Data as of .
NLSI vs XISE: which paid, and which earned it?
NLSI and XISE both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, NLSI and XISE hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in NLSI | Only in XISE |
|---|---|
| Micron Technology Inc 14.23% | 2027-09-17 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust C 0.08 98.96% |
| F5 Inc 3.90% | 2027-09-17 State Street® SPDR® S&P 500® ETF Trust P 761.61 5.02% |
| Progressive Corp/The 3.80% | US Dollar 1.19% |
| Adobe Inc 3.37% | U.S. Treasury Bill, 0%, due 01/28/2027 0.55% |
| Jack Henry & Associates Inc 3.32% | U.S. Treasury Bill, 0%, due 02/25/2027 0.55% |
| Universal Health Services Inc 3.23% | U.S. Treasury Bill, 0%, due 10/29/2026 0.55% |
| Insulet Corp 3.19% | U.S. Treasury Bill, 0%, due 12/01/2026 0.55% |
| Veeva Systems Inc 3.19% | U.S. Treasury Bill, 0%, due 12/31/2026 0.55% |
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 Jun 30, 2026 and Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NLSI | XISE | NLSI | XISE | NLSI | XISE | |
| 3 months | +15.6% | +1.2% | 1.4% | 2.0% | +13.3 pts | −1.1 pts |
| 6 months | +24.6% | +4.9% | 2.8% | 3.6% | +6.6 pts | −13.2 pts |
| 1 year | not published | +6.1% | not published | 6.5% | not published | −10.5 pts |
| 3 years | not published | +20.9% | not published | 19.1% | not published | −57.5 pts |
| Since launch | +19.3% | +21.1% | 4.0% | 19.2% | +7.3 pts | −57.0 pts |
| NLSI NEOS Long/Short Equity Income ETF Option income on SPY, paying monthly | XISE FT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer & Premium Income ETF - September Buffer with income on SPY, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | NEOS | First Trust |
| Strategy | option income | buffer with income |
| Benchmark | S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy | S&P 500 (SPY) |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 5.1% | 6.0% |
| Expense ratio | 2.89% | 0.85% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 4.0% (since launch on Dec 10, 2025) | 6.5% |
| Price change, 1 year | +14.6% | −0.6% |
| Total return, 1 year | +19.3% (since launch on Dec 10, 2025) | +6.1% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +12.0% | +16.6% |
| Ahead or behind | +7.3 pts | −10.5 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 100% | not published |
| Age | 282 days | 1096 days |
| Net assets | $5m | $32m |
NLSI in plain words
Over the period since launch on Dec 10, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, NLSI paid 4.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 14.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +19.3%. S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy returned +12.0% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 7.3 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 5.1%, paid monthly. NEOS estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Jul 31, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
XISE in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, XISE paid 6.5% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 0.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +6.1%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +16.6% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 10.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 6.0%, paid monthly.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, NLSI or XISE?
- NLSI charges 2.89% a year and XISE charges 0.85%, so XISE 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, NLSI against XISE, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/nlsi-vs-xise Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.