4 ETFs Yielding Up to 9.25% That Belong in Every Income Portfolio in 2026
With the 10-year Treasury sitting at 4.13% and the Fed funds rate at 3.75%, cash and short-term bonds are no longer the obvious parking spot for income-seeking investors. Four ETFs currently yielding 6% offer meaningfully different ways to capture that income premium, each with its own return engine and its own set of tradeoffs.
JPMorgan’s Equity Premium Income ETF has become the default answer for investors who want equity income without the full volatility of an S&P 500 index fund. With $45 billion in assets and a 7.56% dividend yield, it occupies a rare position: large enough to be institutionally credible, liquid enough for retail investors, and structured to deliver monthly income.
The mechanism is straightforward. JEPI holds a diversified portfolio of defensive large-cap stocks, with meaningful weights in industrials, healthcare, and consumer names like Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie, and PepsiCo. On top of that equity base, the fund sells exposure to S&P 500 index options through equity-linked notes, capturing options premium as income. When markets are volatile, that premium is higher. JEPI’s monthly distributions ranged from $0.33 to $0.54 in 2025, with the peak in June reflecting elevated market turbulence during that period.
The tradeoff is upside participation. When markets rally hard, JEPI’s call-writing strategy caps how much of that gain shareholders capture. Over the past year, JEPI returned about 8% on a price basis. That is a reasonable outcome for an income-focused fund, but investors who want full equity upside alongside the income will find the structure limiting. The 0.35% expense ratio is low for an actively managed options strategy.
KNG: Dividend Aristocrats With an Income Boost
The FT Vest S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats Target Income ETF takes a different approach to the same covered call concept. Instead of starting with a broad defensive equity basket, KNG begins with Dividend Aristocrats: companies that have raised their dividend every year for at least 25 consecutive years. Then it layers a covered call strategy on top to push the yield toward a target income level.
The underlying holdings read like a who’s-who of American corporate durability. Caterpillar, Colgate-Palmolive, Exxon Mobil, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble all appear in the top holdings. Consumer staples make up 23% of the portfolio, with industrials close behind at 22%. The quality tilt is real and deliberate.
What makes KNG distinct from JEPI on this list is the income consistency the Aristocrats foundation provides. Monthly distributions in 2025 ranged from $0.344 to $0.363, a remarkably tight band compared to JEPI’s wider swings. The options overlay is designed to hit a target yield rather than maximize premium capture, which explains the stability. The 0.74% expense ratio is higher than JEPI’s, which matters when the income spread between the two is relatively narrow.
BIZD: Floating-Rate Income From Middle-Market Lending
Business Development Companies occupy a niche that most retail investors underutilize. BDCs lend to middle-market companies, typically at floating rates, and are required by law to distribute at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders. VanEck’s BDC Income ETF packages that income stream into a single fund, currently yielding 9.25%.
The portfolio is anchored by the largest and most established BDCs. Ares Capital, the industry’s dominant player, represents a significant portion of the fund. Blue Owl Capital and Blackstone Secured Lending round out the top three. These are not obscure lenders. They are well-capitalized firms with long track records of navigating credit cycles.
The rate sensitivity cuts both ways. When rates were elevated in 2023 and 2024, BIZD’s quarterly distributions were higher than they are today. As the Fed cut rates through late 2025, distributions moderated. That is a real and meaningful decline.
The price has also pulled back, down about 10% year to date. When NAV erosion outpaces distribution income, the total return picture weakens, which is why BIZD suits investors who actively monitor credit quality and are comfortable with the floating-rate dynamics of private middle-market lending rather than those seeking a set-and-forget income solution. The fund is structured around floating-rate credit exposure to private lending, which carries meaningful credit risk alongside its high yield.
SDIV: Global Yield With a History Worth Scrutinizing
Global X’s SuperDividend ETF earns its place on this list through sheer yield and genuine geographic diversification, but it also demands the most scrutiny of the four. The fund tracks 100 of the highest-yielding dividend stocks globally, currently yielding 7.26% with a 0.58% expense ratio.
The portfolio is genuinely global. Top holdings include Nordic American Tankers, Norwegian oil producer Aker BP, Brazilian banks like Banco Bradesco, and UK homebuilder Taylor Wimpey. Concentration risk is limited by the fund’s equal-weight approach across 100 holdings. Financials make up about 20% of the portfolio, with real estate adding another 6.5%.
The dividend history tells a cautionary story. Distributions stepped down from the higher levels seen in early 2023 and have held at more moderate levels since. The most recent payment, due March 11, 2026, is $0.197. A fund that systematically chases yield often ends up holding companies whose high payouts reflect financial stress rather than financial strength, and the distribution cuts in SDIV’s history reflect that dynamic.
On a price basis, the past year has been stronger, suggesting the current portfolio mix is performing better. But SDIV requires ongoing attention to whether distributions are being supported by genuine earnings or by capital return.
Choosing Between These Four
JEPI is structured as a large, liquid, low-cost option that smooths equity volatility while generating monthly income, with the tradeoff of capped upside in strong bull markets. KNG distinguishes itself through distribution consistency, backed by the quality foundation of 25-year dividend growth records beneath the options strategy. BIZD carries the highest yield on this list alongside floating-rate credit risk and price volatility. SDIV offers the broadest global diversification and a competitive yield, though its history of distribution cuts underscores the importance of monitoring whether payouts are supported by genuine earnings.