Get the weekly note
ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

Data as of .

SCEP vs TCAL: which paid, and which earned it?

SCEP and TCAL both write options for income.

STERLING CAPITAL HEDGED EQUITY PREMIUM INCOME ETF and T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Premium Income ETF.

5.0%SCEP cash paid, 1 year
11.4%TCAL cash paid, 1 year
+3.5%SCEP total return, 1 year
+3.0%TCAL total return, 1 year
SCEP8.2 pts behind SPY · since launch to Sep 18, 2026
SPY+11.7%SCEP+3.5%5.0% as cash8.2 pts behind SPYTotal return, distributions reinvestedSPY+11.7%SCEP+3.5%8.2 pts behind SPY
TCAL13.5 pts behind SPY · 1 year to Sep 18, 2026
SPY+16.6%TCAL+3.0%11.4% as cash13.5 pts behind SPYTotal return, distributions reinvestedSPY+16.6%TCAL+3.0%13.5 pts behind SPY

What they hold in common

By the books each fund has filed, SCEP and TCAL hold 21% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.

Positions SCEP and TCAL both hold, largest shared weight first
HoldingSCEPTCAL
VISA INC1.98%1.69%
AMAZON.COM INC4.68%1.53%
MICROSOFT CORP3.49%1.50%
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP2.40%1.20%
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC2.19%1.04%
WASTE MANAGEMENT INC1.03%1.44%
REPUBLIC SERVICES INC1.02%1.47%
META PLATFORMS INC2.23%1.01%
CHUBB LTD (SWITZERLAND)1.56%1.00%
PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPANY (THE)1.03%0.96%
BROADCOM INC5.61%0.95%
NETFLIX INC1.01%0.95%
Only in each
Only in SCEPOnly in TCAL
ALPHABET INC 5.98%DANAHER CORP 2.01%
APPLE INC 5.71%WATERS CORP 1.97%
NVIDIA CORP 5.70%VERALTO CORP 1.87%
LAM RESEARCH CORP 2.64%WASTE CONNECTIONS INC 1.80%
PARKER-HANNIFIN CORP 2.63%YUM BRANDS INC 1.72%
WILLIAMS COMPANIES INC (THE) 2.15%LINDE PLC 1.63%
EQUINIX INC 2.05%LOCKHEED MARTIN CORP 1.60%
AMPHENOL CORP 1.94%NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORP 1.56%

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 Jun 30, 2026.

Performance, window by window

SCEP and TCAL over each window. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation with distributions reinvested. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowTotal returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
SCEPTCALSCEPTCALSCEPTCAL
3 months−0.1%+4.2%1.7%3.5%−2.4 pts+1.9 pts
6 months+8.3%+5.3%3.7%6.3%−9.7 pts−12.7 pts
1 yearnot published+3.0%not published11.4%not published−13.5 pts
Since launch+3.5%+3.9%5.0%15.2%−8.2 pts−32.7 pts
Open the live comparison on ETFIQ
SCEP and TCAL on the same fields, as of Sep 18, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
SCEP
STERLING CAPITAL HEDGED EQUITY PREMIUM INCOME ETF
Covered call on SPY, paying monthly
TCAL
T. Rowe Price Capital Appreciation Premium Income ETF
Covered call on SPY, paying monthly
IssuerSterling CapitalT. Rowe Price
Strategycovered callcovered call
BenchmarkS&P 500 (SPY)S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy
Paysmonthlymonthly
Payout rate, annualized7.1%9.4%
Expense ratio0.65%0.34%
Cash paid, 1 year5.0% (since launch on Dec 11, 2025)11.4%
Price change, 1 year−1.6%−8.6%
Total return, 1 year+3.5% (since launch on Dec 11, 2025)+3.0%
Benchmark return, 1 year+11.7%+16.6%
Ahead or behind−8.2 pts−13.5 pts
Return of capital, latest estimatenot publishednot published
Age281 days540 days
Net assets$235m$276m

SCEP in plain words

Over the period since launch on Dec 11, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, SCEP paid 5.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 1.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +3.5%. S&P 500 (SPY) returned +11.7% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 8.2 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 7.1%, paid monthly.

TCAL in plain words

Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, TCAL paid 11.4% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 8.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +3.0%. S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy returned +16.6% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 13.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 9.4%, paid monthly.

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, SCEP or TCAL?
SCEP charges 0.65% a year and TCAL charges 0.34%, so TCAL 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.

SCEP against TCAL, 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, SCEP against TCAL, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/scep-vs-tcal Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How every figure is computed · Standards and sources