SPYT vs. ULTY

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF (SPYT) and YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (ULTY).

SPYT and ULTY are both exchange-traded funds (ETFs), meaning they are traded on stock exchanges and can be bought and sold throughout the day. SPYT is an actively managed fund by Defiance. It was launched on Mar 7, 2024. ULTY is an actively managed fund by YieldMax. It was launched on Feb 28, 2024.

Performance

SPYT vs. ULTY - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF (SPYT) and YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (ULTY). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

SPYT vs. ULTY - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024
SPYT Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF	-3.61%	12.41%	12.94%
ULTY YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF	-3.71%	-0.84%	-0.82%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with SPYT having a -3.61% return and ULTY slightly lower at -3.71%.

SPYT

• 1D: 2.97%
• 1M: -4.34%
• YTD: -3.61%
• 6M: -2.10%
• 1Y: 14.13%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

ULTY

• 1D: 4.11%
• 1M: -7.74%
• YTD: -3.71%
• 6M: -18.53%
• 1Y: 11.60%
• 3Y*: —
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

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

SPYT vs. ULTY - Expense Ratio Comparison

SPYT has a 0.87% expense ratio, which is lower than ULTY's 1.14% expense ratio.

ULTY

YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF

SPYT

Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF

Return for Risk

SPYT vs. ULTY — Risk / Return Rank

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

SPYT

SPYT Risk / Return Rank: 54
SPYT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 47
SPYT Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
SPYT Omega Ratio Rank: 58
SPYT Calmar Ratio Rank: 53
SPYT Martin Ratio Rank: 65

ULTY

ULTY Risk / Return Rank: 25
ULTY Sharpe Ratio Rank: 28
ULTY Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
ULTY Omega Ratio Rank: 27
ULTY Calmar Ratio Rank: 23
ULTY Martin Ratio Rank: 20

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.

SPYT vs. ULTY - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF (SPYT) and YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (ULTY). 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.

	SPYT	ULTY	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.82	0.46	+0.35
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.27	0.78	+0.49
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.10	+0.11
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.28	0.43	+0.85
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.21	0.94	+5.27
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SPYT vs. ULTY - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SPYT Sharpe Ratio is 0.82, which is higher than the ULTY Sharpe Ratio of 0.46. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SPYT and ULTY, 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

	SPYT	ULTY	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.82	0.46	+0.35
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.68	-0.07	+0.75

Correlation

The correlation between SPYT and ULTY is 0.71, 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

SPYT vs. ULTY - Dividend Comparison

SPYT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 22.62%, less than ULTY's 131.16% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024
SPYT Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF	22.62%	21.40%	17.37%
ULTY YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF	131.16%	142.99%	111.70%

Drawdowns

SPYT vs. ULTY - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SPYT drawdown since its inception was -18.25%, smaller than the maximum ULTY drawdown of -26.85%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SPYT and ULTY.

Drawdown Indicators

	SPYT	ULTY	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-18.25%	-26.85%	+8.60%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-11.56%	-24.16%	+12.60%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.27%	-21.05%	+15.78%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-2.11%	-9.04%	+6.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	2.38%	11.04%	-8.66%

Volatility

SPYT vs. ULTY - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Defiance S&P 500 Income Target ETF (SPYT) is 5.38%, while YieldMax Ultra Option Income Strategy ETF (ULTY) has a volatility of 9.47%. This indicates that SPYT experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than ULTY based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SPYT	ULTY	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.38%	9.47%	-4.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	8.82%	17.08%	-8.26%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	17.40%	25.30%	-7.90%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.13%	27.64%	-12.51%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.13%	27.64%	-12.51%