MSTY vs PLTY: Performance, Holdings, Fees & Risk
MSTY and PLTY are ETFs, but they can differ materially in exposure, yield, fees and risk. MSTY is YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF, while PLTY is YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF. MSTY is broader by holdings count, with 24 positions versus 16 for PLTY. MSTY has the lower expense ratio. Current AlgovestIQ evidence has PLTY ahead on AIQ Score, 41 versus 33.
| Metric | MSTY | PLTY |
|---|---|---|
| Fund | ||
| Expense ratio | 1.03% | 1.07% |
| Holdings | 24 | 16 |
| Distribution yieldTrailing 12 months | 134.06% | 71.28% |
| Average volume | 1,984,866 | 189,740 |
| Performance | ||
| 1Y return | -76.5% | -42% |
| YTD return | -51% | -30.2% |
| Risk | ||
| Annualized volatility | 71.3% | 53.2% |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -80.3% | -60.8% |
| Beta | 2.82 | 1.77 |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.65 | -0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | -2.91 | -1.28 |
| AlgovestIQ | ||
| AIQ Score | 33/100 | 41/100 |
| AIQ Edge Score | 1/10 | 2/10 |
| Momentum | 28/100 | 38/100 |
| Risk Resilience | 0/100 | 43/100 |
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF vs YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF
PLTY leads
PLTY leads by 8 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience and Momentum.
Stable: 3 of 3 evidence groups support PLTY.
YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF
YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors PLTY over MSTY, 41 versus 33 as of Oct 24, 2026. PLTY's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience and momentum, while MSTY holds the stronger quality profile. PLTY also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 3 covered evidence groups favor PLTY today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability. PLTY lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 8 points over 30 sessions.
Compare YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF and YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF across performance, expense ratio, dividend yield, drawdown, volatility and the Algovestiq AIQ Score.
MSTY vs PLTY: which fits what
Each row is settled by a single measure. Where the gap is too small to matter it reads Similar, and no row decides the comparison as a whole.
| If you want | MSTY | PLTY | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower costExpense ratio | 1.03% | 1.07% | MSTY |
| Broader diversificationNumber of holdings | 24 | 16 | MSTY |
| Higher incomeTrailing 12-month distribution yield | 134.06% | 71.28% | MSTY |
| Smaller drawdownsMax drawdown, 1 year | -80.3% | -60.8% | PLTY |
| Lower volatilityAnnualized volatility, 1 year | 71.3% | 53.2% | PLTY |
Similar means the gap is within 0.01 percentage points of expense ratio, 25% more holdings, 3 points of top-10 weight, 0.2 points of yield, 2 points of drawdown or 1 point of volatility. Past drawdowns and volatility describe the funds’ history, not their future.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes for both ETFs.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare MSTY and PLTY against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Risk Resilience0 vs 43PLTY +43
- Quality54 vs 43MSTY +11
- Momentum28 vs 38PLTY +10
3 of 3 evidence groups favor PLTY. PLTY’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience and momentum; MSTY keeps a meaningful quality edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-23, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-22.
Largest factor move: Momentum -2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
PLTY's lead widened by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — MSTY and PLTY both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
PLTY (YieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF): the stronger current systematic profile, led by risk resilience and momentum.
MSTY (YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF): the counter-case, on quality — but at materially higher volatility, 58.8% against 39%.
Fund facts, side by side
Two funds tracking overlapping universes are separated by cost and risk far more than by holdings. Those lead here.
| Measure | MSTY | PLTY | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expense ratio | 1.03% | 1.07% | Lower is better — it compounds against you every year you hold. |
| Holdings | 24 | 16 | More holdings means broader diversification, not better returns. |
| Average volume | 1,984,866 | 189,740 | Liquidity — matters most if you trade size. |
| Annualized volatility | 71.3% | 53.2% | Lower is a steadier ride for the same exposure. |
| Max drawdown (1Y) | -80.3% | -60.8% | The worst peak-to-trough loss over the past year. |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.65 | -0.79 | Return per unit of risk. Higher is better. |
| Beta | 2.82 | 1.77 | Sensitivity to the broad market. Neither direction is better — it depends on the role in your portfolio. |
Where the exposure actually sits
Sector exposure for each fund, ordered by the size of the difference.
MSTY vs PLTY: five-year payout growth
MSTY began paying distributions in 2024, so it has no 2020-2025 growth rate to compare. PLTY began paying distributions in 2024, so it has no 2020-2025 growth rate to compare.
| Dividend metric | MSTY | PLTY |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 annual payout | $87.205 | $57.963 |
| Peer rank | not ranked | not ranked |
Split-adjusted annual distributions, 2020–2025. Research as of Sep 19, 2026. Yield and expense ratio above are current values, not part of this window.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 3 covered evidence groups favor PLTY. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | PLTY | 33 vs 41 |
| Fundamentals | Not covered | Not covered |
| Valuation | Not covered | Not covered |
| Technicals | PLTY | Price vs 50-day -4.6% vs -1.9%; vs 200-day -26.3% vs -1.9% |
| Risk Resilience | PLTY | Risk Resilience 0 vs 43 |
| Analyst expectations | Not covered | Not covered |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of MSTY and PLTY and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 8 points.
- 3 of 3 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on PLTY.
How the comparison changed
48 daily snapshots · Sep 6 – Oct 23PLTY lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 8 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- PLTY +8
- 33 vs 41
- 7 sessions ago
- PLTY +16
- 38 vs 54
- 30 sessions ago
- PLTY +10
- 45 vs 55
- 90 sessions ago
- Not covered
The lead changed hands 3 times in this window, most recently on Sep 23 when PLTY moved ahead of MSTY.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
MSTY and PLTY carry the same 5 signals, so the signals do not separate them: Bollinger Band Squeeze, Death Cross Active, ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode, Downtrend Structure Active, MACD Bearish Crossover.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.07%, AIQ -1 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.14%, AIQ 0 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1MSTY closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 43 points behind, the largest single contributor to PLTY's edge.
- 2MSTY's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3PLTY starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Performance
PLTY leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | MSTY | PLTY |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 4.7% | 4.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | -12.1% | -2.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 11.3% | 19.5% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -44.2% | -0.4% |
| Year to date | -51% | -30.2% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -76.5% | -42% |
Technicals
PLTY has the stronger structure| Metric | MSTY | PLTY |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 33.8 | 46.4 |
| ADX (14) | 17.3 | 20.2 |
| Price vs 50-day | -4.6% | -1.9% |
| Price vs 200-day | -26.3% | -1.9% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 58.8% | 39% |
Risk
PLTY is the more resilient| Metric | MSTY | PLTY |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 2.82 | 1.77 |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.65 | -0.79 |
| Sortino ratio | -2.91 | -1.28 |
| Max drawdown | -80.3% | -60.8% |
| Current drawdown | -75.3% | -46.2% |
| Annualized volatility | 71.3% | 53.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -6.6% | -5.5% |
Straight answers
Short answers to the questions fund investors ask about this pair, from the figures above.
Which ETF is more diversified, MSTY or PLTY?
MSTY holds more positions: 24 versus 16 for PLTY.
Which has the lower expense ratio?
MSTY has the lower expense ratio, 1.03% a year against 1.07% for PLTY.
Which ETF has the higher distribution yield?
MSTY, with a trailing 12-month distribution yield of 134.06% against 71.28% for PLTY.
Which ETF has been more volatile?
MSTY has been more volatile over the past year, at 71.3% annualized against 53.2% for PLTY.
Which ETF has had the smaller drawdown?
PLTY fell less from peak to trough over the past year: -60.8% against -80.3% for MSTY.
Compare MSTY and PLTY with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.