Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread Income ETF (QLDY) Performance
QLDY total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +11.6% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +12.6% total return
- Since first price
- +15.0% since 2025
QLDY trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | QLDY total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −5.7% | −8.9% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −0.0% | −9.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +6.0% | −13.5% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +11.6% | −19.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +12.6% | −24.9% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| Since inceptionSep 18, 2025 | +15.0% | −25.3% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: QLDY vs SPY
From Sep 18, 2025: QLDY grew to $11,498, SPY to $11,631.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
QLDY returns by calendar year
2026 is year to date.
QLDY annual returns table
| Year | QLDY | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +11.6% | −14.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
QLDY largest drawdowns
Now 9.3% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2025 | −14.8% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 5 months | 6 months |
| Jun 3, 2026 | −14.2% | Jul 29, 2026 | not yet | 56 days | 5 months so far |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
QLDY risk statistics
| Statistic | Since 2025 |
|---|---|
| Annualized return | +20.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 26.5% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.70 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.55 |
| Best month | +18.9% |
| Worst month | −8.4% |
| Best 12 months | +20.8% |
| Worst 12 months | +20.8% |
| Positive months | 50% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
QLDY rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 2 | +8.5% | +14.7% | +20.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2025. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
QLDY performance overview
Defiance Nasdaq 100 LightningSpread Income ETF (QLDY) returned +12.6% over the past year, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price on Sep 18, 2025 it has returned +15.0%. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −14.8%, from Oct 29, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026, and it took 18 days to get back to the old high. Volatility has been 26.5% a year.
Related: QLDY chart, QLDY dividends. See the QLDY overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
QLDY performance FAQ
What is the QLDY return over the past year?
QLDY returned +12.6% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 24.9%.
How much would $10,000 invested in QLDY be worth?
$10,000 invested in QLDY at its first recorded close on September 18, 2025 would be worth about $11,498 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What is the biggest drawdown of QLDY?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −14.8% between October 29, 2025 and March 30, 2026. It recovered to the old high on April 17, 2026, 18 days after the bottom.
How volatile is QLDY?
Over the past history QLDY had an annualized volatility of 26.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.70 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).