YQQQ
YieldMax Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF
weekly DividendsYQQQ Quick Stats
YQQQ Distribution History Trend
YQQQ has paid 60 weekly distributions on record since inception (2024-08-14). The average distribution over the trailing 12 periods is $0.05 per share. The highest distribution was $0.07 (week of 2026-07-23) and the lowest was $0.04 (week of 2026-08-20). Distribution variance of $0.03 reflects how sensitive the option premium on YieldMax Short N100 Option Income Strategy's underlying exposure is to market volatility — richer weeks follow volatility spikes, thinner weeks follow calm markets.
Fund Overview
YQQQ — YieldMax Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF — is a weekly-distribution ETF issued by YieldMax that generates income by selling put options against its reference asset exposure. The fund targets investors seeking high-frequency cash flow from its reference asset exposure without holding the underlying directly. Distributions are paid weekly, with the ex-dividend date typically falling on a Thursday. The current annualized yield of 20.51% is calculated from the most recent weekly distribution of $0.0386 per share divided by the current share price of $9.78 and multiplied by 52. As with all option-income funds, the distribution rate reflects current implied volatility in its reference asset options — when volatility falls, distributions typically shrink. The fund has $15.7 million in assets under management and has returned -19.77% on a price basis year-to-date, excluding distributions.
Compared to similar YieldMax funds, YQQQ ranks 55 out of 56 by current yield and 20 out of 56 by year-to-date price performance.
Annual Yield Calculations
Both figures start from the same per-period rate: the average of the last 3 distributions ($0.04) divided by the current price ($9.78) = 0.394% per week. The non-DRIP yield annualizes it simply; the DRIP yield compounds it over 52 periods.
WeeklyYield™ Actual Performance
How YTD & performance are calculated: YTD returns shown across WeeklyYield are price-only, using split-adjusted close-to-close prices from the first trading day of the calendar year to the latest close — the same method your brokerage uses. Dividends are tracked separately in the yield figures above. "Actual Non-DRIP" and "Actual DRIP" add distributions back in to show total return since the earliest price we have on record (2025-09-02 at $13.54), using the same 47 distributions in both — non-DRIP collects them as cash, DRIP buys shares at each ex-date close. For YQQQ, DRIP trails non-DRIP: because NAV fell over this window, shares bought with early distributions ended up worth less than the cash would have been. See full methodology →
Top Performer Score
Fund quality adjustment: ×0.85. Score is reduced for small AUM ($15.7M), young inception (2024-08-14), expense ratio 1.11%. Raw score before adjustment: 41.
Price History (1 Year)
About This ETF
The YieldMax Short N100 Option Income Strategy ETF (YQQQ) is an exchange-traded fund that mostly invests in large cap equity. The fund aims to provide current income and inverse exposure to the NASDAQ 100 Index, with a cap on potential gains. The fund pursues its objective through an actively managed synthetic covered put strategy, using US Treasurys as collateral YQQQ was launched on Aug 14, 2024 and is issued by YieldMax.
How YQQQ Generates Income
YQQQ generates income from a short or inverse position on its reference asset, collecting option premium by selling put options or maintaining synthetic short exposure. The fund profits when its reference asset declines and distributes that premium as weekly income. This strategy carries significant risk if its reference asset rises sharply, as losses on the short position can exceed the income generated. These funds are typically used by investors who want income while maintaining a bearish view on the underlying, or as a hedge against long exposure to the same asset.
Distribution Composition and Tax Considerations
Not all of YQQQ's weekly distributions represent taxable income. Option-income funds frequently classify part of each distribution as return of capital (ROC), which is not taxable in the year received but reduces your cost basis in the fund. When your cost basis reaches zero, subsequent ROC distributions become taxable as capital gains. The exact composition of each distribution — ordinary income, qualified dividends, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains, and return of capital — is reported annually on Form 1099-DIV and may not be known until after the tax year ends. Holding YQQQ in a tax-advantaged account (IRA, Roth IRA, 401k) eliminates the annual tax complexity entirely and is the approach most income-focused investors use for high-distribution funds.
Educational information only — not tax advice. See our after-tax dividend calculator to model your own situation.
Dividend History
| Ex-Dividend Date | Cash Amount | Pay Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-27 | $0.03870 | 2026-08-28 |
| 2026-08-20 | $0.03780 | 2026-08-21 |
| 2026-08-13 | $0.03920 | 2026-08-14 |
| 2026-08-06 | $0.05870 | 2026-08-07 |
| 2026-07-30 | $0.06510 | 2026-07-31 |
| 2026-07-23 | $0.07050 | 2026-07-24 |
| 2026-07-16 | $0.05420 | 2026-07-17 |
| 2026-07-09 | $0.05480 | 2026-07-10 |
| 2026-07-02 | $0.05160 | 2026-07-06 |
| 2026-06-25 | $0.04830 | 2026-06-26 |
| 2026-06-18 | $0.04010 | 2026-06-22 |
| 2026-06-11 | $0.04190 | 2026-06-12 |
YQQQ has paid 12 weekly distributions over the past 12 weeks. The average weekly distribution over this period was $0.0501 per share. The highest distribution in the trailing 12 weeks was $0.0705 (ex-date 2026-07-23) and the lowest was $0.0378 (ex-date 2026-08-20). Distribution consistency — the variance between the highest and lowest payment — is one indicator of underlying volatility stability. High variance suggests the fund's income generation is sensitive to volatility swings in its reference asset options.
Latest YQQQ News
- YQQQ declares $0.0387 weekly distribution — ex-date 2026-08-27, payment date 2026-08-28Distribution announcement · 2026-08-27
- YQQQ declares $0.0378 weekly distribution — ex-date 2026-08-20, payment date 2026-08-21Distribution announcement · 2026-08-20
- YQQQ declares $0.0392 weekly distribution — ex-date 2026-08-13, payment date 2026-08-14Distribution announcement · 2026-08-13
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Frequently Asked Questions About YQQQ
YQQQ pays weekly dividends. Its most recent ex-dividend date was 2026-08-27 with a pay date of 2026-08-28.
YQQQ has paid an average of $0.0386 per share across its most recent 3 distributions. Its latest distribution was $0.0387 per share.
YQQQ's current annualized yield is 20.51%. This is calculated as the average of its last 3 distributions ($0.0386) divided by the current share price of $9.78, annualized over 52 periods. Reinvesting those distributions (DRIP) compounds the same rate: (1 + rate)^52 − 1.
Covered call and option-income ETF distributions vary week to week. YQQQ's actual total return figures on the fund's WeeklyYield page show total return net of NAV changes; high distribution rates can coincide with NAV decline, so investors should compare yield to actual total return before drawing conclusions. This is educational information, not investment advice.
Option-income ETF distributions are generally treated as ordinary income or return of capital, depending on the fund's structure and the underlying options strategy. For YQQQ's exact tax character, refer to the fund issuer's 19a-1 notices and year-end 1099-DIV. This is not tax advice.
More detail on how these numbers are calculated is on our methodology page.