In Plain Language, How Does JEPQ Pay Such a High Dividend Even Though It Invests in the Nasdaq-100 ? / By Longtunman
Disclaimer: This content is prepared to provide general information about investment products. It is not intended to be an analysis or personalized investment advice.
One of the securities that dividend-focused investors often keep in their portfolios is probably JEPQ. That is because, besides delivering returns linked to the Nasdaq-100 Index, it also pays dividends regularly.
What makes it interesting is that this ETF has delivered a dividend yield of as high as 10% over the past year, which is considered very high compared with many other alternatives.
This leads to an interesting question: How is JEPQ able to pay such a high dividend, even though most of the stocks in the Nasdaq-100 are technology stocks that usually either do not pay dividends at all, or only pay them at low single-digit rates ?
And if we compare JEPQ with investing directly in the Nasdaq-100 through QQQ or QQQM, which one offers better returns ?
So, what should we really know about JEPQ ?
Longtunman will explain.
JEPQ, or JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF, is a fund that aims to pay regular dividends while also generating returns from investing in Nasdaq-100 stocks, which include many of the world’s leading technology companies.
Because of this investment objective, JEPQ cannot rely only on holding stocks and waiting for dividends.
It needs to use additional financial tools and more complex strategies in order to generate steady cash flow. One of the key strategies it uses is called Covered Call.
This strategy has 2 parts:
1. Buy leading technology stocks in the Nasdaq-100
2. Sell call options, or in other words, sell other people the right to buy those stocks
To make it easier to understand, imagine this:
Suppose we already hold NVIDIA shares in our portfolio, and we want to create cash flow. We can sell call options based on NVIDIA shares by choosing the expiration date and the strike price we want.
The reason for doing this is that when we sell call options, we receive money immediately from the option fee, which is called the premium.
And the reason we need to already own the stock in our portfolio is so that if the buyer exercises the call option, we can deliver the shares when the stock price rises a lot.
This is exactly why JEPQ can pay dividends, even if the stocks it holds do not pay dividends at all.
However, if we look more closely at JEPQ’s investment portfolio, we will find that besides stocks, there is another security that may look unfamiliar but makes up a meaningful portion of the portfolio, around 17%. That security is called Equity Linked Notes, or ELNs.
These act as a proxy for selling call options, because in reality, JEPQ does not sell call options directly. Instead, it invests in ELNs that already contain the covered call strategy inside them.
Because of this, JEPQ’s portfolio is basically divided into 2 main parts:
1. Investing in Nasdaq-100 stocks
2. Investing in ELNs to generate monthly cash flow
This is why, during periods when the stock market rises strongly, QQQ or QQQM can deliver higher total returns than JEPQ. That is because JEPQ holds a smaller portion in stocks.
Not only that, but because it uses a covered call strategy, if stock prices rise above a certain level, the call options may be exercised, meaning the fund may have to sell the stocks.
On the other hand, if the market moves sideways or stays relatively flat, JEPQ may have a better chance of generating stronger returns because it continues to receive premium income, while QQQ and QQQM only benefit when stock prices rise or when dividends increase.
And if the market falls sharply, investing in JEPQ may hurt less because it has a smaller stock allocation and still keeps receiving premium income.
That said, JEPQ does have one drawback for people who like compound growth, because its dividends are subject to 15% withholding tax immediately, even if the investor reinvests the money.
Because of this, we have seen J.P. Morgan launch another fund with a similar investment policy. But instead of paying dividends, it reinvests them. That fund is JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income Active UCITS ETF, or JEQA.
This may be more suitable for investors who buy JEPQ and then reinvest the dividends anyway, because with JEQA, they no longer have to face the 15% withholding tax on dividends.
But for those who still want steady cash flow and also want a tax-efficient structure...
There is now another option: investing through the mutual funds TLNDQINCOME-UH-X and TLNDQINCOME-H-X, available only on the WealthX app.
And when using the WealthX app, there is a technology that can turn an accumulating fund into a source of cash flow while still benefiting from personal income tax exemption on capital gains. This technology is called YIELDTECH™, and it is designed to be simple for anyone to use.
YIELDTECH™ is an automatic redemption system that helps convert investments into regular income.
It receives tax exemption because, under current Thai law, capital gains from redeeming Thai mutual funds are exempt from personal income tax.
If you want to receive cash flow without having to worry about taxes, you can do it here:
- The fund is exposed to risks from fluctuations in securities prices and exchange rates due to investments in foreign instruments.
- Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
- The fund may hedge foreign exchange risk at the fund manager’s discretion. Investors may incur losses or gains from exchange rate movements, or may receive proceeds lower than their initial investment.
- This mutual fund has specific features and specific risks. Investors should understand the product characteristics, return conditions, and risks stated in the investment manual.
- Tax exemptions are subject to the Revenue Department’s rules and conditions.
- The company may have relationships or associations with the issuers or fund managers mentioned in this content.