NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF

XQQI

Market cap $288M

The NEOS Nasdaq-100® High Income ETF (NASDAQ:QQQI) has become one of the more crowded trades in monthly income, drawing capital with a distribution rate near 14.60% and a Section 1256 tax angle that appeals to taxable accounts.

The current market is built around AI. We are seeing more and more signs that the market is getting exhausted by the AI hype. In this setting, I am extra skeptical about high-risk and “too good to be true” yield instruments.

NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF marries 50% NDX leverage with partial, far-OTM covered calls (~44% of leveraged exposure)—a rare leveraged-covered-call variety I genuinely admire structurally and rate the approach highly long-term. Empirically, it captured nearly the full ~29% rally but magnified the ~9% drawdown to ~12%—negative skew, though the option premium shaved some downside off pure leverage. The strike, no-spread, partial-overwrite tilt gears XQQI toward upside capture over income—great for grind-ups and sharp rallies, weak in flat, choppy, or pressured tapes.

The Dividend Harvesting Portfolio outperformed the S&P 500 this week, climbing 1.82% versus a -2.3% decline, driven by diversification and defensive positioning. Forward annualized dividend income surpassed $3,100, with reinvestment and new capital fueling a robust dividend snowball effect and consistent YoY income growth. Recent allocation to NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF introduces leveraged tech exposure with a 20% yield, balancing risk and opportunity amid tech sector volatility.

The Boosted Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF targets a 19-23% annualized distribution, leveraging 150% synthetic exposure to the Nasdaq-100. XQQI generates higher income than traditional covered call ETFs by writing calls on 150% notional exposure and laddering strikes for partial upside participation. Monthly distributions have been consistent, with a 20.10% distribution rate as of May and a total return of 13.59% in its first four months.

Value-oriented, high-yield assets can serve as a shelter against potential drawdown risks in the richly priced large-cap growth arena. The trick is to find the highest-yielding opportunities possible without taking on the income reduction and NAV decay risks.

WESTPORT, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NEOS Investments, an asset management firm comprised of leaders and pioneers in the options-based ETF space, announces May monthly distribution amounts for their suite of ETFs that pursue monthly income and tax efficiency across core portfolio exposures. May 2026 Distribution Information, based on each ETFs Ex-Dividend Date:   Distribution Rate* Amount / Share (%) Amount / Share ($) Ex-Dividend Date 30-Day SEC Yield** Boosted Bitcoin High Income ETF (XBCI) 38.8.

NEOS Boosted Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF (XQQI) offers leveraged Nasdaq-100 exposure with a high, tax-efficient yield, suitable for bullish, income-focused investors. XQQI employs a 150% notional covered call strategy, capping upside but generating monthly distributions with yields around 19–23%. XQQI outperforms in flat or volatile markets but underperforms QQQ in rallies and amplifies losses in downturns; risk of rapid capital erosion exists in prolonged declines.

I advocate for value-oriented covered call ETFs with underlying holdings beyond AI-saturated large-cap growth indices like SPY and QQQ. The risks for NAV erosion and income declines are higher on this front. Despite these risks, including some QQQ/SPY-linked covered call ETFs could enhance diversification and capture higher yields from volatility and growth.

Covered call ETFs offer attractive monthly yields, often exceeding 10%, appealing to income-focused investors. Most top covered call ETFs are heavily concentrated in large-cap growth, specifically S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 exposures. This concentration introduces significant risk, as these ETFs exhibit strong performance correlations and similar downside profiles.