XYLD vs ETV: Which Covered Call ETF Is Better?

XYLD and ETV are both covered call ETFs tracking the same benchmark, but with different approaches. XYLD offers a 10.41% yield, while ETV provides a 7.99% yield. Compare their scores, yields, and performance metrics to find the best fit for your portfolio.

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Compare covered call ETFs with the same benchmark side by side

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XYLD

Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF

S&P 500Inception: Jun 24, 2013

5.79

Overall Score

ETV

Eaton Vance Tax-Managed Buy-Write Opportunities

S&P 500Inception: Sep 30, 2005

5.96

Overall Score

CriteriaXYLDETV
Overall Score
5.79
5.96
Total Return (25%)
3.79
5.09
Downside Protection (25%)
5.90
3.71
Upside Participation (25%)
6.45
7.82
Consistency (15%)
7.61
9.89
Expense Ratio (5%)
5.00
1.38
Liquidity (5%)
7.23
4.98
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Key Metrics

MetricXYLDETV
Expense Ratio0.600%0.890%
Inception DateJun 24, 2013Sep 30, 2005
IssuerGlobal XEaton Vance
Distribution FrequencyMonthlyMonthly
Maturity Rating5/5 stars5/5 stars

Verdicts

XYLD

Cut volatility to 9.0% (SPY 15.7%), but its worst drawdown (-23.4%) was only 0.5 points better than SPY's.

Investor Profile:

XYLD tracks the Cboe S&P 500 BuyWrite Index. It holds the S&P 500 stocks, 507 positions, and sells one-month at-the-money call options on the whole portfolio. The rules are mechanical and it pays monthly. PBP tracks the same index.

ETV

The call overlay costs upside (78% captured) without cushioning losses (95% down capture), and a 1.08% expense ratio adds to the drag.

Investor Profile:

ETV is a closed-end fund that holds two stock segments: one seeks to beat the S&P 500, the other the Nasdaq-100. It sells index call options continuously on at least 80% of each segment, with S&P 500 calls on the first and Nasdaq-100 calls on the second. The fund is tax-managed, uses no leverage, and pays monthly. Its shares trade at a discount to NAV of about 9%.

Full scores for these funds

See where these rank against every SPY fund

Both funds are scored on total return, downside protection, upside participation, distribution consistency, cost and liquidity, against the same benchmark and the same window.

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