Rankings / QYLD

QYLD

Global X Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF

QQQIssuer: Global XInception: December 11, 2013

6.0

Overall Score

Strategy & Profile

QYLD tracks the Cboe NASDAQ-100 BuyWrite V2 Index. It holds the Nasdaq-100 stocks, 104 positions, and sells at-the-money call options on the whole portfolio each month. The rules are mechanical and the fund pays monthly. It gives up the most upside of any Nasdaq income fund in the universe.

TTM Yield: 11.49% — trailing 12-month distributions, as of September 30, 2026
Expense ratio
0.60%
Inception
Dec 2013
AUM
$8.5B
Holdings
104
Beta
0.515
Volatility (ann.)
12.08%
Upside capture
52.85%
Downside capture
59.74%

Characteristics

  • ✓60-month volatility 11.7% vs 20.9% for QQQ
  • ✓2022 return -19.1% vs -32.6% for QQQ
  • ✓Worst drawdown -22.7% vs -32.6% for QQQ

Considerations

  • ✗Up capture of 53% against 60% down capture
  • ✗Total return +109.4% vs +361.8% for QQQ since Feb 2019
  • ✗2020 return +8.7% vs +48.6% for QQQ, and a 0.60% fee vs 0.29% for GPIQ

Fits

  • →Wants a transparent buy-write with a 12-year record
  • →Accepts giving up half the upside for an 11% yield
  • →Wants lower volatility than QQQ

Doesn't fit

  • →Wants growth
  • →Wants more downside cushion than upside given away
  • →Is fee-sensitive

In summary

Cut volatility to 11.7% (QQQ 20.9%), but captured 53% of upside against 60% of downside, and total return since 2019 is +109% against QQQ's +362%.

Performance

Cumulative total return of QYLD against QQQ, distributions reinvested.

Last 60 months · Sep 2021 – Sep 2026
QYLD(+55.8%)
QQQ(+112.9%)
-50%+0%+50%+100%+150%202120222023202420252026

Cumulative total return, rebased to 0% at the start of each period. Distributions reinvested. Data through end of previous month.

Annual returns

Calendar-year total return, distributions reinvested.

YearQYLDQQQ
2026 YTD+14.86%+20.83%
2025+9.25%+20.77%
2024+19.33%+25.58%
2023+22.75%+54.85%
2022-19.09%-32.58%
2021+10.42%+27.42%
2020+8.74%+48.62%
2019+17.28%n/a

Historical years are frozen. YTD is refreshed monthly.

Score breakdown

Composite score from six weighted criteria, measured since inception.

Weight 25%2.2

Total Return

Performance since inception against the benchmark.

Weight 25%8.9

Downside Protection

How much of the benchmark drawdown the fund absorbed.

Weight 25%5.0

Upside Participation

How much of the benchmark rally the fund kept.

Weight 15%8.8

Distribution Consistency

Frequency of distribution cuts below 85% of the previous payment.

Weight 5%5.0

Expense Ratio

Inversely proportional to the annual management fee.

Weight 5%7.9

Liquidity

Assets under management on a log scale.

Portfolio exposure

Sector and geographic composition of QYLD underlying holdings.

Sectors

Technology59.2%
Communication Services12.7%
Consumer Cyclical11.1%
Consumer Defensive6.2%
Healthcare4.0%
Industrials3.9%
Utilities1.1%
Basic Materials1.0%
Other0.7%

Countries

United Kingdom1.7%
Netherlands1.4%
Canada1.0%
Uruguay0.4%
Ireland0.2%

Top holdings

#SymbolNameWeight
1NVDANVIDIA CORP9.05%
2AAPLAPPLE INC7.64%
3MSFTMICROSOFT CORP6.17%
4MUMICRON TECHNOLOGY INC5.12%
5AMDADVANCED MICRO DEVICES4.59%
6AMZNAMAZON.COM INC4.34%
7METAMETA PLATFORMS INC3.45%
8GOOGLALPHABET INC-CL A3.21%
9SPCXSPACE EXPLORATION TECHN-CL A3.19%
10TSLATESLA INC3.14%

Holdings data from fund disclosures, updated periodically. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to cash, options, and other positions not shown.

Composite score by time window

The same six criteria, applied to different trailing periods. Pro subscribers see the full breakdown.

Since inception

6.0

3 years

7.1

1 year

8.3

3 months

9.0

🔒

See the full time-window breakdown

How has QYLD ranked across inception, 3 years, 1 year, and 3 months? Pro subscribers can compare a fund's trajectory over every window, across all 28 funds.

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Key Metrics

Expense Ratio

0.600%

Inception Date

December 11, 2013

Benchmark

QQQ

Category

Covered Call - Nasdaq

Distribution Frequency

Monthly

Maturity Rating

5/5 stars

Scores calculated using CoveredRank methodology. Every formula is published and reproducible.

See full methodology→

Other ETFs benchmarked on QQQ

Disclaimer: CoveredRank provides independent educational content only. This is not financial advice. Please consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. Past performance does not guarantee future results.