Which paid more, MLPD or XLEI?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MLPD paid 14.1% of its starting price in cash and XLEI paid 22.3%, so XLEI 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 XLEI?

With every distribution reinvested, MLPD returned +15.4% and XLEI +39.2% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, MLPD or XLEI?

MLPD charges 0.60% a year and XLEI charges 0.35%, so XLEI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

MLPD vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLEI paid 22.3% of its price in cash against MLPD’s 14.1%, and returned more with it reinvested.

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Net assets: $26m on Oct 12, 2026 for Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF, and $209m on Nov 3, 2026 for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF.

MLPD on its own →XLEI on its own →

At a glance

14.1%

MLPD cash paid, 1 year

22.3%

XLEI cash paid, 1 year

+15.4%

MLPD total return, 1 year

+39.2%

XLEI total return, 1 year

MLPD · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 Not measured

MLPD

+15.4%

none

Not measured

MLPD over 1 year: paid 14.1%, price +0.6%, total +15.4%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MLPD

+15.4%

14.1% as cash

Total return, distributions reinvested

Not measured

MLPD over 1 year: paid 14.1%, price +0.6%, total +15.4%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

MLPD

+15.4%

14.1% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. MLPD over 1 year: paid 14.1%, price +0.6%, total +15.4%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLEI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI

+39.2%

XLE

+49.8%

10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLE

+49.8%

XLEI

+39.2%

22.3% of it arrived as cash

10.6 pts behind XLE

Total return, distributions reinvested

10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLE

+49.8%

XLEI

+39.2%

10.6 pts behind XLE

22.3% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, 0 to +49.8%. XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Both charts share one scale, 0 to +49.8%. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

XLEI costs 0.25 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 23.8 points; XLEI is 6.1 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

MLPD vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	MLPD	XLEI
Paid and earned
Measure	MLPD	XLEI
Total return, 1 year	+15.4%	+39.2%
Price change, 1 year	rose 0.6%	rose 13.8%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	100% of the Sep 24, 2026 payment	100% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	MLPD	XLEI
Benchmark	not published	Energy sector, measured through XLE
Cost and size
Measure	MLPD	XLEI
Expense ratio	0.60%	0.35%
Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026	$26m	$159m
Holdings
Measure	MLPD	XLEI
Holdings in common	0%

Method

Risk and return

Aug 8, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026 · 64 weekly returns

MLPD XLEI

Return

Total return edge XLEI +16.6% +55.9%

Annualized edge XLEI +13.3% +43.4%

Price return edge XLEI −1.1% +22.3%

Risk

Volatility edge MLPD 8.4% 15.6%

Max drawdown edge MLPD −4.5% −7.9%

Risk-adjusted

Sharpe edge XLEI 1.07 2.15

Sortino edge XLEI 1.48 3.42

Calmar edge XLEI 2.97 5.47

Reading

From Aug 2025 to Oct 2026, XLEI returned more: +55.9% to +16.6%. MLPD swung less: 8.4% to 15.6%. MLPD fell less at its worst: −4.5% to −7.9%.

Full scorecard

9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓

Risk and return: MLPD vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	MLPD	XLEI	Edge	How it is measured
Return
Total return	+16.6%	+55.9%	XLEI	Price change plus distributions, reinvested.
Annualized	+13.3%	+43.4%	XLEI	Total return as a yearly rate.
Price return	−1.1%	+22.3%	XLEI	Price change alone, distributions left out.
Risk
Volatility	8.4%	15.6%	MLPD	Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier.
Downside deviation	6.1%	9.8%	MLPD	Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate.
Max drawdown	−4.5%	−7.9%	MLPD	Deepest fall from a high to the low after it.
Risk-adjusted
Sharpe	1.07	2.15	XLEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
Sortino	1.48	3.42	XLEI	Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation.
Calmar	2.97	5.47	XLEI	Annualized return divided by the max drawdown.

Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 64 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, MLPD and XLEI 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 MLPD XLEI

Only in one fund ↓

Only in MLPD

Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF 101.03%

Only in XLEI

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC 100.78%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 70.5 CALL -0.02%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 72.5 CALL -0.02%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 69 CALL -0.04%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 71 CALL -0.07%

STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 70 CALL -0.76%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

MLPD Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF · Covered call, paying monthly XLEI State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF · Covered call on XLE, paying monthly

Issuer Global X State Street

Strategy covered call covered call

Benchmark none Energy sector (XLE)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 12.2% 22.0%

Expense ratio 0.60% 0.35%

Cash paid, 1 year 14.1% 22.3%

Price change, 1 year +0.6% +13.8%

Total return, 1 year +15.4% +39.2%

Benchmark return, 1 year not published +49.8%

Ahead or behind not available −10.6 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%

Age 2.5 years 1.3 years

Net assets, MLPD as of Oct 12, 2026 and XLEI as of Nov 3, 2026 $26m $209m

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: MLPD vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	MLPD	XLEI	MLPD	XLEI	MLPD	XLEI
3 months	+3.6%	+9.7%	3.1%	5.3%	not measured	−1.8 pts
6 months	+3.4%	+14.8%	6.0%	10.5%	not measured	+1.9 pts
1 year	+15.4%	+39.2%	14.1%	22.3%	not measured	−10.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: MLPD May 2024 · XLEI Jul 2025	+32.7%	+41.9%	30.2%	27.2%	not measured	−8.4 pts

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About each fund

MLPD

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MLPD paid 14.1% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 0.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +15.4%. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 12.2%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Sep 24, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

XLEI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLEI paid 22.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 13.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +39.2%. Energy sector (XLE) returned +49.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 10.6 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 22.0%, 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, MLPD or XLEI?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, MLPD paid 14.1% of its starting price in cash and XLEI paid 22.3%, so XLEI 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 XLEI?: With every distribution reinvested, MLPD returned +15.4% and XLEI +39.2% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, MLPD or XLEI?: MLPD charges 0.60% a year and XLEI charges 0.35%, so XLEI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

MLPD vs WEEI MLPD vs AIPI MLPD vs USOY MLPD vs XLUI XLEI vs TECY XLEI vs XLSI XLEI vs NDIV XLEI vs SEMY

Where to next

Energy sector (XLE) →All income ETFs ranked by the Distribution Coverage Score →How the scores are computed →MLPD on its own →XLEI on its own →MLPD dividend history →MLPD holdings →XLEI dividend history →XLEI holdings →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

MLPD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

MLPD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

MLPD 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Global X page for MLPD ↗

XLEI filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

XLEI prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

XLEI 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

State Street website ↗

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

How this is computed

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

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, MLPD against XLEI, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/mlpd-vs-xlei

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