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MSTY YieldMax(R) MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF

Synthetic covered call on MSTR, paying weekly

Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, MSTY paid 35.1% in cash and finished 5.5 points ahead of MSTR.

YieldMax · Income ETFs · data as of

Key facts

35.1%Cash paid, 1 year, on its starting price
−54.4%Total return, 1 year
+5.5 ptsAgainst MSTR
98.8%Return of capital, latest payout (YieldMax estimate)

Method

ETFIQ Return Stability Score

49.1joint 33rd of 61

MSTY paid 35.1% in cash. Its price fell 80.9%, 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
MRNY −136.8 ptsAMDY −66.7 ptsDIPS −37.9 ptsXOMO −20.9 ptsTQQY −20.2 ptsAPLY −18.6 ptsGOOP −17.6 ptsTSYY −16.1 ptsMARO −15.2 ptsCOYY −11.8 ptsTSMY −11.7 ptsMSTW −11.4 ptsHOOW −10.9 ptsCOIW −10.5 ptsPLTW −9.8 ptsTSLP −9.1 ptsXYZY −8.9 ptsGOOY −8.5 ptsAAPY −8.4 ptsNFLW −7.7 ptsAMZP −7.2 ptsGMEY −7.2 ptsHCOW −7.2 ptsTSLW −7.0 ptsMETW −6.9 ptsYSPY −6.8 ptsAVGW −6.6 ptsMSFY −6.6 ptsAIYY −5.6 ptsSMCY −5.3 ptsNFLP −4.7 ptsMSFW −4.6 ptsAMZY −4.0 ptsHOOY −3.8 ptsSNOY −3.6 ptsBRKW −3.5 ptsFBY −3.5 ptsAMZW −3.1 ptsCRSH −2.2 ptsNVDW −1.8 ptsPYPY −1.8 ptsTSII −1.8 ptsDRAY −1.4 ptsBRKC −0.9 ptsNVDY −0.2 ptsGOOW +1.7 ptsMSFO +1.8 ptsRBLY +1.8 ptsNVII +2.3 ptsRDYY +3.7 ptsNFLY +4.0 ptsAAPW +4.1 ptsTSLY +4.8 ptsBABO +4.9 ptsCONY +4.9 ptsCVNY +5.3 ptsPLTY +5.5 ptsAMDW +47.3 ptsFIAT +70.4 ptsWNTR +94.6 ptsMSTY +5.5 ptsMSTY +5.5 pts−136.8 pts+94.6 pts

92.6% of the 61 sit at or below MSTY on this measure.

What happened to the principal
MSTW −87.3%COYY −86.8%RBLY −81.7%COIW −79.2%MARO −75.6%CONY −72.9%DRAY −72.2%RDYY −71.3%AIYY −71.0%TSYY −69.7%SMCY −64.1%NFLW −62.3%HOOY −59.8%HOOW −59.2%BABO −56.9%NFLY −55.1%GMEY −52.9%PYPY −51.8%CVNY −51.5%PLTW −50.4%NFLP −50.2%XYZY −48.1%CRSH −46.9%TSLW −46.8%TSII −46.5%METW −46.0%WNTR −45.9%DIPS −45.5%FIAT −45.3%AVGW −44.5%FBY −44.3%TSLY −44.2%PLTY −43.6%TQQY −35.3%MSFW −31.5%AMZY −30.5%TSLP −30.0%MSFO −29.8%AMZW −25.8%SNOY −25.4%YSPY −25.3%NVDW −24.5%MSFY −24.1%NVDY −23.6%NVII −23.1%BRKW −17.8%BRKC −16.0%GOOY −15.1%AMZP −12.9%APLY −9.6%XOMO −6.9%TSMY −5.0%GOOW −2.2%HCOW +1.6%GOOP +7.3%AAPW +11.3%AMDY +19.5%AAPY +20.6%MRNY +85.5%AMDW +93.7%MSTY −80.9%−80.9%−87.3%+93.7%

5.7% of the 61 sit at or below MSTY on this measure.

Weighted evenly, those two positions are what the score combines, across the 61 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+5.5 pts92.650%
what happened to the principal−80.9%5.750%

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

28th of 354 income ETFs by net assets

What a holder got

MSTY against MSTRMSTY returned −54.4% with distributions reinvested against −59.8% for MicroStrategy (MSTR), a gap of +5.5 pts. Of that, 35.1% arrived as cash rather than price.−54.4%MSTY total return−59.8%MicroStrategy (MSTR)

Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, MSTY returned −54.4% with distributions reinvested and MicroStrategy (MSTR) returned −59.8%, so a holder came out ahead of it by 5.5 points. The lighter segment is the 35.1% that arrived as cash rather than as price.

Method

Period by period

MSTY over each window to Sep 11, 2026. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowCash paidPriceTotal returnMSTRAhead or behind
3 months16.1%−15.3%+3.8%+5.7%−1.8 pts
6 months32.0%−38.6%−7.2%−6.2%−1.0 pts
1 year35.1%−80.9%−54.4%−59.8%+5.5 pts
Since launch223.1%−86.2%+56.5%+83.7%−27.1 pts

Method

When MSTY pays

MSTY pays weekly. The last distribution was $0.3121 a share, which went ex on Sep 10, 2026, with payment about 1 day later. The issuer has set the next ex-date at Sep 17, 2026, payable Sep 18, 2026, but has not declared the amount.

Expected distributions for MSTY. 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 17, 2026Sep 18, 2026$0.3121Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Sep 24, 2026Sep 25, 2026$0.3121Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 1, 2026Oct 2, 2026$0.3121Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 8, 2026Oct 9, 2026$0.3121Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 15, 2026Oct 16, 2026$0.3121Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 22, 2026Oct 23, 2026$0.3121Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Every distribution ETFIQ holds for MSTY (13, most recent first)
Cash distributions per share for MSTY. Source: ETFIQ from Tiingo end-of-day distributions.
Ex-dateAmount
Sep 10, 2026$0.3121
Sep 3, 2026$0.2105
Aug 27, 2026$0.2836
Aug 20, 2026$0.162
Aug 13, 2026$0.1809
Aug 6, 2026$0.2083
Jul 30, 2026$0.2222
Jul 23, 2026$0.2231
Jul 16, 2026$0.2067
Jul 9, 2026$0.2061
Jul 2, 2026$0.1549
Jun 25, 2026$0.1883
Jun 18, 2026$0.2286

Every income ETF going ex-dividend in the next fortnight

Method

In plain words

Since it launched on Feb 22, 2024, MSTY has returned +56.5% with distributions reinvested, against +83.7% for MicroStrategy (MSTR), and has paid out 223.1% of its starting value in cash along the way. It pays weekly, and at its current price the latest distribution annualizes to 110.5%. YieldMax estimates that 99% of the distribution paid Sep 11, 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.

MSTY (YieldMax(R) MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF), income ETFs fields as of Sep 11, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Strategysynthetic covered call
BenchmarkMicroStrategy (MSTR)
Paysweekly
Net assets (issuer page, as of Sep 11, 2026)$957m
Latest payout, annualized (ETFIQ)110.5%
Expense ratio (485BPOS XBRL, Feb 26, 2025)0.99%
Cash paid, last 12 months, over today’s price (ETFIQ)184.1%
LaunchedFeb 22, 2024
Return of capital, latest distribution (YieldMax 19a-1 estimate)98.8%
Paysweekly
Typical gap between ex-dates7 days
Typical wait from ex-date to payment1 day
Last paid, per share$0.3121 ex Sep 10, 2026
Sum of the last 12 distributions$2.5587

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 MSTY paid over the last year?
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, MSTY paid 35.1% of its starting price in cash distributions, while the price fell 80.9%.
Is MSTY ahead of MSTR?
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, with every distribution reinvested, MSTY returned −54.4% against −59.8% for MicroStrategy (MSTR), so a holder was ahead of it by 5.5 points.
How often does MSTY pay, and how much?
MSTY pays weekly. The latest distribution annualizes to 110.5% at its price on Sep 11, 2026, which is not a promise; the next one can differ.
Is the MSTY distribution return of capital?
YieldMax estimates 99% of the distribution paid Sep 11, 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 MSTY next pay a distribution?
MSTY pays weekly. The last distribution went ex on Sep 10, 2026 at $0.3121 a share. The issuer has set the next ex-date at Sep 17, 2026 but not the amount.
What does MSTY cost?
The prospectus expense ratio is 0.99% a year.

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.

Compare MSTY

Also against QYLD, XYLD, RYLD, DIVO, GPIX, GPIQ, TSLY, NVDY, CONY, ULTY, YMAX, FEPI, XDTE, QDTE, AIPI, BALI, ISPY, AMZY, APLY, GOOY, MSFO, OARK, SDTY, IVV, QQQ, SCHD, SPY, VOO, VTI, VYM.

Funds near this one

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MSTY payout bar, ETFIQ

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Where MSTY is written about

MSTY, Income ETFs, ETFIQ, data as of Sep 11, 2026. Every figure is arithmetic on 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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Open MSTY live on ETFIQ, where the figures refresh with the data.

Cite this page. ETFIQ, MSTY, income ETFs, data as of Sep 11, 2026. https://etfiq.com/funds/msty Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.

How these figures are computed · Standards and sources