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BABO YieldMax(R) BABA Option Income Strategy ETF

Synthetic covered call on BABA, paying weekly

Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, BABO paid 40.6% in cash and finished 4.2 points ahead of BABA.

YieldMax · Income ETFs · data as of

Key facts

40.6%Cash paid, 1 year, on its starting price
−25.4%Total return, 1 year
+4.2 ptsAgainst BABA
0.0%Return of capital, latest payout (YieldMax estimate)

Method

ETFIQ Return Stability Score

51.5joint 32nd of 64

BABO paid 40.6% in cash. Its price fell 57.9%, so 100% of what you were paid came back out of your own capital.

Was the payout funded by returns, or by your own capital?

Against its benchmark
AMYY −218.2 ptsMRNY −148.8 ptsAMDY −76.2 ptsDIPS −43.1 ptsNVYY −20.9 ptsXOMO −19.9 ptsTQQY −19.6 ptsAZYY −19.3 ptsAPLY −17.0 ptsCOYY −16.3 ptsGOOP −14.1 ptsMARO −13.2 ptsMSTW −12.2 ptsHOOW −11.0 ptsCOIW −10.7 ptsTSMY −10.3 ptsPLTW −9.3 ptsGMEY −8.7 ptsTSLW −8.3 ptsGOOY −8.0 ptsNFLW −7.9 ptsAMZP −7.3 ptsMETW −7.1 ptsAAPY −7.0 ptsTSYY −6.8 ptsMSFW −6.5 ptsMSFY −6.4 ptsXYZY −6.4 ptsHCOW −6.3 ptsYSPY −6.3 ptsAVGW −5.6 ptsNFLP −5.1 ptsAMZW −4.0 ptsSMCY −3.9 ptsAMZY −3.8 ptsSNOY −3.8 ptsBRKW −3.7 ptsHOOY −3.4 ptsAIYY −3.3 ptsTSLP −3.2 ptsFBY −2.7 ptsNVDW −1.4 ptsBRKC −1.3 ptsPYPY −1.2 ptsDRAY −0.7 ptsNVDY −0.2 ptsRBLY +0.9 ptsTSII +1.1 ptsGOOW +1.4 ptsMSFO +2.1 ptsNVII +2.5 ptsAAPW +2.6 ptsNFLY +4.4 ptsPLTY +4.6 ptsCONY +5.1 ptsMSTY +5.3 ptsRDYY +5.5 ptsCVNY +7.2 ptsTSLY +7.5 ptsCRSH +23.2 ptsAMDW +58.4 ptsFIAT +60.8 ptsWNTR +78.8 ptsBABO +4.2 ptsBABO +4.2 pts−218.2 pts+78.8 pts

82% of the 64 sit at or below BABO on this measure.

What happened to the principal
COYY −87.2%MSTW −85.9%RBLY −81.9%MSTY −79.7%COIW −77.9%MARO −77.0%AIYY −73.3%DRAY −73.2%RDYY −72.9%CONY −70.2%TSYY −70.1%SMCY −66.5%NFLW −65.0%HOOW −57.4%NFLY −57.3%HOOY −56.4%CVNY −54.5%NFLP −54.5%TSLW −54.2%GMEY −52.7%PYPY −52.7%NVYY −52.3%TSII −51.4%XYZY −51.4%WNTR −51.3%PLTW −50.7%TSLY −49.5%DIPS −47.3%METW −46.9%FIAT −45.5%PLTY −45.2%FBY −44.9%AMYY −44.7%AZYY −42.9%AVGW −42.1%CRSH −39.8%TQQY −35.4%TSLP −34.5%MSFW −33.1%AMZY −32.0%MSFO −29.9%AMZW −27.6%MSFY −25.4%YSPY −25.0%SNOY −24.8%NVDW −22.8%NVDY −22.3%NVII −21.1%BRKW −16.9%GOOY −16.6%BRKC −15.6%AMZP −14.6%APLY −11.3%XOMO −10.0%TSMY −8.1%GOOW −3.7%HCOW −0.3%AAPW +7.9%GOOP +8.5%AAPY +19.2%AMDY +28.6%MRNY +93.6%AMDW +110.0%BABO −57.9%BABO −57.9%−87.2%+110.0%

21.1% of the 64 sit at or below BABO on this measure.

Weighted evenly, those two positions are what the score combines, across the 64 income ETFs writing on a single company. Neither spread above is the score: a fund can sit further right on one and score lower. A position in this set, not a rating: it moves when the set moves, and it is not a figure to average against another desk's.

What the score is computed from
What it measuresThis fundIts percentileWeight
against its benchmark+4.2 pts8250%
what happened to the principal−57.9%21.150%

All income ETFs ranked by this score · How it is computed

What a holder got

BABO against BABABABO returned −25.4% with distributions reinvested against −29.7% for Alibaba (BABA), a gap of +4.2 pts. Of that, 40.6% arrived as cash rather than price.−25.4%BABO total return−29.7%Alibaba (BABA)

Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, BABO returned −25.4% with distributions reinvested and Alibaba (BABA) returned −29.7%, so a holder came out ahead of it by 4.2 points. The lighter segment is the 40.6% that arrived as cash rather than as price.

Method

Period by period

BABO over each window to Sep 18, 2026. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowCash paidPriceTotal returnBABAAhead or behind
3 months12.7%−8.8%+3.7%+5.7%−2.0 pts
6 months21.5%−26.8%−6.6%−6.6%0.0 pts
1 year40.6%−57.9%−25.4%−29.7%+4.2 pts
Since launch89.8%−63.7%+16.4%+44.8%−28.3 pts

Method

When BABO pays

BABO pays weekly. The last distribution was $0.0572 a share, which went ex on Sep 17, 2026, with payment about 1 day later. The issuer has set the next ex-date at Sep 23, 2026, payable Sep 24, 2026, but has not declared the amount.

Expected distributions for BABO. Where the basis is a projection, ETFIQ has carried the fund’s own spacing forward from its last ex-date and held the amount at the last one paid; neither is an issuer statement. Source: ETFIQ.
Ex-datePay dateAmountBasis
Sep 23, 2026Sep 24, 2026$0.0572Issuer date, amount not declared
Sep 30, 2026Oct 1, 2026$0.0572Issuer date, amount not declared
Oct 7, 2026Oct 8, 2026$0.0572Issuer date, amount not declared
Oct 14, 2026Oct 15, 2026$0.0572Issuer date, amount not declared
Oct 21, 2026Oct 22, 2026$0.0572Issuer date, amount not declared
Oct 28, 2026Oct 29, 2026$0.0572Issuer date, amount not declared
Every distribution ETFIQ holds for BABO (13, most recent first)
Cash distributions per share for BABO. Source: ETFIQ from Tiingo end-of-day distributions.
Ex-dateAmount
Sep 17, 2026$0.0572
Sep 10, 2026$0.0521
Sep 3, 2026$0.0589
Aug 27, 2026$0.0698
Aug 20, 2026$0.0805
Aug 13, 2026$0.0999
Aug 6, 2026$0.1636
Jul 30, 2026$0.1245
Jul 23, 2026$0.0817
Jul 16, 2026$0.0682
Jul 9, 2026$0.06
Jul 2, 2026$0.0543
Jun 25, 2026$0.0656

Every income ETF going ex-dividend in the next fortnight

Method

In plain words

Since it launched on Aug 8, 2024, BABO has returned +16.4% with distributions reinvested, against +44.8% for Alibaba (BABA), and has paid out 89.8% of its starting value in cash along the way. It pays weekly, and at its current price the latest distribution annualizes to 40.1%. YieldMax estimates that 0% of the distribution paid Sep 18, 2026 was a return of capital. That is the issuer’s own Rule 19a-1 estimate and a tax characterization, made before the fund year closes: it says the payment included money the fund gave back rather than earned, not that the fund is eroding.

BABO (YieldMax(R) BABA Option Income Strategy ETF), income ETFs fields as of Sep 18, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Strategysynthetic covered call
BenchmarkAlibaba (BABA)
Paysweekly
Net assets (issuer page, as of Sep 18, 2026)$14m
Latest payout, annualized (ETFIQ)40.1%
Expense rationot read by ETFIQ
Cash paid, last 12 months, over today’s price (ETFIQ)96.5%
LaunchedAug 8, 2024
Return of capital, latest distribution (YieldMax 19a-1 estimate)0.0%
Paysweekly
Typical gap between ex-dates7 days
Typical wait from ex-date to payment1 day
Last paid, per share$0.0572 ex Sep 17, 2026
Sum of the last 12 distributions$0.9707

Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation from exchange prices and cash distributions (Tiingo end-of-day), total return with distributions reinvested. Return of capital is the issuer’s estimate. How these figures are computed

Questions people ask

How much has BABO paid over the last year?
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, BABO paid 40.6% of its starting price in cash distributions, while the price fell 57.9%.
Is BABO ahead of BABA?
Over the year to Sep 18, 2026, with every distribution reinvested, BABO returned −25.4% against −29.7% for Alibaba (BABA), so a holder was ahead of it by 4.2 points.
How often does BABO pay, and how much?
BABO pays weekly. The latest distribution annualizes to 40.1% at its price on Sep 18, 2026, which is not a promise; the next one can differ.
Is the BABO distribution return of capital?
YieldMax estimates 0% of the distribution paid Sep 18, 2026 was return of capital. That is a tax characterization from the fund's own 19a-1 notice, not a measure of erosion.
When does BABO next pay a distribution?
BABO pays weekly. The last distribution went ex on Sep 17, 2026 at $0.0572 a share. The issuer has set the next ex-date at Sep 23, 2026 but not the amount.

The words on this page

Total return
What a holder actually ended up with: price change plus every distribution, reinvested. The only figure that answers whether you came out ahead.
Cash paid
Distributions over the window as a share of what the fund cost at the start. A measure of cash delivered, not of return: a fund can pay a great deal and still lose money.
Ahead or behind
The fund’s total return minus the benchmark’s over exactly the same days, in percentage points. Both sides reinvest.
Return of capital
The issuer’s own estimate, in a Rule 19a-1 notice, of how much of a distribution was your own money returned. An estimate and a tax characterization, not a measure of erosion.
Covered call
Selling call options on shares the fund holds. It collects a premium and gives up the gains above the strike, which is why these funds pay well and lag a rising market.

Every term used here, defined in full on the income ETFs vocabulary page.

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.

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Where BABO is written about

BABO, Income ETFs, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 18, 2026. Every figure is calculated from a named public source; the method is at etfiq.com/methodology. ETFIQ is an independent publisher, is not a fund issuer, broker-dealer or investment adviser, and makes no recommendations.
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Cite this page. ETFIQ, BABO, income ETFs, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/funds/babo Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How these figures are computed · Standards and sources