Each week, we calculate the average YTD total return for hundreds of income-generating active ETFs across six equity and equity-like income categories — from dividend growth and covered calls to preferred stock and alternative income strategies — apply a minimum AUM threshold of USD 10 million to filter out ETFs lacking sufficient scale, and rank categories by that average, surfacing the top performers within each. The result is a consistent, data-driven weekly snapshot that helps income investors quickly identify where active management is delivering results right now.
Active ETF income investors are finding their richest returns at the intersection of two powerful 2026 themes: the ongoing surge in emerging market equities and the extraordinary run in AI-driven semiconductors, both of which have turbocharged the top categories in this week’s scorecard.
Income-generating active ETF categories are ranked below by the average YTD total return of some of the largest active ETFs in each category, as measured by their latest reported AUM.
Explore the full range of income-generating strategies among the active ETFs on Dividend.com.
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