Which paid more, QLDY or SDVD?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, QLDY paid 35.3% of its starting price in cash and SDVD paid 9.7%, so QLDY paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, QLDY or SDVD?

With every distribution reinvested, QLDY returned +9.1% and SDVD +18.9% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, QLDY or SDVD?

QLDY charges 1.04% a year and SDVD charges 0.85%, so SDVD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

QLDY vs SDVD: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, QLDY paid 35.3% of its price in cash against SDVD’s 9.7%, though SDVD returned more with it reinvested.

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Net assets on Nov 3, 2026: $53m for Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread Income ETF and $903m for FT Vest SMID Rising Dividend Achievers Target Income ETF.

QLDY on its own →SDVD on its own →

At a glance

35.3%

QLDY cash paid, 1 year

9.7%

SDVD cash paid, 1 year

+9.1%

QLDY total return, 1 year

+18.9%

SDVD total return, 1 year

QLDY · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 3.2 pts behind QQQ

QLDY

+9.1%

QQQ

+12.3%

3.2 pts behind QQQ

QLDY over 1 year: paid 35.3%, price −27.2%, total +9.1%, QQQ +12.3%, −3.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QQQ

+12.3%

QLDY

+9.1%

35.3% of it arrived as cash

3.2 pts behind QQQ

Total return, distributions reinvested

3.2 pts behind QQQ

QLDY over 1 year: paid 35.3%, price −27.2%, total +9.1%, QQQ +12.3%, −3.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

QQQ

+12.3%

QLDY

+9.1%

3.2 pts behind QQQ

35.3% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. QLDY over 1 year: paid 35.3%, price −27.2%, total +9.1%, QQQ +12.3%, −3.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SDVD · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 1.4 pts ahead of SDVY

SDVD

+18.9%

SDVY

+17.5%

1.4 pts ahead of SDVY

SDVD over 1 year: paid 9.7%, price +8.6%, total +18.9%, SDVY +17.5%, +1.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SDVY

+17.5%

SDVD

+18.9%

9.7% of it arrived as cash

1.4 pts ahead of SDVY

Total return, distributions reinvested

1.4 pts ahead of SDVY

SDVD over 1 year: paid 9.7%, price +8.6%, total +18.9%, SDVY +17.5%, +1.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

SDVY

+17.5%

SDVD

+18.9%

9.7% cash

1.4 pts ahead of SDVY

9.7% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. SDVD over 1 year: paid 9.7%, price +8.6%, total +18.9%, SDVY +17.5%, +1.4 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

SDVD costs 0.19 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 9.8 points; SDVD is 17.0 times larger.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

QLDY vs SDVD: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	QLDY	SDVD
Paid and earned
Measure	QLDY	SDVD
Total return, 1 year	+9.1%	+18.9%
Price change, 1 year	fell 27.2%	rose 8.6%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	0% of the Nov 2, 2026 payment	22% of the Oct 30, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	QLDY	SDVD
Benchmark	Nasdaq-100, measured through QQQ	First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF, measured through SDVY
Cost and size
Measure	QLDY	SDVD
Expense ratio	1.04%	0.85%
Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026	$53m	$903m
Holdings
Measure	QLDY	SDVD
Holdings in common	0%

ETFIQ Distribution Coverage Score · SDVD scores higher How much of what it paid out did its total return cover?

IQ Income Score24.9QLDY84.7SDVD

How much of its payouts the fund's total return covered, ranked against 167 income ETFs not writing on a single company. 100 is best. How it is computed

QLDY 24.9

SDVD 84.7

0.3, the lowest in this set 99.7, the highest

One year only, and a ratio of two published numbers: it says nothing about where a distribution came from. All income ETFs ranked by it →

Method

What they share

By the books each fund has filed, QLDY and SDVD hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Nov 3, 2026 and Nov 4, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first QLDY SDVD

Only in one fund ↓

Only in QLDY

Ndx 12/18/2026 2001.44 C 92.84%

United States Treasury Note/bond 2.375% 05/15/2027 0.49%

Exchange Put Opt 11/26 28320 0.15%

Xnd 12/18/2026 10.44 C 0.05%

Nasdaq-1 Put Opt 11/26 28470 -0.24%

Only in SDVD

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. 1.09%

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated 1.06%

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. 1.06%

Veralto Corporation 1.05%

Assurant, Inc. 1.02%

Interparfums, Inc. 1.02%

National HealthCare Corporation 1.02%

VeriSign, Inc. 1.02%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

QLDY Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread Income ETF · Option income on QQQ, paying weekly SDVD FT Vest SMID Rising Dividend Achievers Target Income ETF · Writes calls on the Russell 2000, investing in the Nasdaq US Small-Mid Cap Rising Dividend Achievers Index, paying monthly

Issuer Defiance First Trust

Strategy option income dividend stocks with call overlay

Benchmark Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY)

Pays weekly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 19.7% 8.2%

Expense ratio 1.04% 0.85%

Cash paid, 1 year 35.3% 9.7%

Price change, 1 year −27.2% +8.6%

Total return, 1 year +9.1% +18.9%

Benchmark return, 1 year +12.3% +17.5%

Ahead or behind −3.2 pts +1.4 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 0% 22%

Age 1.1 years 3.2 years

Net assets, as of Nov 3, 2026 $53m $903m

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: QLDY vs SDVD: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	QLDY	SDVD	QLDY	SDVD	QLDY	SDVD
3 months	−4.5%	−2.3%	9.5%	2.0%	−1.1 pts	+0.5 pts
6 months	−3.1%	+3.3%	18.5%	4.1%	−2.8 pts	+0.9 pts
1 year	+9.1%	+18.9%	35.3%	9.7%	−3.2 pts	+1.4 pts
3 years	–	+60.8%	–	31.3%	–	+1.0 pts
Since launchNot the same days: QLDY Sep 2025 · SDVD Aug 2023	+13.2%	+53.9%	39.1%	31.3%	−3.7 pts	+1.9 pts

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Alert

About each fund

QLDY

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, QLDY paid 35.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 27.2%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +9.1%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +12.3% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 3.2 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 19.7%, paid weekly. Defiance estimates that 0% of the distribution paid Nov 2, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

SDVD

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, SDVD paid 9.7% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 8.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +18.9%. First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) returned +17.5% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 1.4 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 8.2%, paid monthly. First Trust estimates that 22% of the distribution paid Oct 30, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which paid more, QLDY or SDVD?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, QLDY paid 35.3% of its starting price in cash and SDVD paid 9.7%, so QLDY paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, QLDY or SDVD?: With every distribution reinvested, QLDY returned +9.1% and SDVD +18.9% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, QLDY or SDVD?: QLDY charges 1.04% a year and SDVD charges 0.85%, so SDVD is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

QLDY vs YSPC QLDY vs YQQQ QLDY vs XSHP QLDY vs XVSP SDVD vs TDAQ SDVD vs CAIQ SDVD vs XQQI SDVD vs ROCQ

Where to next

Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) →First Trust SMID Cap Rising Dividend Achievers ETF (SDVY) →QLDY on its own →SDVD on its own →QLDY dividend history →QLDY holdings →SDVD dividend history →SDVD holdings →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

QLDY filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

QLDY prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

QLDY 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Defiance page for QLDY ↗

SDVD filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

SDVD prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

SDVD 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

First Trust page for SDVD ↗

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

How this is computed

It is a place in a set, not a rating or a recommendation.

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

Every number is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested.

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ETFIQ, QLDY against SDVD, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/qldy-vs-sdvd

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