High-yield ETF total return rankings
Compare high-yield ETF performance across complete one-year, six-month, three-month, and full tracked periods. Each ranking combines validated price movement with recorded cash dividends on a per-share, non-reinvested basis.
Compare dividends and price performance
A large distribution does not guarantee a positive investment result. Dividendhook separates the return from share-price movement from the return represented by recorded cash dividends, making potential yield traps easier to identify.
Consistent trailing return periods
Trailing periods use complete 365-day, 182-day, and 91-day windows ending on each fund’s latest validated price date. Funds without enough history are excluded from that period instead of being compared over a shorter window.
ETF total return methodology
Total return equals latest validated price plus recorded cash dividends minus adjusted starting price, divided by adjusted starting price. Known reverse stock splits are normalized. Returns do not assume dividend reinvestment and are not annualized.
High-yield ETF ranking questions
How is cumulative total return calculated on this page?
Cumulative total return = (Latest Recorded Price + Recorded Cash Dividends − Adjusted Starting Price) ÷ Adjusted Starting Price × 100. It measures price movement plus recorded dividends from each fund's tracking start, on a per-share, non-reinvested basis. The breakdown shows price change as a percentage of starting price and recorded cash dividends as a percentage of starting price. It is not an annualized return.
How are the one-year, six-month, and three-month rankings calculated?
Each trailing ranking ends on the fund's latest validated recorded price date. Dividendhook uses the nearest validated price on or before the exact 365-day, 182-day, or 91-day cutoff, then adds only recorded cash dividends inside that period. Funds without enough history for the complete period are excluded rather than assigned a shorter return window.
What is a yield trap?
A yield trap is when a high distribution rate masks poor total performance. If recorded cash dividends equal 20% of the starting price while the share price falls 25% over the same tracked period, the calculated return is -5%. This table makes that trade-off visible by showing price change and recorded dividends side by side. The Dividendhook Learn guide covers this concept in depth.
What is a reverse stock split and how does it affect the data?
A reverse stock split reduces the number of shares outstanding and proportionally raises the price per share (for example, a 1-for-6 split converts 6 shares at $3 into 1 share at $18). When a fund's tracking start predates a known reverse split, Dividendhook normalizes the starting price and dividends paid before each split to the later per-share basis. Funds with an applied adjustment show an amber 1:N badge.
Are the dividends reinvested (DRIP)?
No. This calculation assumes dividends are collected as cash, not reinvested into additional shares. It represents the return on a single share purchased at the starting price, held without adding to the position and without compounding. Use the ETF Dividend Calculator on the homepage to estimate forward income from a specific share count.
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