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OARK YieldMax(R) Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF

Synthetic covered call on QQQ, paying weekly

Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, OARK paid 38.6% in cash and still finished 15.8 points behind QQQ.

YieldMax · Income ETFs · data as of

Key facts

38.6%Cash paid, 1 year, on its starting price
+7.2%Total return, 1 year
−15.8 ptsAgainst QQQ
38.8%Return of capital, latest payout (YieldMax estimate)

Method

ETFIQ Return Stability Score

11.2154th of 161

OARK paid 38.6% in cash. Its price fell 33.3%, so 86% 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
MLPD −38.1 ptsMDST −30.2 ptsSLTY −29.1 ptsBLOX −27.8 ptsEIPI −27.8 ptsYQQQ −27.6 ptsULTY −23.3 ptsGDXY −22.0 ptsHIGH −20.8 ptsTOPW −18.6 ptsTDVI −18.3 ptsYMAX −18.1 ptsHISF −17.3 ptsACKY −17.2 ptsWEEI −16.9 ptsNDIV −16.6 ptsLQDW −16.2 ptsFDND −15.5 ptsTCAL −15.0 ptsQRMI −14.8 ptsSDVD −14.8 ptsLFGY −14.5 ptsSLJY −14.5 ptsSCLZ −14.1 ptsYFYA −13.9 ptsQUSA −13.5 ptsHYGW −13.0 ptsJULH −13.0 ptsXLRI −13.0 ptsMAGY −12.9 ptsYYY −12.7 ptsXLKI −12.6 ptsJULJ −12.4 ptsLJUL −12.4 ptsJANJ −12.3 ptsLJAN −12.3 ptsFGSI −12.2 ptsLOCT −12.1 ptsRNTY −12.1 ptsAIPI −12.0 ptsIWMY −12.0 ptsOCTJ −11.9 ptsHIPS −11.7 ptsJUCY −11.6 ptsXLEI −11.6 ptsAPRJ −11.3 ptsLAPR −11.3 ptsXISE −11.3 ptsXIJN −11.1 ptsCVRD −11.0 ptsJANH −11.0 ptsAPRH −10.9 ptsXBTY −10.7 ptsXIDE −10.7 ptsOCTH −10.6 ptsJEPI −10.3 ptsXIMR −10.1 ptsSRHR −9.7 ptsXRMI −8.7 ptsVEGA −8.3 ptsBUYW −8.2 ptsIAUI −7.9 ptsBAGY −7.7 ptsXV −7.5 ptsKHPI −7.3 ptsYBTC −7.3 ptsFTHI −7.0 ptsYLDE −6.8 ptsIGLD −6.1 ptsQQQI −6.1 ptsRDVI −6.0 ptsSPIN −5.9 ptsFEPI −5.8 ptsIWMW −5.8 ptsTYLG −5.7 ptsBITY −5.6 ptsSPUT −5.4 ptsWTPI −5.2 ptsPAPI −4.7 ptsXLVI −4.7 ptsETCO −4.3 ptsJEPQ −4.1 ptsCAIE −4.0 ptsFTKI −3.9 ptsGPTY −3.7 ptsIQQQ −3.7 ptsGIAX −3.4 ptsBIGY −3.3 ptsISPY −3.1 ptsRYLD −3.1 ptsWEEL −2.9 ptsYMAG −2.9 ptsRDTY −2.6 ptsXLBI −2.5 ptsNBOS −1.8 ptsRYLG −1.8 ptsSPYI −1.7 ptsFTQI −1.6 ptsKNG −1.6 ptsTSPY −1.6 ptsTHTA −1.5 ptsQQQY −1.3 ptsRDTE −1.3 ptsDIVO −1.2 ptsSIXH −1.2 ptsXYLD −1.2 ptsDFII −1.1 ptsGPIQ −1.1 ptsQDTY −1.1 ptsXYLG −1.1 ptsXDTE −0.9 ptsQDTE −0.7 ptsQYLD −0.7 ptsXLII −0.7 ptsXPAY −0.7 ptsEGGY −0.6 ptsJOYT −0.6 ptsSDTY −0.6 ptsWDTE −0.4 ptsBTCC −0.3 ptsQYLG −0.3 ptsGPIX 0.0 ptsDJIA +0.1 ptsDYLG +0.3 ptsIWMI +0.3 ptsKGLD +0.3 ptsXLFI +0.3 ptsIVVW +0.4 ptsLTTI +0.5 ptsLQTI +0.6 ptsPBP +0.6 ptsHYTI +0.9 ptsTDAQ +0.9 ptsCSHI +1.3 ptsBALI +1.4 ptsYETH +1.5 ptsHYBL +1.6 ptsXLUI +1.6 ptsCHPY +1.9 ptsBTCI +2.1 ptsSOXY +2.3 ptsITWO +2.5 ptsDOGG +2.7 ptsCEPI +2.9 ptsXLYI +2.9 ptsYBIT +2.9 ptsTLTP +3.4 ptsDUBS +4.0 ptsSEPI +4.7 ptsXLCI +5.2 ptsIDVO +5.4 ptsTLTW +5.4 ptsBCCC +6.3 ptsOMAH +6.5 ptsIDUB +6.9 ptsXLSI +8.8 ptsUSOY +10.5 ptsBUCK +10.9 ptsKLIP +20.9 ptsNVYY +24.6 ptsOARK −15.8 ptsOARK −15.8 pts−38.1 pts+24.6 pts

10.9% of the 161 sit at or below OARK on this measure.

What happened to the principal
ETCO −75.0%XBTY −74.7%YETH −67.4%YBTC −61.4%BTCC −59.9%YBIT −58.9%BAGY −58.0%SLTY −54.4%ULTY −53.3%NVYY −52.4%BITY −51.9%BCCC −49.4%BTCI −46.9%DFII −44.8%LFGY −43.0%YMAX −41.0%BLOX −38.8%TOPW −36.6%KLIP −32.8%GDXY −32.5%YMAG −27.1%YQQQ −26.3%MAGY −25.8%IWMY −23.1%CEPI −21.0%RDTY −19.9%RDTE −19.4%QDTE −18.5%EGGY −15.1%TLTP −14.5%XLYI −14.1%LTTI −13.8%ACKY −13.7%WDTE −13.7%QQQY −13.0%QDTY −12.8%XDTE −12.8%AIPI −12.2%QUSA −11.8%LQTI −10.4%TLTW −10.3%SDTY −9.9%GIAX −9.8%XLUI −9.5%HIGH −9.3%LQDW −9.3%TCAL −9.0%FEPI −8.5%XV −8.4%IGLD −8.1%XLRI −8.0%XLCI −7.9%FDND −7.6%YYY −7.5%XLSI −7.3%RNTY −6.5%HYTI −6.3%GPTY −6.0%OMAH −6.0%XLBI −5.7%HYGW −5.6%IWMW −5.3%HIPS −5.2%XPAY −4.9%HISF −4.7%QRMI −4.2%USOY −4.0%XLFI −3.8%FGSI −3.2%BUCK −2.5%HYBL −2.5%JUCY −2.3%XRMI −2.3%MLPD −1.7%CAIE −1.6%IAUI −1.6%YFYA −1.6%IVVW −1.4%CVRD −1.3%JEPI −1.1%KNG −0.9%XIJN −0.7%JULJ −0.6%WTPI −0.5%CSHI −0.4%JULH −0.3%LJUL −0.2%XISE 0.0%JANH +0.1%JANJ +0.1%LAPR +0.1%LOCT +0.1%LJAN +0.2%OCTJ +0.2%XLII +0.2%APRJ +0.3%OCTH +0.3%XIDE +0.3%XIMR +0.4%APRH +0.5%TSPY +0.6%KHPI +0.7%BIGY +0.8%WEEL +0.9%SRHR +1.0%FTHI +1.1%QQQI +1.5%XLVI +2.1%SPYI +2.6%QYLG +2.8%YLDE +2.8%BUYW +2.9%SDVD +3.0%XYLG +3.4%KGLD +3.8%THTA +3.9%DJIA +4.2%FTKI +4.3%SCLZ +4.4%PAPI +4.5%RYLD +4.7%XLKI +5.0%PBP +5.1%IWMI +5.3%DYLG +5.4%TDAQ +5.9%XYLD +5.9%JEPQ +6.0%SPIN +6.1%NBOS +6.5%SPUT +6.5%RYLG +7.1%GPIX +7.9%FTQI +8.0%DOGG +8.2%ISPY +8.4%QYLD +8.4%DIVO +8.9%MDST +9.3%VEGA +9.4%BALI +9.5%GPIQ +9.8%SLJY +11.0%RDVI +11.7%TDVI +11.7%IQQQ +12.3%SEPI +13.8%XLEI +13.8%SIXH +14.1%ITWO +14.3%EIPI +14.6%JOYT +16.1%IDVO +16.4%DUBS +18.9%WEEI +18.9%IDUB +19.0%TYLG +21.2%NDIV +22.9%CHPY +24.9%SOXY +68.6%OARK −33.3%OARK −33.3%−75.0%+68.6%

11.5% of the 161 sit at or below OARK on this measure.

Weighted evenly, those two positions are what the score combines, across the 161 income ETFs writing on an index or proxy. 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−15.8 pts10.950%
what happened to the principal−33.3%11.550%

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

14th of 16 income ETFs writing on QQQ, by return against it

What a holder got

OARK against QQQOARK returned +7.2% with distributions reinvested against +23.0% for Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), used as the innovation proxy, a gap of −15.8 pts. Of that, 38.6% arrived as cash rather than price.+7.2%OARK total return+23.0%Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), used as the innovation proxy38.6% of it arrived as cash

Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, OARK returned +7.2% with distributions reinvested and Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), used as the innovation proxy returned +23.0%, so a holder came out behind it by 15.8 points. The lighter segment is the 38.6% that arrived as cash rather than as price.

Method

Period by period

OARK over each window to Sep 11, 2026. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowCash paidPriceTotal returnQQQAhead or behind
3 months9.6%−4.6%+5.1%−0.8%+5.9 pts
6 months22.6%−8.5%+15.3%+20.7%−5.4 pts
1 year38.6%−33.3%+7.2%+23.0%−15.8 pts
3 years82.9%−60.9%+48.6%+95.1%−46.5 pts
Since launch89.2%−71.1%+53.5%+153.2%−99.6 pts

Method

When OARK pays

OARK pays weekly. The last distribution was $0.2065 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 OARK. 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$0.2065Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Sep 24, 2026Sep 25, 2026$0.2065Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 1, 2026Oct 2, 2026$0.2065Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 8, 2026Oct 9, 2026$0.2065Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 15, 2026Oct 16, 2026$0.2065Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Oct 22, 2026Oct 23, 2026$0.2065Date set by the issuer, amount not yet declared
Every distribution ETFIQ holds for OARK (13, most recent first)
Cash distributions per share for OARK. Source: ETFIQ from Tiingo end-of-day distributions.
Ex-dateAmount
Sep 10, 2026$0.2065
Sep 3, 2026$0.2316
Aug 27, 2026$0.2324
Aug 20, 2026$0.1391
Aug 13, 2026$0.1454
Aug 6, 2026$0.2033
Jul 30, 2026$0.2123
Jul 23, 2026$0.2328
Jul 16, 2026$0.2781
Jul 9, 2026$0.3124
Jul 2, 2026$0.2445
Jun 25, 2026$0.2329
Jun 18, 2026$0.2283

Every income ETF going ex-dividend in the next fortnight

Method

In plain words

Since it launched on Nov 23, 2022, OARK has returned +53.5% with distributions reinvested, against +153.2% for Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), used as the innovation proxy, and has paid out 89.2% of its starting value in cash along the way. It pays weekly, and at its current price the latest distribution annualizes to 37.1%. YieldMax estimates that 39% 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.

OARK (YieldMax(R) Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF), income ETFs fields as of Sep 11, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Strategysynthetic covered call
BenchmarkNasdaq-100 (QQQ), used as the innovation proxy (proxy)
Paysweekly
Net assets (issuer page, as of Sep 11, 2026)$46m
Latest payout, annualized (ETFIQ)37.1%
Expense ratio (485BPOS XBRL, Feb 24, 2026)1.00%
Cash paid, last 12 months, over today’s price (ETFIQ)57.8%
LaunchedNov 23, 2022
Return of capital, latest distribution (YieldMax 19a-1 estimate)38.8%
Paysweekly
Typical gap between ex-dates7 days
Typical wait from ex-date to payment1 day
Last paid, per share$0.2065 ex Sep 10, 2026
Sum of the last 12 distributions$2.6713

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 OARK paid over the last year?
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, OARK paid 38.6% of its starting price in cash distributions, while the price fell 33.3%.
Is OARK ahead of QQQ?
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, with every distribution reinvested, OARK returned +7.2% against +23.0% for Nasdaq-100 (QQQ), used as the innovation proxy, so a holder was behind it by 15.8 points.
How often does OARK pay, and how much?
OARK pays weekly. The latest distribution annualizes to 37.1% at its price on Sep 11, 2026, which is not a promise; the next one can differ.
Is the OARK distribution return of capital?
YieldMax estimates 39% 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 OARK next pay a distribution?
OARK pays weekly. The last distribution went ex on Sep 10, 2026 at $0.2065 a share. The issuer has set the next ex-date at Sep 17, 2026 but not the amount.
What does OARK cost?
The prospectus expense ratio is 1.00% 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 OARK

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

Funds near this one

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OARK payout bar, ETFIQ

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Where OARK is written about

OARK, 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.
Use this data, or open the live card

Open OARK live on ETFIQ, where the figures refresh with the data.

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

How these figures are computed · Standards and sources