SmarterDividends

JEPQ vs RYLD: Yield, Cost and Returns Compared

As of Nov 9, 2026, RYLD yields more: 12.27% (dividend yield) against 11.80% for JEPQ. JEPQ is cheaper to own at 0.35% a year vs 0.60%. Over the same 4 years (May 2022 to Oct 2026), JEPQ returned 15.9% a year with distributions reinvested, and RYLD 4.7%.

ComparedJEPQRYLD
YieldDividend yield11.80%12.27%
Expense ratio0.35%0.60%
Total return, 1 yr+9.5%+12.1%
Total return, 3 yr (a year)+20.0%+11.0%
Total return, 5 yr (a year)—+2.1%
Worst drop since May 2022-13.5%-11.8%
Share price since May 2022+17%−28%
PaysMonthlyMonthly
IssuerJPMorganGlobal X
Assets$42.5B$1.3B
Started20222019
TypeDerivative IncomeDerivative Income

Higher yield

RYLD

12.27%

Lower cost

JEPQ

0.35%

Better total return

JEPQ

15.9%/yr

Smaller worst drop

RYLD

-11.8%

Key facts: JEPQ vs RYLD

Data as of · Source: SmarterDividends data

  • As of Nov 9, 2026, JEPQ yields 11.80% (dividend yield) and RYLD yields 12.27% (dividend yield).
  • JEPQ's expense ratio is 0.35% and RYLD's is 0.60%: $35 vs $60 a year on $10,000.
  • From May 2022 to Oct 2026, $10,000 in JEPQ grew to $19,205 (15.9% a year) and $10,000 in RYLD to $12,227 (4.7% a year), distributions reinvested.
  • Their worst month-end drops over that time: -13.5% for JEPQ and -11.8% for RYLD.
  • 0 of JEPQ's top ten holdings are also in RYLD's top ten.
Cite this page

SmarterDividends, "JEPQ vs RYLD: Yield, Cost and Returns Compared," updated Nov 9, 2026, https://smarterdividends.com/compare/jepq-vs-ryld

$10,000 in each, May 2022 to Oct 2026

Distributions reinvested, month-end values, with the S&P 500 for reference.

JEPQ became

$19,205

15.9% a year

RYLD became

$12,227

4.7% a year

Try other dates, monthly additions or more tickers →

Year by year

YearJEPQRYLD
2025+15.2%+5.6%
2024+24.8%+10.2%
2023+36.3%+0.3%

Total return each calendar year, distributions reinvested.

Top holdings

No overlap in the top ten.

JEPQ

  1. AAPL Apple Inc7.0%
  2. NVDA NVIDIA Corp7.0%
  3. MSFT Microsoft Corp5.6%
  4. MU Micron Technology Inc4.3%
  5. GOOG Alphabet Inc Class C4.1%
  6. AMZN Amazon.com Inc3.8%
  7. AMD Advanced Micro Devices Inc3.4%
  8. META Meta Platforms Inc Class A2.7%
  9. TSLA Tesla Inc2.4%
  10. WMT Walmart Inc2.0%

RYLD

  1. RSSL Global X Russell 2000 ETF103.0%

JEPQ vs RYLD: questions

Is JEPQ or RYLD better?

It depends on the job. RYLD pays more today (12.27% vs 11.80%), JEPQ costs less, and JEPQ has the better total return over May 2022 to Oct 2026, with RYLD holding up better in its worst stretch. For income, look at yield and whether the payouts hold up; for growth, total return and drawdowns.

Which pays a higher dividend, JEPQ or RYLD?

RYLD, at 12.27% against 11.80% for JEPQ as of Nov 9, 2026. On $10,000 that's about $1,227 vs $1,180 a year at today's rates.

Which has the better total return?

JEPQ. From May 2022 to Oct 2026, it returned 15.9% a year with distributions reinvested, against 4.7% for RYLD. $10,000 became $19,205 vs $12,227.

Which is cheaper, JEPQ or RYLD?

JEPQ, with a 0.35% expense ratio against 0.60%.

Do JEPQ and RYLD hold the same things?

Not at the top: none of their top ten holdings match.

Yields, costs and holdings as each fund reports them (via Yahoo Finance), updated daily; returns from month-end prices with distributions reinvested. For information only, not investment advice. Last fund data: Nov 9, 2026.