Get the weekly note
ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

Data as of .

PCOV vs XQQI: which paid, and which earned it?

PCOV and XQQI both write options for income.

Principal Equity Premium Income ETF and NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100(R) High Income ETF.

0.0%PCOV cash paid, 1 year
13.7%XQQI cash paid, 1 year
−3.7%PCOV total return, 1 year
+14.3%XQQI total return, 1 year
PCOV3 pts behind SPY · since launch to Sep 18, 2026
SPY−0.7%PCOV−3.7%3 pts behind SPYTotal return, distributions reinvestedSPY−0.7%PCOV−3.7%3 pts behind SPY
XQQI2.9 pts behind QQQ · since launch to Sep 18, 2026
QQQ+17.3%XQQI+14.3%13.7% of it arrived as cash2.9 pts behind QQQTotal return, distributions reinvestedQQQ+17.3%XQQI+14.3%13.7% cash2.9 pts behind QQQ

Performance, window by window

PCOV and XQQI over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
PCOVXQQIPCOVXQQIPCOVXQQI
3 monthsnot published−2.7%not published4.8%not published−0.2 pts
6 monthsnot published+21.8%not published11.4%not published−2.4 pts
Since launch−3.7%+14.3%0.0%13.7%−3.0 pts−2.9 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
PCOV and XQQI on the same fields, as of Sep 18, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
PCOV
Principal Equity Premium Income ETF
Covered call on SPY
XQQI
NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100(R) High Income ETF
Option income on QQQ, paying monthly
IssuerPrincipalNEOS
Strategycovered calloption income
BenchmarkS&P 500 (SPY)Nasdaq-100 (QQQ)
Paysnot establishedmonthly
Payout rate, annualizednot published20.5%
Expense ratio0.34%0.98%
Cash paid, 1 year0.0% (since launch on Aug 19, 2026)13.7% (since launch on Feb 3, 2026)
Price change, 1 year−3.7%−0.3%
Total return, 1 year−3.7% (since launch on Aug 19, 2026)+14.3% (since launch on Feb 3, 2026)
Benchmark return, 1 year−0.7%+17.3%
Ahead or behind−3.0 pts−2.9 pts
Return of capital, latest estimatenot published100%
Age30 days227 days
Net assetsnot published$351m

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.

XQQI in plain words

Over the period since launch on Feb 3, 2026 to Sep 18, 2026, XQQI paid 13.7% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 0.3%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +14.3%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +17.3% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 2.9 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 20.5%, paid monthly. NEOS estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Jul 10, 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 XQQI?
PCOV charges 0.34% a year and XQQI charges 0.98%, 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.

PCOV against XQQI, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 18, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. A comparison is not a recommendation.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, PCOV against XQQI, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/pcov-vs-xqqi Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources