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MLPD vs XLEI

Global X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF

MLPDCNYSE Arca

State Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF

XLEIBNYSE Arca

Overlap

Expense ratio

XLEI −0.25pt a year

MLPD0.60%XLEI0.35%

Avg volume · 30D

XLEI 15.1×the volume

MLPD12.5KXLEI190K

MLPD vs XLEI Performance

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

+16.3%MLPD+48.5%XLEI

Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. MLPD +16.3%. XLEI +48.5%. Use the arrow keys to read each point.0%10%30%40%Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026
Expense ratio
MLPD 0.60%
XLEI 0.35%, better
Fund size
MLPD $26M
XLEI $203M
1Y total return
MLPD +16.3%
XLEI +48.5%, better
Yield (12M)
MLPD 13.82%
XLEI 17.59%, better
Holdings
MLPD 2
XLEI 3
Avg volume (30D)
MLPD 12.5K sh
XLEI 190K sh, better
NAV per share
MLPD $24.95
XLEI $29.48
52W range

ETF.net Grade

MLPD: Cost 45, Risk 93, Mission 50, Tradability 32, Holdings 57, Durability 64. XLEI: Cost 76, Risk 70, Mission 56, Tradability 70, Holdings 49, Durability 81.
Pillar letters and Scores for MLPD, XLEI, with each pillar’s weight
PillarMLPDXLEI
Cost30% weightC45A76Higher
Mission25% weightC50B56Higher
Risk15% weightA93HigherA70
Tradability15% weightD32A70Higher
Holdings10% weightB57HigherC49
Durability5% weightB64A81Higher

Rank among Sector Option Income funds

How we build Categories ›
Same Category. Both funds are graded against the same funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Same Category. MLPD and XLEI are both graded against the same 22 Sector Option Income funds, so their Grades compare head to head.

Sector Option Income⁠

Category · 22 funds
See all 22 ›

XLEI ranks 7th and MLPD 12th of 22 funds in the Sector Option Income Category.

  1. Rank 5BXLYIState Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETFScore 67
  2. Rank 7BXLEIState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETFScore 66
  3. Rank 8BTYLGGlobal X Information Technology Covered Call & Growth ETFScore 63
  4. Rank 11BIYRINEOS Real Estate High Income ETFScore 58
  5. Rank 12CMLPDGlobal X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETFScore 53
  6. Rank 13CHAKYAmplify HACK Cybersecurity Covered Call ETFScore 43

Our read on each fund

ETF.net Research

MLPDCGlobal X MLP & Energy Infrastructure Covered Call ETF

XLEIBState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR Premium Income ETF

In short

MLPD Pipelines already pay. MLPD holds Global X's midstream energy basket and sells at-the-money calls against it, trading most of the upside for option premium, distributed monthly.

XLEI State Street's 1998-vintage energy sector fund, wrapped in a call-writing overlay. Same oil and gas majors, monthly income from selling options against them, minus some of the upside when crude runs.

Stated mandate

MLPD The fund seeks to track the Cboe MLPX ATM BuyWrite Index before fees and expenses and implements the strategy by holding MLPX while selling corresponding call options on it.

XLEI The fund seeks current income while preserving prospects for long-term capital growth by investing in an energy-sector ETF and selling call options on it to generate additional premium income.

Why people hold it

  • MLPD Most option-overlay funds in this group write calls on broad sector SPDRs. MLPD points the same machinery at midstream energy infrastructure, a corner few covered call funds touch.
  • An index sets the trade: hold the midstream basket, sell matching at-the-money calls, repeat. Rules do the strike-picking, not a manager's timing.
  • Distributions arrive monthly, and the fund sits in the upper half of its sector-overlay peer group.
  • XLEI Underlying is the original energy sector SPDR, trading since 1998: market-cap-weighted S&P 500 oil, gas and services names. No stock picking, just an overlay on a known quantity.stockanalysis.com
  • Pays monthly, and the mandate is written to seek income while preserving prospects for long-term growth rather than sell away all the upside.ssga.com
  • Calls are written on the sector ETF itself, not dozens of single stocks, so the overlay runs off one liquid options chain.ssga.com
  • The 0.35% fee sits right at the median for sector covered-call funds, and the build stands among the stronger ones in that peer group.

Worth knowing

  • MLPD 0.60% a year against a 0.35% median for sector-overlay peers like XLEI and XLUI. The niche costs extra.
  • At-the-money calls sell off nearly all of any rally in the underlying basket. The income is funded by handing over price appreciation.
  • A small, thinly traded fund launched in 2024, so bid-ask spreads run wider than the big sector overlays and the history is short.
  • XLEI Written calls cap the rally: above the strike, further gains go to the option buyer and the fund keeps the premium instead.ssga.com
  • One narrow sector, market-cap weighted, so the integrated majors dominate. Nothing inside cushions a broad crude selloff.stockanalysis.com
  • A 2025 launch, so there is no record through a full energy cycle yet, and it trades lightly next to the sector fund it holds.

Full MLPD profile⁠

Full XLEI profile⁠

MLPD vs XLEI Holdings

As of
How we measure overlap

Each holding counts at its smaller weight in the two funds, summed over the full Holdings. Sector, country and asset class use the same rule on each fund’s split. Cash, FX and derivative lines stay out of the counts. Two bond funds get no overlap figure.

MLPD vs XLEI Cost

Overpaying MLPD vs XLEI

$4,691

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • MLPD 0.60%

    $11,817

  • XLEI 0.35%

    $7,126

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • MLPD 0.60%
  • XLEI 0.35%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2.5K$5K$7.5K$10K$12.5K051015202530MLPD $11,817XLEI $7,126

Year by year

YearMLPDXLEIOverpaying
10$1,076$634$442
20$4,116$2,454$1,662
30$11,817$7,126$4,691

Expense ratio

  • 0.60%MLPD
  • 0.35%XLEI, cheaper
  • Middle half of Sector Option Income funds
  • Median 0.47%

XLEI cheapest of 22 funds

MLPD 12th cheapest of 22 funds

MLPD vs XLEI Dividends

Last 12 months to Oct 30, 2026
Yield (12M)
MLPD 13.82%
XLEI 17.59%, better
Payout (12M)
MLPD $3.45
XLEI $5.24
Last payment
MLPD $0.25
XLEI $0.51
Ex-dividend
MLPD Oct 19, 2026
XLEI Oct 1, 2026
Paid on
MLPD Oct 22, 2026
XLEI Oct 5, 2026
Frequency
MLPD Monthly
XLEI Monthly

Distribution history

Per share, 2024 to 2026, same scale for both

MLPDMonthly · 31 paymentsAll MLPD payments⁠
One bar per payment. 31 payments from 2024 to 2026 YTD. May 20, 2024 $0.18; Jun 24, 2024 $0.15; Jul 22, 2024 $0.17; Aug 19, 2024 $0.25; Sep 23, 2024 $0.23; Oct 21, 2024 $0.20; Nov 18, 2024 $0.26; Dec 30, 2024 $0.26; Jan 21, 2025 $0.23; Feb 24, 2025 $0.25; Mar 24, 2025 $0.25; Apr 21, 2025 $0.24; May 19, 2025 $0.25; Jun 23, 2025 $0.25; Jul 21, 2025 $0.22; Aug 18, 2025 $0.23; Sep 22, 2025 $0.26; Oct 20, 2025 $0.22; Nov 24, 2025 $0.22; Dec 22, 2025 $0.16; Dec 30, 2025 $0.58; Jan 20, 2026 $0.25; Feb 23, 2026 $0.26; Mar 23, 2026 $0.26; Apr 20, 2026 $0.20; May 18, 2026 $0.26; Jun 22, 2026 $0.25; Jul 20, 2026 $0.25; Aug 24, 2026 $0.25; Sep 21, 2026 $0.25; Oct 19, 2026 $0.25. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502026YTD
XLEIMonthly · 14 paymentsAll XLEI payments⁠
One bar per payment. 14 payments from 2024 to 2026 YTD. Sep 2, 2025 $0.59; Oct 1, 2025 $0.44; Nov 3, 2025 $0.39; Dec 1, 2025 $0.29; Dec 29, 2025 $0.73; Feb 2, 2026 $0.25; Mar 2, 2026 $0.46; Apr 1, 2026 $0.55; May 1, 2026 $0.31; Jun 1, 2026 $0.45; Jul 1, 2026 $0.54; Aug 3, 2026 $0.39; Sep 1, 2026 $0.37; Oct 1, 2026 $0.51. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$0.502026YTD

MLPD vs XLEI Risk

Fall from peak · 5 years

This chart needs five years of history for both funds.

Risk facts

VolatilityStd dev, 3 years
MLPD 7.9%since Jun 2024XLEI 15.6%since Aug 2025
Return per unit of riskSharpe ratio, 3 years
MLPD 1.07since Jun 2024XLEI 2.03since Aug 2025
Worst fallMax drawdown, 5 years
MLPD −12.9%since May 2024XLEI −8.2%since Jul 2025
Market sensitivityBeta, 5 years
MLPD 0.04XLEI −0.51

MLPD and XLEI in the news

All news⁠

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