Get the weekly note
ETFIQetfiq.com · independent ETF data

RYLD Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF

Covered call on IWM, paying monthly

Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, RYLD paid 12.3% in cash and still finished 3.1 points behind IWM.

Global X · Income ETFs · data as of

Key facts

12.3%Cash paid, 1 year, on its starting price
+18.1%Total return, 1 year
−3.1 ptsAgainst IWM
100.0%Return of capital, latest payout (Global X estimate)

Method

ETFIQ Return Stability Score

65.738th of 161

RYLD paid 12.3% in cash and its price rose 4.7%, so the payout came out of returns rather than principal.

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 ptsOARK −15.8 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 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 ptsRYLD −3.1 ptsRYLD −3.1 pts−38.1 pts+24.6 pts

55.9% of the 161 sit at or below RYLD 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%OARK −33.3%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%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%RYLD +4.7%RYLD +4.7%−75.0%+68.6%

75.5% of the 161 sit at or below RYLD 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−3.1 pts55.950%
what happened to the principal+4.7%75.550%

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

19th of 354 income ETFs by net assets

What a holder got

RYLD against IWMRYLD returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested against +21.2% for Russell 2000 (IWM), a gap of −3.1 pts. Of that, 12.3% arrived as cash rather than price.+18.1%RYLD total return+21.2%Russell 2000 (IWM)12.3% of it arrived as cash

Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, RYLD returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested and Russell 2000 (IWM) returned +21.2%, so a holder came out behind it by 3.1 points. The lighter segment is the 12.3% that arrived as cash rather than as price.

Method

Period by period

RYLD over each window to Sep 11, 2026. Every figure is an ETFIQ calculation. Source: ETFIQ.
WindowCash paidPriceTotal returnIWMAhead or behind
3 months3.1%+0.8%+3.9%−1.1%+5.1 pts
6 months6.3%+6.5%+13.1%+17.6%−4.5 pts
1 year12.3%+4.7%+18.1%+21.2%−3.1 pts
3 years32.7%−8.8%+30.9%+62.5%−31.7 pts
Since launch67.2%−36.1%+51.9%+103.8%−51.8 pts

Method

When RYLD pays

RYLD pays monthly. The last distribution was $0.1653 a share, which went ex on Aug 24, 2026, with payment about 2 days later. The next has not been declared. On its own cadence of about 28 days the ex-date falls near Sep 21, 2026; that date is an ETFIQ projection, not the issuer’s.

Expected distributions for RYLD. 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 21, 2026Sep 23, 2026$0.1653ETFIQ projection from the fund’s own cadence
Oct 19, 2026Oct 21, 2026$0.1653ETFIQ projection from the fund’s own cadence
Every distribution ETFIQ holds for RYLD (13, most recent first)
Cash distributions per share for RYLD. Source: ETFIQ from Tiingo end-of-day distributions.
Ex-dateAmount
Aug 24, 2026$0.1653
Jul 20, 2026$0.1605
Jun 22, 2026$0.1618
May 18, 2026$0.1568
Apr 20, 2026$0.1566
Mar 23, 2026$0.1475
Feb 23, 2026$0.1584
Jan 20, 2026$0.1573
Dec 22, 2025$0.1551
Nov 24, 2025$0.1518
Oct 20, 2025$0.1525
Sep 22, 2025$0.1517
Aug 18, 2025$0.1506

Every income ETF going ex-dividend in the next fortnight

Method

In plain words

Since it launched on Apr 22, 2019, RYLD has returned +51.9% with distributions reinvested, against +103.8% for Russell 2000 (IWM), and has paid out 67.2% of its starting value in cash along the way. It pays monthly, and at its current price the latest distribution annualizes to 12.4%. Global X estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Aug 27, 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.

RYLD (Global X Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF), income ETFs fields as of Sep 11, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
Strategycovered call
BenchmarkRussell 2000 (IWM)
Paysmonthly
Net assets (the issuer own daily fund list, as of Sep 11, 2026)$1.4bn
Latest payout, annualized (ETFIQ)12.4%
Expense ratio (485BPOS XBRL, Feb 26, 2026)0.60%
Cash paid, last 12 months, over today’s price (ETFIQ)11.7%
LaunchedApr 22, 2019
Return of capital, latest distribution (Global X 19a-1 estimate)100.0%
Paysmonthly
Typical gap between ex-dates28 days
Typical wait from ex-date to payment2 days
Last paid, per share$0.1653 ex Aug 24, 2026
Sum of the last 12 distributions$1.8753

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 RYLD paid over the last year?
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, RYLD paid 12.3% of its starting price in cash distributions, while the price rose 4.7%.
Is RYLD ahead of IWM?
Over the year to Sep 11, 2026, with every distribution reinvested, RYLD returned +18.1% against +21.2% for Russell 2000 (IWM), so a holder was behind it by 3.1 points.
How often does RYLD pay, and how much?
RYLD pays monthly. The latest distribution annualizes to 12.4% at its price on Sep 11, 2026, which is not a promise; the next one can differ.
Is the RYLD distribution return of capital?
Global X estimates 100% of the distribution paid Aug 27, 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 RYLD next pay a distribution?
RYLD pays monthly. The last distribution went ex on Aug 24, 2026 at $0.1653 a share. The next is not declared; on a cadence of about 28 days the ex-date falls near Sep 21, 2026, which is an ETFIQ projection. Payment usually follows the ex-date by 2 days.
What does RYLD cost?
The prospectus expense ratio is 0.60% 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 RYLD

Also against QYLD, XYLD, DIVO, GPIX, GPIQ, TSLY, NVDY, MSTY, 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

Put this on your own page

The payout bar for RYLD, redrawn every trading night. Free to use with the credit link.

RYLD payout bar, ETFIQ

Copy the embed code
<a href="https://etfiq.com/funds/ryld"><img src="https://etfiq.com/embed/income/ryld.svg" alt="RYLD payout bar, ETFIQ" width="640"></a>
<p><a href="https://etfiq.com/funds/ryld">RYLD payout bar, updated daily by ETFIQ</a></p>

Where RYLD is written about

RYLD, 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 RYLD live on ETFIQ, where the figures refresh with the data.

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

How these figures are computed · Standards and sources