Income ETFs are making noise in the wide world of ETFs. Thanks to the ETF wrapper’s flexibility — and the 2019 ETF Rule streamlining the ETF launch process — ETF innovation has exploded in recent years. Income ETFs are among the funds that have benefited the most, with myriad options-based strategies adding income to investor portfolios. Income ETFs GPIX and GPIQ offer a keen example of that trend with 6x AUM growth over the last twelve months.
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According to data from YCharts, the Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF (GPIQ) and the Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF (GPIX) have been on an asset gathering hot streak. GPIQ grew from about $450 million in AUM as of February 21, 2025 to $3 billion as of February 24 this year. GPIX grew from just over $500 million to $3.1 billion in the same time frame.
The income ETFs — which celebrate their three-year ETF anniversaries this fall — actively invest in their target areas. The funds offer exposure to their respective index targets, while also offering options-based income on top of those equities.
Income ETFs: AUM Growth and Current Income
GPIX, for example, actively invests in S&P 500 stocks, selling call options on 25% to 75% of those stocks. It also sells FLEX options as needed to boost income, aiming to replace much of the index’s capitalization, style, and industry characteristics. GPIQ offers the same strategy, with a focus instead on the Nasdaq-100.
Overall, that has helped GPIX and GPIQ return 14.3% and 14.7% over the last twelve months per ETF Database data. GPIX offered an 8% 12-month distribution rate as of January 31. GPIQ, meanwhile, provided a 9.8% 12-month distribution rate as of the same date according to Goldman Sachs data.
Together, the funds represent a growing piece of the income ETFs puzzle. Bloomberg reporter and anchor Katie Greifeld will interview Goldman Sachs Asset Management Global co-head of Third Party Wealth & Chief Transformation Officer Bryon Lake to discuss the growing demand for options ETFs at the Exchange conference in Las Vegas next month.
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