.8 pts | +3.4 pts |
| 1 year | +12.0% | +2.2% | 13.3% | 10.9% | −35.8 pts | +7.9 pts |
| Since launch | +33.5% | +7.3% | 28.2% | 12.4% | −14.7 pts | +1.9 pts |
| MLPD Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF Covered call on XLE, paying monthly | XLCI State Street(R) Communication Services Select Sector SPDR(R) Premium Income ETF Covered call on XLC, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Global X | State Street |
| Strategy | covered call | covered call |
| Benchmark | Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy | Communication services (XLC) |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 12.0% | 8.1% |
| Expense ratio | 0.60% | 0.35% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 13.3% | 10.9% |
| Price change, 1 year | −2.1% | −8.8% |
| Total return, 1 year | +12.0% | +2.2% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +47.8% | −5.7% |
| Ahead or behind | −35.8 pts | +7.9 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 0% | not published |
| Age | 863 days | 415 days |
| Net assets | $27m | $3m |
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).
XLCI in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, XLCI paid 10.9% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 8.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +2.2%. Communication services (XLC) returned −5.7% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 7.9 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 8.1%, paid monthly.
Questions people ask
- Which paid more, MLPD or XLCI?
- Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, MLPD paid 13.3% of its starting price in cash and XLCI paid 10.9%, 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, MLPD or XLCI?
- With every distribution reinvested, MLPD returned +12.0% and XLCI returned +2.2% over the year to Sep 18, 2026, so MLPD returned more.
- Which is cheaper, MLPD or XLCI?
- MLPD charges 0.60% a year and XLCI charges 0.35%, so XLCI 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, MLPD against XLCI, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mlpd-vs-xlci Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.