Data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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Income ETFs

WEPN vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return

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WEPN and XLEI both write options for income.

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Net assets: $6.1m on Jul 31, 2026 for Nicholas Defense and Rare Earth Income ETF, and $209m on Nov 3, 2026 for State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF.

At a glance
7.4%
WEPN cash paid, since launch, Mar 3, 2026
22.3%
XLEI cash paid, 1 year
−17.8%
WEPN total return, since launch, Mar 3, 2026
+39.2%
XLEI total return, 1 year
WEPN · since launch to Nov 4, 2026 Not measured
WEPN
−17.8%
none

Not measured

WEPN since launch: paid 7.4%, price −24.4%, total −17.8%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

WEPN

−17.8%

Total return, distributions reinvested

Not measured

WEPN since launch: paid 7.4%, price −24.4%, total −17.8%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

WEPN

−17.8%

7.4% of it arrived as cash. Total return, distributions reinvested. WEPN since launch: paid 7.4%, price −24.4%, total −17.8%, not measured against a benchmark. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.
XLEI · 1 year to Nov 4, 2026 10.6 pts behind XLE
XLEI
+39.2%
XLE
+49.8%

10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLE

+49.8%

XLEI

+39.2%

22.3% of it arrived as cash

10.6 pts behind XLE

Total return, distributions reinvested

10.6 pts behind XLE

XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

XLE

+49.8%

XLEI

+39.2%

10.6 pts behind XLE

22.3% of it arrived as cash. Both charts share one scale, with zero at the line. XLEI over 1 year: paid 22.3%, price +13.8%, total +39.2%, XLE +49.8%, −10.6 pts. Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Data to Nov 4, 2026.

Pair scorecard

XLEI costs 0.76 points a year less.

Points (pts) are percentage points.

WEPN vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
MeasureWEPNXLEI
Paid and earned
Total return, 1 yearnot published+39.2%
Price changefell 16.9% (6 months)rose 13.8% (1 year)
Return of capital, issuer estimate100% of the Oct 28, 2026 payment100% of the Nov 5, 2026 payment
Against its benchmark
Benchmarkits own holdingsEnergy sector, measured through XLE
Against its benchmark, same daysbehind by 5.9 ptsbehind by 10.6 pts
Cost and size
Expense ratio1.11%0.35%
Net assets, WEPN as of Jul 31, 2026 and XLEI as of Nov 3, 2026$6.1m$209m
Holdings
Holdings in common0%

Method

What they share

0%

By the books each fund has filed, WEPN and XLEI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Jul 31, 2026 and Nov 3, 2026.

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first WEPN XLEI
Only in one fund ↓
Only in WEPN
Palo Alto Networks Inc 9.96%
Crowdstrike Holdings Inc 8.97%
Invesco DB Base Metals Fund 7.15%
SPACEX 6.32%
VanEck Steel ETF 4.75%
RTX Corp 4.58%
Axon Enterprise Inc 4.17%
Lockheed Martin Corp 3.86%
Only in XLEI
STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC 100.78%
STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 70.5 CALL -0.02%
STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 72.5 CALL -0.02%
STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 69 CALL -0.04%
STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 71 CALL -0.07%
STATE STREET ENERGY SELECT SEC NOV26 70 CALL -0.76%
Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

WEPN Nicholas Defense and Rare Earth Income ETF · Option income on its own holdings, paying weekly XLEI State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF · Covered call on XLE, paying monthly
Strategy option income covered call
Benchmark WEPN's own holdings, without the options (from its filed holdings, rebalanced at each filing; latest Jul 31, 2026) Energy sector (XLE)
Pays weekly monthly
Payout rate, annualized 13.1% 22.0%
Expense ratio 1.11% 0.35%
Cash paid, 1 year 7.4% (since launch, Mar 3, 2026) 22.3%
Price change, 1 year −24.4% (since launch, Mar 3, 2026) +13.8%
Total return, 1 year −17.8% (since launch, Mar 3, 2026) +39.2%
Benchmark return, 1 year not published +49.8%
Ahead or behind not available −10.6 pts
Return of capital, latest estimate 100% 100%
Age 246 days 1.3 years
Net assets, WEPN as of Jul 31, 2026 and XLEI as of Nov 3, 2026 $6.1m $209m

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: WEPN vs XLEI: Dividend Yield & Total Return
Total returnCash paidAgainst the benchmark
WindowWEPNXLEIWEPNXLEIWEPNXLEI
3 months−12.2%+9.7%2.9%5.3%−4.0 pts−1.8 pts
6 months−11.8%+14.8%5.8%10.5%−5.9 pts+1.9 pts
1 year–+39.2%–22.3%–−10.6 pts
Since launchNot the same days: WEPN Mar 2026 · XLEI Jul 2025−17.8%+41.9%7.4%27.2%not measured−8.4 pts

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About each fund
WEPN

WEPN's own holdings, without the options (from its filed holdings, rebalanced at each filing; latest Jul 31, 2026) returned −5.9% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 5.9 pts.

Over the 6 months to Nov 4, 2026, WEPN paid 5.8% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price fell 16.9%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned −11.8%. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 13.1%, paid weekly. Nicholas estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Oct 28, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice). That is a tax label, not a measure of erosion.

XLEI

Over the year to Nov 4, 2026, XLEI paid 22.3% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 13.8%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +39.2%. Energy sector (XLE) returned +49.8% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 10.6 pts. At its price on Nov 4, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 22.0%, paid monthly. State Street estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Nov 5, 2026 was a return of capital (its 19a-1 notice).

Questions people ask

Which is cheaper, WEPN or XLEI?
WEPN charges 1.11% a year and XLEI charges 0.35%, so XLEI is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
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ETFIQ, WEPN against XLEI, data as of Nov 4, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/wepn-vs-xlei

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