QQQI vs RYLD: Dividend Yield, Total Return & Fees Compared

NEOS Nasdaq-100® High Income ETFRussell 2000 Covered Call ETF

Data as of the close · refreshed automatically every trading day

Higher yieldQQQI13.71% vs 12.05%
Better 1-year total returnQQQI+19.46% vs +17.67%
Lower expense ratioRYLD0.60% vs 0.68%

QQQI vs RYLD at a glance

NEOS Nasdaq-100® High Income ETF (QQQI) and Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF (RYLD) are compared below using data through the September 25, 2026 close, refreshed after every trading day.

Over the past year, QQQI returned +19.46% with dividends reinvested, compared with +17.67% for RYLD. QQQI currently yields 13.71% (trailing 12-month) against 12.05% for RYLD.

QQQI leads on both current yield and 1-year total return. Yields and returns move with markets, so check the longer periods below before drawing conclusions.

Key figures for QQQI and RYLD
MetricQQQIRYLD
Last close$55.76$15.55
Dividend yield13.71% (TTM)12.05% (TTM)
Expense ratio0.68%0.60%
Paysmonthlymonthly
Dividends, last 12 months$7.64 (12 payments)$1.87 (12 payments)
IssuerNEOS InvestmentsGlobal X
InceptionJan 31, 2024Apr 18, 2019

Performance: QQQI vs RYLD

Total return assumes every distribution is reinvested. Switch to price return to see the change in share price alone.

QQQIRYLD

Total Return (%) · dividends reinvested · Sep 25, 2025 – Sep 25, 2026

DividendDuel.com

Overview

Key fund stats as of the latest close.

ETFTTM yield1Y total returnLast closeLast dividendPaysIssuer
QQQINEOS Nasdaq-100® High Income ETF
13.71%
+19.46%Best$55.76$0.634MonthlyNEOS Investments
RYLDRussell 2000 Covered Call ETF
12.05%
+17.67%$15.55$0.148MonthlyGlobal X

Total returns

Price change plus dividends paid, by holding period. Best in each period is outlined.

ETF1M3M6M1Y2Y5Y
QQQINEOS Nasdaq-100® High Income ETF+4.26%+4.41%+18.30%+19.46%+44.90%—
RYLDRussell 2000 Covered Call ETF-3.46%+0.93%+10.46%+17.67%+23.54%+12.07%

Dividends

Latest payout, trailing 12-month total and the last 12 distributions.

ETFLatest payoutvs. priorTrailing 12MRecent payouts
QQQINEOS Nasdaq-100® High Income ETF$0.634Sep 16, 2026-2.76%$7.64212 payoutsOct 22, 2025: $0.645Nov 26, 2025: $0.63Dec 24, 2025: $0.641Jan 21, 2026: $0.636Feb 18, 2026: $0.614Mar 18, 2026: $0.609Apr 22, 2026: $0.63May 20, 2026: $0.659Jun 16, 2026: $0.657Jul 22, 2026: $0.635Aug 19, 2026: $0.652Sep 16, 2026: $0.634
RYLDRussell 2000 Covered Call ETF$0.148Sep 21, 2026-10.30%$1.87312 payoutsOct 20, 2025: $0.153Nov 24, 2025: $0.152Dec 22, 2025: $0.155Jan 20, 2026: $0.157Feb 23, 2026: $0.158Mar 23, 2026: $0.148Apr 20, 2026: $0.157May 18, 2026: $0.157Jun 22, 2026: $0.162Jul 20, 2026: $0.161Aug 24, 2026: $0.165Sep 21, 2026: $0.148

Recent dividend payments

The latest 12 distributions per share for each fund, newest first.

QQQIRYLD
Sep 16, 2026$0.634Sep 21, 2026$0.148
Aug 19, 2026$0.652Aug 24, 2026$0.165
Jul 22, 2026$0.635Jul 20, 2026$0.161
Jun 16, 2026$0.657Jun 22, 2026$0.162
May 20, 2026$0.659May 18, 2026$0.157
Apr 22, 2026$0.630Apr 20, 2026$0.157
Mar 18, 2026$0.609Mar 23, 2026$0.148
Feb 18, 2026$0.614Feb 23, 2026$0.158
Jan 21, 2026$0.636Jan 20, 2026$0.157
Dec 24, 2025$0.641Dec 22, 2025$0.155
Nov 26, 2025$0.630Nov 24, 2025$0.152
Oct 22, 2025$0.645Oct 20, 2025$0.153

QQQI vs RYLD: common questions

Which pays a higher dividend, QQQI or RYLD?

As of September 25, 2026, QQQI yields 13.71% (trailing 12-month) and RYLD yields 12.05% (trailing 12-month), so QQQI currently pays the higher yield. A higher yield does not guarantee a higher total return.

Which has performed better, QQQI or RYLD?

Over the past year with dividends reinvested, QQQI returned +19.46% and RYLD returned +17.67%. Past performance does not predict future results.

What would $10,000 in QQQI vs RYLD be worth after one year?

With dividends reinvested, $10,000 invested one year before September 25, 2026 would have grown to about $11,946 in QQQI and $11,767 in RYLD.

Which is cheaper to own, QQQI or RYLD?

RYLD has the lower expense ratio at 0.60% a year, compared with 0.68% for QQQI. On $10,000 that is roughly $60 vs $68 a year.

How often do QQQI and RYLD pay dividends?

QQQI pays monthly (12 payments in the last 12 months) and RYLD pays monthly (12 payments).

Is QQQI or RYLD the better investment?

It depends on your goals, time horizon and tax situation. Income-focused investors often weigh yield and payment frequency, while long-term investors usually compare total return and fees. Dividend Duel is an educational tool and does not provide investment advice.

Related comparisons

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Figures come from end-of-day prices and distributions and are recalculated after every trading session; see our methodology. This page is for education only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Read the full disclosure.