Which paid more, RYLD or RYLG?

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, RYLD paid 12.2% of its starting price in cash and RYLG paid 10.7%, so RYLD paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.

Which returned more once distributions are counted, RYLD or RYLG?

With every distribution reinvested, RYLD returned +13.8% and RYLG +16.0% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.

Which is cheaper, RYLD or RYLG?

RYLD charges 0.60% a year and RYLG charges 0.35%, so RYLG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Income ETFs

RYLD vs RYLG: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, RYLD paid 12.2% of its price in cash against RYLG’s 10.7%, though RYLG returned more with it reinvested.

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Net assets on Oct 12, 2026: $1.3bn for Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF and $7.7m for Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call & Growth ETF.

RYLD on its own →RYLG on its own →

At a glance

12.2%

RYLD cash paid, 1 year

10.7%

RYLG cash paid, 1 year

+13.8%

RYLD total return, 1 year

+16.0%

RYLG total return, 1 year

RYLD · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 5.2 pts behind IWM

RYLD

+13.8%

IWM

+19.0%

5.2 pts behind IWM

RYLD over 1 year: paid 12.2%, price +0.9%, total +13.8%, IWM +19.0%, −5.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

IWM

+19.0%

RYLD

+13.8%

12.2% of it arrived as cash

5.2 pts behind IWM

Total return, distributions reinvested

5.2 pts behind IWM

RYLD over 1 year: paid 12.2%, price +0.9%, total +13.8%, IWM +19.0%, −5.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

IWM

+19.0%

RYLD

+13.8%

12.2% cash

5.2 pts behind IWM

12.2% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. RYLD over 1 year: paid 12.2%, price +0.9%, total +13.8%, IWM +19.0%, −5.2 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

RYLG · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 3 pts behind IWM

RYLG

+16.0%

IWM

+19.0%

3 pts behind IWM

RYLG over 1 year: paid 10.7%, price +4.4%, total +16.0%, IWM +19.0%, −3.0 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

IWM

+19.0%

RYLG

+16.0%

10.7% of it arrived as cash

3 pts behind IWM

Total return, distributions reinvested

3 pts behind IWM

RYLG over 1 year: paid 10.7%, price +4.4%, total +16.0%, IWM +19.0%, −3.0 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

IWM

+19.0%

RYLG

+16.0%

10.7% cash

3 pts behind IWM

10.7% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, 0 to +19.0%. RYLG over 1 year: paid 10.7%, price +4.4%, total +16.0%, IWM +19.0%, −3.0 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Both charts share one scale, 0 to +19.0%. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

RYLG costs 0.25 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 2.2 points; RYLD is far larger, $1.3bn against $7.7m.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

RYLD vs RYLG: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Measure	RYLD	RYLG
Paid and earned
Measure	RYLD	RYLG
Total return, 1 year	+13.8%	+16.0%
Price change, 1 year	rose 0.9%	rose 4.4%
Return of capital, issuer estimate	100% of the Sep 24, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Measure	RYLD	RYLG
Benchmark	Russell 2000, measured through IWM	Russell 2000, measured through IWM
Against its benchmark, same days	behind by 5.2 pts	behind by 3.0 pts
Cost and size
Measure	RYLD	RYLG
Expense ratio	0.60%	0.35%
Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026	$1.3bn	$7.7m
Holdings
Measure	RYLD	RYLG
Holdings in common	100%

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

IQ Income Score66.8RYLD78.7RYLG

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

RYLD 66.8

RYLG 78.7

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

100%

By the books each fund has filed, RYLD and RYLG hold 100% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

100% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first RYLD RYLG

Global X Russell 2000 ETF 100.94% 100.44%

Only in one fund ↓

Only in RYLD

N/A 0.00%

Only in RYLG

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF · Covered call on IWM, paying monthly RYLG Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call & Growth ETF · Covered call on IWM, paying monthly

Issuer Global X Global X

Strategy covered call covered call

Benchmark Russell 2000 (IWM) Russell 2000 (IWM)

Pays monthly monthly

Payout rate, annualized 11.5% 5.7%

Expense ratio 0.60% 0.35%

Cash paid, 1 year 12.2% 10.7%

Price change, 1 year +0.9% +4.4%

Total return, 1 year +13.8% +16.0%

Benchmark return, 1 year +19.0% +19.0%

Ahead or behind −5.2 pts −3.0 pts

Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%

Age 7.5 years 4.1 years

Net assets, as of Oct 12, 2026 $1.3bn $7.7m

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: RYLD vs RYLG: Dividend Yield & Total Return
	Total return		Cash paid		Against the benchmark
Window	RYLD	RYLG	RYLD	RYLG	RYLD	RYLG
3 months	−2.4%	−3.8%	2.8%	1.4%	+2.6 pts	+1.2 pts
6 months	+4.6%	+2.0%	6.0%	3.4%	+5.1 pts	+2.5 pts
1 year	+13.8%	+16.0%	12.2%	10.7%	−5.2 pts	−3.0 pts
3 years	+34.4%	+50.0%	34.6%	40.2%	−33.9 pts	−18.3 pts
Since launchNot the same days: RYLD Apr 2019 · RYLG Oct 2022	+49.6%	+46.2%	68.4%	44.5%	−51.2 pts	−24.6 pts

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About each fund

RYLD

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, RYLD paid 12.2% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 0.9%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +13.8%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +19.0% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 5.2 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 11.5%, paid monthly. Global X estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Sep 24, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

RYLG

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, RYLG paid 10.7% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 4.4%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +16.0%. Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +19.0% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 3.0 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 5.7%, paid monthly.

Questions people ask

Which paid more, RYLD or RYLG?: Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, RYLD paid 12.2% of its starting price in cash and RYLG paid 10.7%, so RYLD paid more. Cash paid is not the same as money made: the price change matters too.
Which returned more once distributions are counted, RYLD or RYLG?: With every distribution reinvested, RYLD returned +13.8% and RYLG +16.0% over the year to Nov 4, 2026.
Which is cheaper, RYLD or RYLG?: RYLD charges 0.60% a year and RYLG charges 0.35%, so RYLG is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.

Other comparisons

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Where to next

Russell 2000 (IWM) →RYLD on its own →RYLG on its own →RYLD dividend history →RYLD holdings →RYLG dividend history →RYLG holdings →Method →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

RYLD and RYLG filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

RYLD and RYLG prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

RYLD 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Global X page for RYLD ↗

RYLG 19a-1 distribution notice ↗

Global X page for RYLG ↗

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.

Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown

ETFIQ, RYLD against RYLG, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/ryld-vs-rylg

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.