Data as of .
SEMY vs XLEI: which paid, and which earned it?
SEMY and XLEI both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, SEMY and XLEI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in SEMY | Only in XLEI |
|---|---|
| Treasury Bill 50.64% | STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC 100.58% |
| Treasury Bill 49.36% | SSI US GOV MONEY MARKET CLASS 0.51% |
| US DOLLAR 0.02% | |
| STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC OCT26 69 CALL -0.03% | |
| STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC OCT26 68 CALL -0.12% | |
| STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC OCT26 67 CALL -0.95% |
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 and Sep 18, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEMY | XLEI | SEMY | XLEI | SEMY | XLEI | |
| 3 months | −4.8% | +17.4% | 17.4% | 5.2% | +8.4 pts | −3.0 pts |
| 6 months | +17.5% | +12.6% | 43.7% | 9.4% | −31.4 pts | +2.7 pts |
| 1 year | not published | +37.8% | not published | 20.7% | not published | −10.0 pts |
| Since launch | +33.9% | +41.2% | 71.5% | 23.1% | −38.5 pts | −10.0 pts |
| SEMY GraniteShares YieldBOOST Semiconductor ETF Synthetic covered call on SMH, paying weekly | XLEI State Street(R) Energy Select Sector SPDR(R) Premium Income ETF Covered call on XLE, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | GraniteShares | State Street |
| Strategy | synthetic covered call | covered call |
| Benchmark | Semiconductors (SMH) | Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy |
| Pays | weekly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 67.3% | 15.8% |
| Expense ratio | 1.07% | 0.35% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 71.5% (since launch on Nov 18, 2025) | 20.7% |
| Price change, 1 year | −48.7% | +12.8% |
| Total return, 1 year | +33.9% (since launch on Nov 18, 2025) | +37.8% |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +72.5% | +47.8% |
| Ahead or behind | −38.5 pts | −10.0 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | 98% | not published |
| Age | 304 days | 415 days |
| Net assets | $49m | $119m |
SEMY in plain words
Over the period since launch on Nov 18, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, SEMY paid 71.5% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 48.7%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +33.9%. Semiconductors (SMH) returned +72.5% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 38.5 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 67.3%, paid weekly. GraniteShares estimates that 98% of the distribution paid Aug 25, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
XLEI in plain words
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, XLEI paid 20.7% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 12.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +37.8%. Energy sector (XLE), used as the energy proxy returned +47.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 10.0 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 15.8%, paid monthly.
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, SEMY or XLEI?
- SEMY charges 1.07% a year and XLEI charges 0.35%, so XLEI 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, SEMY against XLEI, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/semy-vs-xlei Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.