iShares Nasdaq Premium Income Active ETF
$57.31−0.18 (−0.32%)
- 0.35%
- $38M
- 0M sh
- $57.89
- low $44.52high $60.16
The ETF.net BALQ Grade
A
Score 72 out of 100
- 6 of 31
Score 72 of 100 falls in the A band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.
Cost
The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.A87 out of 100Rank 3 of 31Mission
Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.A100 out of 100Rank 1 of 19Risk
How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.D36 out of 100Rank 23 of 30Tradability
How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.B58 out of 100Rank 12 of 31Holdings
How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.C52 out of 100Rank 14 of 23Durability
Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.C52 out of 100Rank 15 of 31
Our read on BALQ
ABlackRock's late entry into the crowded Nasdaq-100 income ring, and it competes on price at 0.35% a year. Holds stocks, sells index calls for premium, then buys index futures to keep some of the upside those calls give away.
The Fund seeks current income while considering capital appreciation. Its actively managed strategy holds equities, writes Nasdaq-100 Index call options, and buys Nasdaq-100 Index futures.
Why people hold it
- 0.35% a year sits well under the typical Nasdaq-100 income fund and matches the cheapest large names in the group, GPIQ and JEPQ.
- The futures sleeve is the twist: it writes Nasdaq-100 calls for premium, then buys Nasdaq-100 futures to add back exposure those calls sold off.ishares.com
- Actively managed, not a fixed monthly formula. Managers set the option book and the equity sleeve, roughly 110 positions.
- Income is the stated first job, with capital appreciation a secondary consideration, and the fund's income policy is monthly.
Worth knowing
- Launched December 2025, so there is no long record of how this option book behaves through a real Nasdaq drawdown.
- Small and thinly traded next to the established names here, which can mean wider bid-ask spreads.
- The fund discloses that payouts can include return of capital, meaning part of a distribution may be your own money coming back.ishares.com
BALQ Holdings
- Stocks
- 114
- 50%
- NVDA
Geography
- United States99.00%
- Cayman Islands0.44%
- Bermuda0.20%
- Ireland0.18%
- Sweden0.18%
BALQ Performance
Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.
Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.Not enough history yet.
BALQ$12,610
Returns run to the Oct 12, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
| Period | BALQ |
|---|---|
| Year to date | +26.1% |
| 1 month | +4.3% |
| 3 months | +4.3% |
| 1 year | — |
| 3 years | — |
| 5 years | — |
| 10 years | — |
Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.
| Year | Return bar | BALQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | +26.1% | |
| 2025 | −0.4% |
BALQ in the news
BALQ Dividends
- $0.37 per share
- Monthly
Distribution data unavailable.
Distribution history
BALQ Risk
- —
How it’s calculated: standard deviation
The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.
- —
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio
Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.
Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.
Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.
- —
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown
The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.
Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.
- 1.40
How it’s calculated: beta
The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.
BALQ Cost
0.35%
BALQ0.35%
- The middle half of Nasdaq-100 Option Income funds
- Median 0.71%
1 of the 30 Nasdaq-100 Option Income funds charge less.
Other funds in Nasdaq-100 Option Income
- AQYLGGlobal X Nasdaq 100 Covered Call & Growth ETFExpense ratio 0.35%1 year return +26.0%
- AJEPQJPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETFExpense ratio 0.35%1 year return +21.5%
- AQQQINEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETFExpense ratio 0.68%1 year return +20.7%
- AROCQJPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Yield ETFExpense ratio 0.35%1 year return —
- AFTQIFirst Trust Nasdaq BuyWrite Income ETFExpense ratio 0.75%1 year return +23.2%