Active ETF Income Scorecard: Moderna and AMD Volatility Push Covered Call Past Alternative Dividend

Each week, we calculate the equal-weighted average YTD total return for hundreds of income-focused active ETFs across six categories. We include funds with at least $10 million in AUM and exclude leveraged and inverse funds. That shows which income categories are beating or trailing the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which generated a YTD total return of 9.59% through September 21, 2026.

Dow Jones Industrial Average delivered 9.59% YTD total return through September 21, 2026. Here’s how each income category’s top active ETF performed.

Explore the full range of income-generating strategies among the active ETFs on Dividend.com.

Foreign Dividend keeps the top spot, but its average slipped to 19.76% from 20.79% last week. A dollar at a near three-month high is eating into the currency tailwind that drove this category’s outsized gains.

WisdomTree Emerging Markets Quality Dividend Growth Fund (DGRE) still leads, up 31.29% YTD and yielding 2.0%. Abrdn Emerging Markets Dividend Active ETF (AGEM) and Cambria Emerging Shareholder Yield ETF (EYLD) are tied for second at 29.39% YTD, yielding roughly 2.0% and 5.0% respectively. Cambria Foreign Shareholder Yield ETF (FYLD) rounds out the top four, up 26.64% YTD and yielding 3.8%. Investors looking beyond U.S. borders for income can dig deeper on Dividend.com’s foreign dividend page.

High Dividend posted the steepest drop on the board, falling to 17.87% from 19.30%. These shareholder-yield strategies lean on buybacks and debt paydown over cash dividends, a mix exposed now that rates are rising again.

Cambria Micro and SmallCap Shareholder Yield ETF (MYLD) stays on top, up 24.30% YTD and yielding 2.9% after a 30% payout hike this month. Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD) is next, up 22.12% YTD and yielding 1.8%. John Hancock U.S. High Dividend ETF (JHDV) climbs to third, up 18.63% YTD and yielding 2.2%, ahead of Eventide High Dividend ETF (ELCV) at 17.95% YTD, yielding 1.8%. For the full lineup, check out Dividend.com’s high dividend resource page.

Dividend Growth eased to 10.43% from 11.82%. This category never chased current yield to begin with, so the pullback looks like broad equity softness rather than anything category-specific.

Freedom Day Dividend ETF (MBOX) keeps the top spot, up 19.53% YTD and yielding 2.5%. IMGP Berkshire Dividend Growth ETF (BDVG) holds second, up 17.73% YTD and yielding 1.6%. Altrius Global Dividend ETF (DIVD) is up 16.00% YTD, yielding 2.7%, and T. Rowe Price Equity Income ETF (TEQI) enters the top four, up 15.42% YTD and yielding 2.1%. Investors seeking durable dividend growers can explore the group on the Dividend Aristocrats page on Dividend.com.

Covered Call was the only category to gain ground this week, climbing to 10.01% from 9.37% and overtaking Alternative Dividend for fourth place. Moderna’s positive melanoma trial data with Merck and AMD’s run past a $1 trillion market cap kept option premiums rich on funds tied to those names.

YieldMax MRNA Option Income Strategy ETF (MRNY) leads, up 322.17% YTD, distribution rate near 90.7%. YieldMax AMD Option Income Strategy ETF (AMDY) follows, up 112.39% YTD, distribution rate near 45.5%. Defiance Oil Enhanced Options Income ETF (USOY) is up 69.10% YTD, distribution rate near 45.0%, and YieldMax Target 12 Semiconductor Option Income ETF (SOXY) closes the group, up 65.04% YTD, distribution rate near 12.0%. USOY and SOXY’s payouts leaned heavily on return of capital. A broader view of options-based income strategies is available in our covered call ETF guide.

Alternative Dividend slipped to 9.72% from 10.31%, dropping behind Covered Call for the first time in recent weeks. Brent crude has pulled back toward $100 a barrel on hopes for de-escalation in the Strait of Hormuz standoff, easing the tailwind behind this category’s energy and MLP names.

Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (PDBC) leads, up 48.38% YTD and yielding 2.8%. InfraCap MLP ETF (AMZA) is next, up 35.77% YTD and yielding 8.1%. Invesco SteelPath MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF (PIPE) climbs to third, up 28.95% YTD and yielding 4.0%, just ahead of Tortoise Energy ETF (TNGY) at 28.09% YTD, yielding 4.2%. Real-asset income investors can size up the full group on Dividend.com’s alternatives and REIT resource page.

Preferred Stock stays last, roughly flat at 0.96% versus 0.97%, but the leaderboard reshuffled. The Fed’s hike to 3.75%-4.00% is a direct headwind here, and a new name now sits on top.

Cohen & Steers Preferred and Income Opportunities Active ETF (CSPF) overtakes the field, up 2.54% YTD and yielding 5.0%. Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA) slips to second, up 2.46% YTD and yielding 9.9%. Nuveen Preferred and Income ETF (NPFI) holds third, up 1.45% YTD and yielding 5.6%, and Principal Spectrum Preferred Securities Active ETF (PREF) closes out the group, up 1.29% YTD and yielding 5.2%. A closer look at preferred income options is available through Dividend.com’s preferred securities resource.

Covered Call’s jump past Alternative Dividend is a single-stock story, not a broad options rally, and USOY and SOXY’s distribution rates lean heavily on return of capital.

Preferred Stock’s new leader matters more than its flat average suggests. CSPF overtaking PFFA hints that lower-leverage strategies may hold up better as rate uncertainty builds toward December.

Foreign and High Dividend, still the two leaders, gave up the most ground this week as the dollar’s climb to a three-month high erodes the tailwind that fueled their run.

Use the Dividend.com screener to search for income securities that meet your specific needs.

For more updates on income investing and past issues of this scorecard, visit the Dividend.com news section.

Past performance is not indicative of future results. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.