Data as of .
QLDY vs XQQI: which paid, and which earned it?
QLDY and XQQI both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, QLDY and XQQI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in QLDY | Only in XQQI |
|---|---|
| Ndx 12/18/2026 2001.44 C 94.80% | NVIDIA Corp 8.70% |
| First American Government Obligations Fund 12/01/2031 4.77% | Apple Inc 7.91% |
| United States Treasury Note/bond 2.375% 05/15/2027 0.53% | Microsoft Corp 5.94% |
| Ndxp Us 09/21/26 P29500 0.08% | Micron Technology Inc 5.12% |
| Xnd 12/18/2026 10.44 C 0.05% | Amazon.com Inc 4.39% |
| Cash & Other -0.06% | Advanced Micro Devices Inc 4.08% |
| Nasdaq-1 Put Opt 09/26 29650 -0.16% | Alphabet Inc 3.28% |
| Meta Platforms Inc 3.27% |
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 Sep 21, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QLDY | XQQI | QLDY | XQQI | QLDY | XQQI | |
| 3 months | −6.6% | −2.7% | 8.3% | 4.8% | −4.1 pts | −0.2 pts |
| 6 months | +20.1% | +21.8% | 18.7% | 11.4% | −4.2 pts | −2.4 pts |
| 1 year | +10.6% | not published | 29.2% | not published | −11.2 pts | not published |
| Since launch | +10.6% | +14.3% | 29.2% | 13.7% | −11.2 pts | −2.9 pts |
| QLDY Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread(TM) Income ETF Option income on QQQ, paying weekly | XQQI NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100(R) High Income ETF Option income on QQQ, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Defiance | NEOS |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) |
| Pays | weekly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 19.6% | 20.5% |
| Expense ratio | 1.04% | 0.98% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 29.2% | 13.7% (since launch on Feb 3, 2026) |
| Price change, 1 year | −20.3% | −0.3% |
| Total return, 1 year | +10.6% | +14.3% (since launch on Feb 3, 2026) |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +21.8% | +17.3% |
| Ahead or behind | −11.2 pts | −2.9 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 100% | 100% |
| Age | 365 days | 227 days |
| Net assets | $52m | $351m |
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).
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, QLDY or XQQI?
- QLDY charges 1.04% a year and XQQI charges 0.98%, so XQQI 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, QLDY against XQQI, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/qldy-vs-xqqi Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.