ETF Versus

SPYI vs XYLD

Neos S&P 500(R) High Income ETF vs Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-08

Neos S&P 500(R) High Income ETF (SPYI) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us covered call securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.68%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 12.14%. Launched in 2022, the fund has a 4-year track record.

AUM: $8.3B ER: 0.68% Yield: 12.14% Since: Aug 30, 2022

Global X S&P 500 Covered Call ETF (XYLD) is an exchange-traded fund that provides exposure to us covered call securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.60%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 10.79%. Launched in 2013, the fund has a 13-year track record.

AUM: $3.0B ER: 0.60% Yield: 10.79% Since: Jun 24, 2013

Quick Verdict

XYLD has a slightly lower expense ratio (0.60% vs 0.68%), saving about $152 per $10,000 over 10 years. Over the past year, SPYI has significantly outperformed with a 18.5% return vs 11.8%. Income investors may prefer SPYI for its higher yield (12.1% vs 10.8%).

Key Metrics

Metric SPYI XYLD
Expense Ratio 0.68% 0.60%
Dividend Yield 12.1% 10.8%
Fund Family N/A N/A
Category US Covered Call US Covered Call

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

75 82 89 96 103 110 2022-08 2023-07 2024-06 2025-05 2026-04
SPYI +3.5%
XYLD -17.2%

Performance Comparison

Period SPYI XYLD Difference
1 Month -1.46% -1.67% +0.21%
3 Months -3.96% -2.58% -1.38%
6 Months -1.18% +2.27% -3.45%
YTD -3.32% -2.20% -1.12%
1 Year +18.46% +11.81% +6.65%
3 Years +6.45% -1.98% +8.43%
5 Years +3.50% -17.31% +20.81%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period SPYI Fees XYLD Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $1,321 $1,170 $152
$10,000 20 years $5,531 $4,914 $617
$10,000 30 years $17,370 $15,488 $1,882
$50,000 10 years $6,607 $5,849 $758
$50,000 30 years $86,849 $77,438 $9,411
$100,000 30 years $173,697 $154,876 $18,821

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric SPYI XYLD
Annualized Volatility 13.7% 11.7%
Max Drawdown -18.5% -30.3%
Sharpe Ratio -0.19 -0.65

Dividend Comparison

Metric SPYI XYLD
Annual Dividend (per share) $6.17 $4.30
Dividend Yield 12.14% 10.79%
Distribution Frequency Monthly Monthly

Top Holdings

9 of top 9 holdings overlap (100% overlap in top holdings)

SPYI Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.63%
Apple Inc.AAPL6.72%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT4.92%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.63%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.63%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.44%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.22%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.79%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.56%

XYLD Top Holdings

NameWeight
NVIDIA CorporationNVDA7.79%
Apple Inc.AAPL6.79%
Microsoft CorporationMSFT5.01%
Amazon.com, Inc.AMZN3.70%
Broadcom Inc.AVGO2.70%
Alphabet Inc.GOOG2.49%
Meta Platforms, Inc.META2.27%
Tesla, Inc.TSLA1.83%
Berkshire Hathaway Inc.BRK.B1.58%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose XYLD if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose SPYI if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose SPYI if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

Either works if...

you just need broad us covered call exposure. Both are solid options — pick whichever your brokerage offers commission-free.

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