Data as of .
PCOV vs QLDY: which paid, and which earned it?
PCOV and QLDY both write options for income.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCOV | QLDY | PCOV | QLDY | PCOV | QLDY | |
| 3 months | not published | −6.6% | not published | 8.3% | not published | −4.1 pts |
| 6 months | not published | +20.1% | not published | 18.7% | not published | −4.2 pts |
| 1 year | not published | +10.6% | not published | 29.2% | not published | −11.2 pts |
| Since launch | −3.7% | +10.6% | 0.0% | 29.2% | −3.0 pts | −11.2 pts |
| PCOV Principal Equity Premium Income ETF Covered call on SPY | QLDY Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread(TM) Income ETF Option income on QQQ, paying weekly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Principal | Defiance |
| Strategy | covered call | option income |
| Benchmark | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) |
| Pays | not established | weekly |
| Payout rate, annualized | not published | 19.6% |
| Expense ratio | 0.34% | 1.04% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 0.0% (since launch on Aug 19, 2026) | 29.2% |
| Price change, 1 year | −3.7% | −20.3% |
| Total return, 1 year | −3.7% (since launch on Aug 19, 2026) | +10.6% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | −0.7% | +21.8% |
| Ahead or behind | −3.0 pts | −11.2 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | not published | 100% |
| Age | 30 days | 365 days |
| Net assets | not published | $52m |
PCOV in plain words
Over the period since launch on Aug 19, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026, PCOV paid 0.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 3.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −3.7%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned −0.7% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 3.0 pts.
QLDY in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, QLDY paid 29.2% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 20.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +10.6%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +21.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 11.2 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 19.6%, paid weekly. Defiance estimates that 100% 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).
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, PCOV or QLDY?
- PCOV charges 0.34% a year and QLDY charges 1.04%, so PCOV 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, PCOV against QLDY, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/pcov-vs-qldy Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.