Active ETF Income Scorecard: 5% Treasuries Can't Slow Covered Call's Rally

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 8.4% through September 28, 2026.

Dow Jones Industrial Average delivered 8.4% YTD total return through September 28, 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 held first and edged up to 20.00% from 19.76%, even with the dollar at a two-month high. Emerging markets names are doing the heavy lifting, so income investors should weigh currency exposure as closely as yield.

WisdomTree Emerging Markets Quality Dividend Growth Fund (DGRE) extended its lead, up 34.07% YTD from 31.29%, yielding 2.0%. Abrdn Emerging Markets Dividend Active ETF (AGEM) broke last week’s tie for second, up 31.83% YTD and yielding 2.0%. Cambria Emerging Shareholder Yield ETF (EYLD) slipped to 29.00% YTD, yielding 5.0%. Cambria Foreign Shareholder Yield ETF (FYLD) holds fourth, up 26.39% 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 slipped again, to 17.02% from 17.87%, as rising Treasury yields kept pressure on shareholder-yield strategies. Much of the return here comes from buybacks, so check how much of the yield actually lands as cash.

The order didn’t change. Cambria Micro and SmallCap Shareholder Yield ETF (MYLD) leads, up 23.60% YTD and yielding 2.9%, followed by Cambria Shareholder Yield ETF (SYLD), up 20.13% YTD and yielding 1.8%. John Hancock U.S. High Dividend ETF (JHDV) is up 17.69% YTD, yielding 2.2%, just ahead of Eventide High Dividend ETF (ELCV) at 17.20% YTD, yielding 1.8%. The full lineup of higher-payout funds sits on Dividend.com’s high dividend resource page.

Covered Call was the week’s biggest gainer again, jumping to 12.47% from 10.01% and passing Dividend Growth for third. Two stocks drove it: Moderna ran to fresh 52-week highs ahead of its ESMO melanoma data, and AMD surged 15% in a week, which kept option premiums rich.

YieldMax MRNA Option Income Strategy ETF (MRNY) leads, up 418.94% YTD from 322.17%, with a distribution rate near 85.7%. YieldMax AMD Option Income Strategy ETF (AMDY) follows, up 135.27% YTD with a distribution rate near 76.7%. YieldMax Target 12 Semiconductor Option Income ETF (SOXY) moves to third, up 76.84% YTD with a distribution rate near 12.0%. YieldMax Semiconductor Portfolio Option Income ETF (CHPY) enters the top four, up 72.91% YTD. Return of capital made up roughly 95% to nearly 100% of recent payouts across all four. A broader view of options-based income is available in our covered call ETF guide.

Dividend Growth dropped a spot to fourth, easing to 9.92% from 10.43%. With Treasuries paying 5%, these lower-yielding funds need steady payout growth to earn their place.

The top four held their order. Freedom Day Dividend ETF (MBOX) leads, up 17.50% YTD and yielding 2.5%, with IMGP Berkshire Dividend Growth ETF (BDVG) close behind at 17.20% YTD, yielding 1.6%. Altrius Global Dividend ETF (DIVD) is up 15.23% YTD, yielding 2.7%. T. Rowe Price Equity Income ETF (TEQI) is up 15.17% YTD, yielding 2.1%. Companies with long payout-raising streaks are tracked on the Dividend Aristocrats page on Dividend.com.

Alternative Dividend slipped to 9.50% from 9.72% and stays fifth as its energy and MLP leaders gave back ground. On Monday, President Trump rejected Iran’s Strait of Hormuz offer and Brent jumped back above $105, a reminder that payouts here still ride on oil headlines.

Invesco Optimum Yield Diversified Commodity Strategy No K-1 ETF (PDBC) leads, up 47.17% YTD and yielding 2.8%. InfraCap MLP ETF (AMZA) is next, up 30.83% YTD versus 35.77% last week, yielding 8.1%. Invesco SteelPath MLP & Energy Infrastructure ETF (PIPE) is up 25.29% YTD, yielding 4.0%, ahead of Tortoise Energy ETF (TNGY) at 23.15% YTD, yielding 4.2%. Real-asset income ideas are collected on Dividend.com’s alternatives and REIT resource page.

Preferred Stock stays last and has nearly erased its 2026 gain, sliding to 0.09% from 0.96%. With the 30-year Treasury above 5.5%, long-duration preferreds are losing on price, so credit quality and lower leverage matter more than headline yield.

Cohen & Steers Preferred and Income Opportunities Active ETF (CSPF) keeps the lead, up 2.14% YTD and yielding 5.0%. Nuveen Preferred and Income ETF (NPFI) moves to second at 0.76% YTD, yielding 5.6%. North Square RCIM Tax-Advantaged Preferred and Income Securities ETF (QTPI) follows at 0.41% YTD, yielding 4.3%. The bigger story is Virtus InfraCap U.S. Preferred Stock ETF (PFFA), yielding 9.9%, which fell from second to down 0.13% YTD after sitting at 2.46% last week. A closer look at preferred income options is available through Dividend.com’s preferred securities resource.

Covered Call’s climb rests on four single-stock and chip funds paying mostly return of capital. A pullback in Moderna or AMD could undo it fast.

Preferreds are one rough week from negative territory. PFFA’s slide shows how leverage cuts both ways when long yields spike.

Foreign Dividend and Covered Call were the only categories to gain ground. DGRE and AGEM carried the foreign group higher despite a stronger dollar.

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.