How Weekly Dividends Work
The mechanics behind weekly distributions — ex-dates, record dates, and payment schedules.
Each weekly distribution has three critical dates: the declaration date (when the fund announces the payout), the ex-dividend date (the first day new buyers do not receive it), and the payment date (when cash hits the account).
For most weekly ETFs, the ex-date is Thursday and the pay date is the following Monday, though this varies by issuer. To capture a distribution, you must own the shares before the ex-date.
Distribution amounts are set weekly and reflect the previous period's option premium plus any dividend income minus fund expenses. This is why headline yields swing week to week.
Total return, not headline yield, is the measure of performance. A fund paying 100% annualized that loses 30% of NAV per year has delivered roughly a 70% total return — impressive, but far below the yield suggests.