FTQI vs. IWMI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) and NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF (IWMI).

FTQI and IWMI are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. FTQI is a passively managed fund by First Trust that tracks the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index. It was launched on Jan 6, 2014. IWMI is an actively managed fund by Neos. It was launched on Jun 24, 2024.

Performance

FTQI vs. IWMI - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) and NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF (IWMI). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

FTQI vs. IWMI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
FTQI First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF	-0.38%	12.68%	8.83%
IWMI NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF	1.97%	14.97%	6.61%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, FTQI achieves a -0.38% return, which is significantly lower than IWMI's 1.97% return.

FTQI

• 1D: 1.00%
• 1M: -0.70%
• YTD: -0.38%
• 6M: 3.73%
• 1Y: 19.71%
• 3Y*: 14.13%
• 5Y*: 9.58%
• 10Y*: 6.96%

IWMI

• 1D: 0.61%
• 1M: -2.25%
• YTD: 1.97%
• 6M: 5.27%
• 1Y: 25.12%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

FTQI vs. IWMI - Expense Ratio Comparison

FTQI has a 0.75% expense ratio, which is higher than IWMI's 0.68% expense ratio.

FTQI

First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF

IWMI

NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF

Return for Risk

FTQI vs. IWMI — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

FTQI

FTQI Risk / Return Rank: 70
FTQI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 63
FTQI Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
FTQI Omega Ratio Rank: 75
FTQI Calmar Ratio Rank: 64
FTQI Martin Ratio Rank: 83

IWMI

IWMI Risk / Return Rank: 72
IWMI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
IWMI Sortino Ratio Rank: 72
IWMI Omega Ratio Rank: 67
IWMI Calmar Ratio Rank: 71
IWMI Martin Ratio Rank: 80

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

FTQI vs. IWMI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) and NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF (IWMI). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	FTQI	IWMI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	1.32	-0.17
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.75	1.92	-0.18
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.29	1.26	+0.03
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.73	2.16	-0.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	10.01	9.86	+0.15
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

FTQI vs. IWMI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current FTQI Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is comparable to the IWMI Sharpe Ratio of 1.32. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of FTQI and IWMI, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	FTQI	IWMI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	1.32	-0.17
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.65	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.52	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.46	0.74	-0.28

Correlation

The correlation between FTQI and IWMI is 0.76, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.

Dividends

FTQI vs. IWMI - Dividend Comparison

FTQI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.85%, less than IWMI's 14.33% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
FTQI First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF	11.85%	11.46%	11.66%	11.49%	9.85%	3.05%	3.27%	2.95%	3.27%	2.74%	3.02%	3.54%
IWMI NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF	14.33%	14.05%	8.78%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

FTQI vs. IWMI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum FTQI drawdown since its inception was -19.42%, smaller than the maximum IWMI drawdown of -23.88%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for FTQI and IWMI.

Drawdown Indicators

	FTQI	IWMI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-19.42%	-23.88%	+4.46%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.75%	-8.40%	-3.35%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-19.42%	—	—
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-19.42%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-2.41%	-4.22%	+1.81%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-3.80%	-4.44%	+0.64%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.03%	2.72%	-0.69%

Volatility

FTQI vs. IWMI - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for First Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETF (FTQI) is 5.36%, while NEOS Russell 2000 High Income ETF (IWMI) has a volatility of 6.92%. This indicates that FTQI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than IWMI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	FTQI	IWMI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.36%	6.92%	-1.56%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.93%	11.90%	-2.97%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.15%	19.09%	-1.94%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	14.83%	18.26%	-3.43%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	13.41%	18.26%	-4.85%