Relative Intelligence · Equity Income

How JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI) compares with the whole market and its popular alternatives
Built by QuantCommons' quantitative engine, this page is about relative opportunity, not data on JEPI alone. It places JEPI (JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF) against 17 popular alternatives, its neighboring categories and the entire market of over 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs, and surfaces what has done better on consistent outperformance, return for the risk taken, behavior in real market crashes and diversification. The result is a clearer view of where JEPI stands in the market, and of the alternatives worth a closer look.
Period covered: JEPI's full trading record, from May 2020 through September 2026. The crash tests reach back to 2000 using older funds and the S&P 500. All returns include reinvested dividends. Data as of October 20, 2026.
Data as of October 20, 2026. Full tables and charts read best on a larger screen.
On this page12 sections
Key findings
- Right nowJEPI has trailed the market, rising 3.4% over the past 6 months against 9.1% for the S&P 500 and 11.2% for the Nasdaq 100. That said, it sits 0.1% below its record high, and the S&P 500 is similarly close to its own. At a glance ↓
- Fund or market?JEPI rose 3.7% over the past 3 months, in line with the S&P 500, which rose 3.9%: a market move, not its own.
- Long termOver the past 5 years, JEPI returned 7.5% a year against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500 (43.3% in total against 81.7%). Growth of $10,000 ↓
- In a crashIn the 2022 bear market, JEPI fell 13.7%, against 24.5% for the S&P 500, and less than similar funds such as DFAE (Dimensional - Emerging Core Equity Market ETF, 28.0%). Crash tests ↓
- DiversificationJEPI is more of the same, not a cushion: a correlation of 0.83 with the S&P 500 over 5 years and 0.83 with the total US market, more closely than 71% of ETFs with at least $100 million in assets. JEPI fell in 18 of the 22 months the S&P 500 fell over the past 5 years: it usually fell with it. By year ↓
- Better options
- Popular alternatives
- DIVO (Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF) earned more than JEPI over the past 5 years with similar volatility: 11.1% a year at 11.9% volatility, against 7.5% a year at 11.0%.
- Nearby categories and themes
- HDV (iShares Core High Dividend ETF, US dividend equity) and DGRW (WisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund, US dividend equity) were ahead of JEPI in most short and long periods.
- Whole market
- Few investments have done better on both counts: only 15 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than JEPI with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them BUFR (FT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF), FTLS (First Trust Long/Short Equity ETF) and PJAN (Innovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF).
How much would $10,000 in JEPI have grown?
This chart tracks a hypothetical $10,000 investment in JEPI over the past 6 years, with dividends reinvested, alongside the same amount in the S&P 500, investments that ended ahead of JEPI over the same span and JEPI's popular alternatives, among those that traded for the entire period. It shows not only where each investment ended up but also how smooth or uneven the path was.
Note: JEPI began trading on May 21, 2020, so the chart cannot reach back to the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or six other sell-offs. It covers the most recent 6 years of JEPI's record, starting at the end of September 2020.
- $10,000 invested in JEPI at the end of September 2020 would have grown to $17,622 by September 2026, less than the $24,691 it would have become in SPY, an S&P 500 fund.
- Six of the eight other investments on the chart ended ahead of JEPI, and VYM finished highest, at $22,820.
From the end of September 2020 to the end of September 2026. Hover over a fund in the key to pick out its line. 1,845 of the 3,321 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that traded the whole period ended ahead of JEPI; the chart shows 5, closest alternatives first. The other 3 lines are popular alternatives, shown for context.
- SPY (S&P 500)$24,691+147% total · +16.3% a year
- VYM$22,820+128% total · +14.7% a year
- SCHD$21,774+118% total · +13.8% a year
- DIVO$20,819+108% total · +13.0% a year
- PBP$18,262+82.6% total · +10.6% a year
- QYLD$17,922+79.2% total · +10.2% a year
- XYLD$17,840+78.4% total · +10.1% a year
- JEPI$17,622+76.2% total · +9.9% a year
- USMV$16,835+68.3% total · +9.1% a year
- RYLD$15,459+54.6% total · +7.5% a year
JEPI at a glance
This section summarizes the key facts about the fund, its returns over periods from one to ten years and the risk it has carried, with dividends reinvested throughout. These figures serve as the baseline for every comparison that follows.
Note: JEPI began trading on May 21, 2020, so every figure here, including its worst decline, covers only the time since then. None of them reflect the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or six other sell-offs.
- JEPI is trading within 1% of its all-time high.
- JEPI's deepest decline since it began trading in 2020 was 13.7%, from April to September 2022. It took nine months from the low to climb back to its old high.
- Over five full calendar years, JEPI's best was 2021, when it returned 21.5%, and its worst was 2022, when it lost 3.5%. It lost money in one of those years.
The fund
- Issuer
- J.P. Morgan
- Began trading
- May 2020
- Expense ratio
- 0.35%per year
- Assets
- $46B
- Category
- Dividend & Income
Returns
- Past 1 year
- +8.7%total return
- Past 3 years
- +38.1%+11.4% a year
- Past 5 years
- +43.3%+7.5% a year
- Best calendar year
- +21.5%2021
- Worst calendar year
- −3.5%2022
- Losing years
- 1 of 5full calendar years
Risk
- Volatility
- 11.0%typical yearly swing, 5 years
- Sharpe ratio
- 0.71return per unit of risk, 5 years
- Worst decline ever
- −13.7%Apr 2022 to Sep 2022
- From its all-time high
- At its highwithin 1%
JEPI against the whole market
Where JEPI ranks among every stock and fund, and what across the market has done better.
How does JEPI rank among all ETFs?
This section ranks JEPI on return, volatility, risk-adjusted return and worst decline against every ETF worth at least $100 million with enough history. Where the comparisons with its popular alternatives show how JEPI stacks up against its peers, these rankings show where it stands in the market as a whole.
- JEPI lands in the broad middle of the market on every measure here. JEPI is among the steadier ETFs: its price swings rank in the top 26% of the 1,560 ETFs with at least $100 million in assets, where the top is the calmest.
Ranked against U.S.-listed ETFs with at least $100M in assets that have enough history for each measure, so the count changes from row to row; smaller ETFs and leveraged funds are left out. Lower volatility and smaller declines rank higher.
| Measure | JEPI | Rank | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +8.7% | 1,371 of 2,485 | bottom 46% |
| 3-year return | +38.1% | 1,360 of 1,949 | bottom 31% |
| 5-year return | +43.3% | 792 of 1,560 | bottom 50% |
| Volatility, 5 years | 11.0% | 400 of 1,560 | top 26% |
| Sharpe ratio, 5 years | 0.71 | 512 of 1,560 | top 33% |
What has beaten JEPI on both return and risk?
Each dot is an investment, placed by how much it earned a year over the past 5 years (higher is better) and how much its price swung, its volatility (further left is calmer). JEPI sits where the dashed lines cross. Anything in the green box above and to the left earned more than JEPI with smaller swings, a better trade-off over this period on both counts. Past results are no promise, but a name in the box is worth a closer look.
- 15 ETFs worth at least $500 million sit in the green region: each earned more than JEPI over the past 5 years with smaller price swings. That is fewer than 1% of the 3,633 screened. Few investments beat it on both counts.
- Among those with at least half JEPI's swings, POCT has the best return for its risk: 10.0% a year at 8.0% volatility, 28% less than JEPI's 11.0%, and a Sharpe ratio (return above cash per unit of volatility) of 1.23 against 0.71 for JEPI. FMAR earned the most, 10.6% a year, while still swinging less than JEPI (10.4% against 11.0%).
Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested, and volatility the annualized swing in daily prices, both over 5 years. Labeled dots are the strongest picks from the table below and the names called out above, colored by how close they sit to JEPI; faint dots are 2 more of the 15 in the green region (the strongest, one per fund family). 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million were screened. Hover over a dot for its figures.
- Popular alternatives
- Same and neighboring categories, and shared themes
- The whole market
- Others in the green region
Is there a better investment than JEPI?
Investments that beat JEPI over the past 5 years on return, volatility, drawdowns, consistency, crash losses or fees, from its popular alternatives out to the whole market.
- Among JEPI's popular alternatives, DIVO earned more than JEPI over the past 5 years with similar volatility: 11.1% a year at 11.9% volatility, against 7.5% a year at 11.0%.
- Looking beyond its popular alternatives, HDV (US dividend equity) and DGRW (US dividend equity) were ahead of JEPI in most short and long periods.
- Few investments have done better on both counts: only 15 of the 3,633 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million earned more than JEPI with less volatility over the past 5 years, among them BUFR, FTLS and PJAN.
How this works
The table below lists investments that beat JEPI over the past 5 years on at least one of these measures: a higher annual return with lower volatility, a higher annual return at similar volatility, a similar return with lower volatility, a higher Sharpe ratio with a smaller worst decline, a higher total return in most periods from 3 months to 10 years, or smaller losses in recent market crashes, and, for funds, the same exposure at a lower expense ratio. It checks JEPI's popular alternatives first, then the rest of its own and neighboring categories, then every stock and fund worth at least $500 million, and shows the strongest few in each group. The full list of those with a higher return and lower volatility than JEPI follows the table.
Annual return is the annualized total return with dividends reinvested. Annual return, volatility and the Sharpe ratio cover 5 years; the worst decline covers the past 10 years. Green marks a better figure than JEPI's. "On the frontier" means no other option shown or tested earned more with less volatility. Funds that hold the same thing are shown once. Beyond the popular alternatives, nothing with more than 1.5× JEPI's volatility counts as better.
These figures cover the past 5 years. Green marks a better figure than JEPI's.
| Investment | Why it is better | Past 5 years | Downside | Long run | Fit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual return?higher is better | Volatility?lower is calmer | Sharpe?return per unit of risk | Worst decline?past 10 years | 5Y returntotal | Corr. with JEPI?lower diversifies more | Expenseper year | |||
| +7.5% | 11.0% | 0.71 | −13.7% | +43.3% | 1.00 | 0.35% | |||
| +12.7% | 17.1% | 0.79 | −33.7% | +81.7% | 0.83 | 0.09% | |||
| Popular alternativesbest 6 shownThe investments people most often weigh against JEPI. 6 of 11 passed at least one test. | |||||||||
DIVOAmplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF · Equity Income | Higher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods | +11.1% | 11.9% | 0.95 | −30.0% | +69.0% | 0.93 | 0.56% | |
| Higher return in most periods | +12.7% | 17.1% | 0.79 | −33.7% | +81.7% | 0.83 | 0.09% | ||
| Higher return in most periods | +11.3% | 13.8% | 0.85 | −35.2% | +71.1% | 0.90 | 0.04% | ||
| Higher return in most periods | +9.7% | 14.3% | 0.72 | −33.4% | +59.1% | 0.85 | 0.06% | ||
QYLDGlobal X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF · Equity Income | Higher return in most periods | +8.4% | 15.0% | 0.62 | −24.7% | +49.8% | 0.68 | 0.60% | |
PBPInvesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF · Alternatives | Higher return in most periods | +7.9% | 11.7% | 0.71 | −33.3% | +46.5% | 0.81 | 0.29% | |
| Same and neighboring categories, and shared themesbest 4 shownEverything else in Equity Income and the categories next to it (US Dividend Equity, Investment Grade Bonds, US Large-Cap Growth, US Low-Volatility Equity), plus JEPI's specific themes. 8 of 45 passed at least one test. | |||||||||
HDViShares Core High Dividend ETF · US Dividend Equity | Higher return in most periods | +12.9% | 13.0% | 1.00 | −37.0% | +83.3% | 0.83 | 0.08% | |
DGRWWisdomTree U.S. Quality Dividend Growth Fund · US Dividend Equity | Higher return in most periods | +11.8% | 14.0% | 0.87 | −32.0% | +74.6% | 0.92 | 0.28% | |
FDVVFidelity High Dividend ETF · US Dividend Equity | Higher return in most periods | +13.2% | 14.6% | 0.92 | −40.2% | +85.9% | 0.88 | 0.15% | |
FDLFirst Trust Morningstar Dividend Leaders Index Fund · US Dividend Equity | Higher return in most periods | +13.9% | 14.4% | 0.98 | −41.4% | +91.8% | 0.79 | 0.43% | |
| The whole marketbest 7 shownEvery other stock and fund worth at least $500 million. 128 of 3,578 passed at least one test. | |||||||||
PJULInnovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF · Broad Market | On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods | +10.5% | 8.6% | 1.20 | −18.2% | +64.4% | 0.82 | 0.79% | |
FMARFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March · Multi-Asset | On the frontierHigher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods | +10.6% | 10.4% | 1.02 | −14.4% | +65.3% | 0.80 | 0.85% | |
BUFRFT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF · Buffered Equity | Higher return, lower volatilityHigher return in most periods | +9.9% | 10.5% | 0.96 | −13.7% | +60.3% | 0.84 | 0.10% | |
LVHIFranklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF · International Equity | On the frontierHigher return, similar volatilityHigher return in most periods | +17.0% | 11.1% | 1.48 | −32.4% | +119% | 0.73 | 0.40% | |
BALTInnovator Defined Wealth Shield ETF · Crypto | On the frontierHigher Sharpe, smaller worst decline | +6.3% | 3.3% | 1.85 | −4.9% | +35.7% | 0.72 | 0.69% | |
CHTChunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. · Integrated Telecommunications | Higher return in most periods | +7.7% | 13.3% | 0.63 | −23.8% | +45.1% | 0.36 | — | |
HYGHiShares Interest Rate Hedged High Yield Bond ETF · Bonds | On the frontierSimilar return, lower volatility | +6.6% | 7.1% | 0.94 | −23.9% | +37.6% | 0.70 | 1.12% | |
What these numbers mean for JEPI
- Annual return
- JEPI returned 7.5% a year over the past 5 years with dividends reinvested, against 12.7% a year for the S&P 500. At that pace, $10,000 became about $14,300. Annual return is the steady yearly rate that would produce the same total result, so investments held over the same span compare fairly. Guide: What is performance and return? →
- Volatility
- JEPI's volatility over the past 5 years was 11.0%, 64% of the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, JEPI's return lands within 11.0% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump. Guide: Understanding and measuring risk (volatility) →
- Sharpe ratio
- JEPI's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.71, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so JEPI earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings. Guide: Balancing reward with risk (Sharpe ratio) →
- Worst decline
- JEPI's worst fall from a peak to a low over the past 10 years was 13.7%, against 33.7% for the S&P 500. Losses and gains are not symmetric: climbing back from a 13.7% fall takes a 15.9% gain. Guide: Market crash risk and tail risk →
- Correlation
- Over the past 5 years, JEPI's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.83 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They move almost in lockstep, so holding both adds little diversification. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against JEPI instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a JEPI holding. Guide: Correlation and diversification →
Show all 15 stocks and funds worth at least $500 million that earned more than JEPI with less volatility
Out of 3,633 tested over 5 years. The strongest 5 are listed, best first, with funds that hold the same thing listed once.
| # | Investment | Found in | Annual return | Volatility | Sharpe | Worst decline | 5Y return | Corr. with JEPI | Expense |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PJULInnovator U.S. Equity Power Buffer ETF · Broad Market | Whole market | +10.5% | 8.6% | 1.20 | −18.2% | +64.4% | 0.82 | 0.79% |
| 2 | FMARFT Vest U.S. Equity Buffer ETF - March · Multi-Asset | Whole market | +10.6% | 10.4% | 1.02 | −14.4% | +65.3% | 0.80 | 0.85% |
| 3 | BUFRFT Vest Laddered Buffer ETF · Buffered Equity | Whole market | +9.9% | 10.5% | 0.96 | −13.7% | +60.3% | 0.84 | 0.10% |
| 4 | FTLSFirst Trust Long/Short Equity ETF · Broad Market | Whole market | +10.2% | 10.4% | 0.99 | −20.6% | +62.9% | 0.82 | 0.95% |
| 5 | SIXHETC 6 Meridian Hedged Equity Index Option ETF · Broad Market | Whole market | +10.2% | 10.2% | 1.00 | −11.7% | +62.2% | 0.77 | 0.31% |
See everything that outperformed JEPI →
JEPI against its popular alternatives
The investments people most often weigh against JEPI, compared period by period and year by year.
How do JEPI's risk and return compare with its alternatives?
This map plots each investment's annual return over the past 5 years against its volatility, the size of its typical price swings. Investments toward the upper left earned more for a smoother ride, and those toward the lower right earned less for a rougher one. The dashed lines cross at JEPI, which divides the map into what did better or worse on each measure.
- None of the ten popular alternatives earned more than JEPI over the past 5 years with smaller price swings, so every higher return on the map came with a bumpier ride.
- Over the past 5 years, JEPI returned 7.5% a year, less than the S&P 500's 12.7%, with lower volatility (11.0% against 17.1%).
Green points earned more than JEPI with less volatility; red points earned less with more. Hover over a point for its figures. Total returns with dividends reinvested, annualized.
All figures
| Investment | Annual return | Volatility |
|---|---|---|
| SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | +12.7% | 17.1% |
| VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | +11.3% | 13.8% |
| DIVO Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF | +11.1% | 11.9% |
| SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | +9.7% | 14.3% |
| QYLD Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF | +8.4% | 15.0% |
| DFAE Dimensional - Emerging Core Equity Market ETF | +8.3% | 18.8% |
| PBP Invesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF | +7.9% | 11.7% |
| USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | +7.6% | 12.3% |
| JEPI This pageJPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF | +7.5% | 11.0% |
| XYLD Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF | +7.4% | 11.2% |
| RYLD Global X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | +2.0% | 14.0% |
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | −0.4% | 6.1% |
Has JEPI consistently beaten its popular alternatives?
This section compares JEPI with the investments people most often weigh against it, checking each one over seven periods from one month to five years. Counting how often an alternative earned more than JEPI helps separate lasting outperformance from a single strong stretch.
- Six of the 17 popular alternatives, led by SCHD, DIVO and QYLD, outperformed JEPI in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 2 long-term timeframes.
- SCHD, DIVO and QYLD outperformed JEPI in every long-term period and in all but one short-term period, the most consistent record in the group.
A green cell means the alternative earned more than JEPI over that period. "Qualified" marks those that did so in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 2 long-term periods.
| Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Long term | Risk · 5 years | Fund | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y | 5Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpehigher is better | Worst declinepast 10 years | Expense | Assets | Overlapsame sectors | ||
| JEPI JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (this page) | — | +1.9% | +3.7% | +3.4% | +6.2% | +8.7% | +38.1% | +43.3% | 11.0% | 0.71 | −13.7% | 0.35% | $46B | — |
| SCHD QualifiedSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 5/5 short2/2 longAll-weather | +3.7% | +6.8% | +13.6% | +28.2% | +33.0% | +67.5% | +59.1% | 14.3% | 0.72 | −33.4% | 0.06% | $115B | 68% |
| DIVO QualifiedAmplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF | 4/5 short2/2 longAll-weather | +1.4% | +5.1% | +6.3% | +11.4% | +14.6% | +63.4% | +69.0% | 11.9% | 0.95 | −30.0% | 0.56% | $8.0B | 72% |
| QYLD QualifiedGlobal X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF | 4/5 short2/2 longAll-weather | −0.4% | +6.7% | +9.7% | +14.2% | +19.4% | +59.2% | +49.8% | 15.0% | 0.62 | −24.7% | 0.60% | $8.6B | 50% |
| SPY QualifiedState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 3/5 short2/2 long | −0.6% | +3.9% | +9.1% | +13.5% | +15.8% | +89.3% | +81.7% | 17.1% | 0.79 | −33.7% | 0.09% | $823B | 72% |
| VYM QualifiedVanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | 3/5 short2/2 long | +1.1% | +1.7% | +5.1% | +13.3% | +16.9% | +72.8% | +71.1% | 13.8% | 0.85 | −35.2% | 0.04% | $96B | 74% |
| PBP QualifiedInvesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF | 3/5 short2/2 long | +0.5% | +3.8% | +9.4% | +11.0% | +16.3% | +52.6% | +46.5% | 11.7% | 0.71 | −33.3% | 0.29% | $393M | 71% |
| DFAE InternationalDimensional - Emerging Core Equity Market ETF | 2/5 short2/2 long | −7.1% | +1.2% | +1.0% | +13.9% | +18.1% | +83.5% | +49.3% | 18.8% | 0.52 | −32.2% | 0.29% | $9.6B | 61% |
| USMV Broad MarketiShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | 5/5 short1/2 long | +3.3% | +6.4% | +8.7% | +10.4% | +9.7% | +49.7% | +44.4% | 12.3% | 0.66 | −33.1% | 0.15% | $24B | 72% |
| JEPQ TechnologyJPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF | 4/5 short1/2 long | −1.7% | +4.8% | +7.8% | +11.9% | +15.1% | +77.8% | — | — | — | −20.1% | 0.35% | $43B | 48% |
| SPYI Dividend & IncomeNeos S&P 500(R) High Income ETF | 4/5 short1/2 long | 0.0% | +4.4% | +8.7% | +11.8% | +15.0% | +65.7% | — | — | — | −16.5% | 0.68% | $12B | 71% |
| XYLD InternationalGlobal X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF | 3/5 short1/2 long | +0.2% | +3.8% | +9.2% | +10.8% | +16.0% | +50.5% | +43.1% | 11.2% | 0.70 | −33.4% | 0.60% | $3.4B | 71% |
| DFAW InternationalDimensional - World Equity ETF | 3/5 short1/2 long | −1.1% | +2.3% | +5.6% | +13.3% | +17.3% | +81.5% | — | — | — | −16.9% | 0.24% | $1.7B | 73% |
| GPIQ TechnologyGoldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF | 3/5 short1/2 long | −2.4% | +1.9% | +8.8% | +15.1% | +16.8% | +95.6% | — | — | — | −21.1% | 0.35% | $6.4B | 49% |
| GPIX Dividend & IncomeGoldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF | 3/5 short1/2 long | −0.1% | +3.3% | +8.4% | +12.8% | +15.6% | +81.5% | — | — | — | −17.5% | 0.35% | $6.2B | 70% |
| RYLD InternationalGlobal X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 3/5 short0/2 long | −1.8% | −2.1% | +5.3% | +8.7% | +11.4% | +35.6% | +10.6% | 14.0% | 0.21 | −41.5% | 0.60% | $1.3B | 68% |
| QQQI TechnologyNEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF | 3/5 short0/2 long | −2.5% | +3.4% | +8.0% | +12.0% | +13.2% | — | — | — | — | −20.0% | 0.68% | $15B | 48% |
| BND BondsVanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 0/5 short0/2 long | −0.6% | −2.0% | −2.8% | −1.8% | −2.1% | +15.7% | −1.8% | 6.1% | -0.03 | −18.6% | 0.03% | $389B | — |
How did JEPI do year by year?
This table shows each investment's total return in every full calendar year since 2021, along with where JEPI ranked among its popular alternatives each year. Annual results reveal how consistently each one kept pace with JEPI and how far its good and bad years diverged, detail that multiyear averages tend to smooth over.
Note: JEPI began trading on May 21, 2020, so the table starts with 2021, its first full calendar year, and cannot show how it fared during the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or six other sell-offs.
- JEPI finished ahead of the S&P 500 in one of its five full calendar years, and behind it in each of the last three.
- Among its popular alternatives, DIVO came out ahead of JEPI most often, in four of the five years both traded.
- Ranked against its popular alternatives each year, JEPI finished in the top quarter in no of five years and in the bottom quarter in no. In 2025, it ranked 12 of 17.
Newest year first. Green marks a year in which the fund came out ahead of JEPI; gray means the two finished within a fraction of a point. The rank row places JEPI among the alternatives that traded the full year; dark green is the top quarter and red the bottom quarter.
| Investment | Years ahead of JEPI | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEPI This pageJPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF | — | +8.1% | +12.6% | +9.8% | −3.5% | +21.5% |
| Rank among alternatives | Top quarter in 0 of 5 | 12 of 17 | 12 of 16 | 8 of 13 | 4 of 11 | 5 of 11 |
| SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 4 of 5 | +17.7% | +24.9% | +26.2% | −18.2% | +28.7% |
| SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 1 of 5 | +4.3% | +11.7% | +4.5% | −3.3% | +29.8% |
| DIVO Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF | 4 of 5 | +17.4% | +16.2% | +7.0% | −1.5% | +22.9% |
| QYLD Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF | 3 of 5 | +9.3% | +19.3% | +22.7% | −19.0% | +10.4% |
| VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | 4 of 5 | +15.4% | +17.6% | +6.6% | −0.4% | +26.2% |
| PBP Invesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF | 2 of 5 | +8.5% | +19.9% | +11.6% | −11.8% | +20.0% |
| DFAE Dimensional - Emerging Core Equity Market ETF | 2 of 5 | +31.4% | +7.6% | +12.6% | −17.5% | +3.5% |
| USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | 1 of 5 | +7.6% | +15.7% | +10.3% | −9.4% | +20.8% |
| JEPQ JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF | 3 of 3 | +15.2% | +24.9% | +36.3% | — | — |
| SPYI Neos S&P 500(R) High Income ETF | 3 of 3 | +16.7% | +19.1% | +18.1% | — | — |
| XYLD Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF | 2 of 5 | +8.0% | +19.5% | +11.1% | −12.0% | +19.6% |
| DFAW Dimensional - World Equity ETF | 2 of 2 | +20.2% | +15.5% | — | — | — |
| GPIQ Goldman Sachs Nasdaq-100 Premium Income ETF | 2 of 2 | +19.8% | +23.2% | — | — | — |
| GPIX Goldman Sachs S&P 500 Premium Income ETF | 2 of 2 | +16.2% | +21.8% | — | — | — |
| RYLD Global X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 1 of 5 | +5.7% | +10.2% | +0.3% | −13.0% | +22.2% |
| QQQI NEOS Nasdaq-100 High Income ETF | 1 of 1 | +18.6% | — | — | — | — |
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 0 of 5 | +7.1% | +1.4% | +5.7% | −13.1% | −1.9% |
Risk and diversification
How JEPI has fallen, how it held up in crashes beside the S&P 500 and its popular alternatives, and what moves independently of it.
What were JEPI's worst declines?
A drawdown is the decline from a peak to the lowest point before a new high. This section presents JEPI's five deepest drawdowns since it began trading in 2020, alongside the S&P 500's return over the same dates, and how long each took to recover. Together, these figures show how much an investor could have lost and how long it took to get back to even.
Note: JEPI began trading on May 21, 2020, so this list cannot include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or six other sell-offs. The crash tests on this page show how older funds and the S&P 500 fared through those years.
- In all five of JEPI's worst declines, it fell less than the S&P 500 did over the same dates.
- None of these declines kept JEPI below its old high for long; the longest climb back took nine months.
Green means JEPI fell less than the S&P 500 over the same dates. Based on daily closing prices with dividends reinvested.
| During | JEPI fell | S&P 500, same dates | Peak | Low | Time to the low | Back at the peak | Time to recover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 bear market | −13.7% | −19.0% | Apr 2022 | Sep 2022 | 5 months | Jun 2023 | 9 months |
| No named crash | −13.3% | −18.8% | Feb 2025 | Apr 2025 | 2 months | Aug 2025 | 4 months |
| 2022 bear market | −7.1% | −11.2% | Dec 2021 | Feb 2022 | 2 months | Apr 2022 | 2 months |
| No named crash | −6.7% | −8.5% | Sep 2023 | Oct 2023 | 1 month | Dec 2023 | 2 months |
| No named crash | −6.7% | −7.3% | Feb 2026 | Mar 2026 | 1 month | Aug 2026 | 5 months |
How did JEPI do in stock market crashes?
This section measures how far JEPI, the S&P 500 and each alternative fell from peak to trough during every major market crash since 2000. A smaller decline means an investment held up better, and comparing results across crashes shows whether that resilience was consistent or a one-off.
Note: JEPI began trading on May 21, 2020, so its row reads "Not yet trading" for the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or six other sell-offs. The older alternatives and the S&P 500 show how those crashes played out.
- JEPI fell less than the S&P 500 in all two crashes it has traded through. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when JEPI fell 13.7% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.
- None of its popular alternatives fell less than JEPI in most of the crashes they both traded through.
- JEPI began trading after the 2008 financial crisis, but two of its popular alternatives lived through it. The mildest fall among them was BND's 9.3%, against 55.2% for the S&P 500.
Newest crash first. Each figure is the fund's deepest fall within the crash window; green means a smaller fall than JEPI.
| Investment | Held up better | 2023 regional bank crisisMar 2023 | 2022 bear marketJan 2022 | Covid crashFeb 2020 | Late-2018 sell-offSep 2018 | February 2018 volatility shockFeb 2018 | 2015 China and oil sell-offAug 2015 | 2011 euro debt crisisJul 2011 | 2010 flash crashMay 2010 | 2008 financial crisisOct 2007 | Dot-com bustMar 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEPI This pageJPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF | — | −2.6% | −13.7% | Not yet trading | Not yet trading | Not yet trading | Not yet trading | Not yet trading | Not yet trading | Not yet trading | Not yet trading |
| SPY S&P 500State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 0 of 2 | −3.4% | −24.5% | −33.7% | −19.3% | −6.5% | −12.8% | −17.9% | −1.5% | −55.2% | −47.5% |
| SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 0 of 2 | −4.5% | −16.9% | −32.8% | −17.1% | −6.5% | −10.5% | — | — | — | — |
| DIVO Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF | 0 of 2 | −2.6% | −13.7% | −29.7% | −15.1% | −5.4% | — | — | — | — | — |
| QYLD Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF | 0 of 2 | −2.2% | −23.8% | −24.7% | −19.0% | −6.1% | −11.2% | — | — | — | — |
| VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | 0 of 2 | −3.9% | −15.8% | −34.6% | −16.1% | −6.3% | −10.9% | −14.3% | −1.1% | −57.0% | — |
| PBP Invesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF | 0 of 2 | −2.9% | −18.6% | −33.3% | −16.1% | −6.1% | −9.5% | −14.2% | −1.9% | — | — |
| DFAE Dimensional - Emerging Core Equity Market ETF | 0 of 2 | −2.7% | −28.0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | 0 of 2 | −2.2% | −17.0% | −33.0% | −12.7% | −6.2% | −9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| JEPQ JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF | 0 of 1 | −2.6% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| SPYI Neos S&P 500(R) High Income ETF | 0 of 1 | −2.6% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| XYLD Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF | 0 of 2 | −2.8% | −18.7% | −33.4% | −18.0% | −6.6% | −11.1% | — | — | — | — |
| RYLD Global X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 0 of 2 | −6.9% | −19.1% | −41.5% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 1 of 2 | 0.0% | −14.6% | −8.7% | −1.1% | −0.9% | −1.5% | −1.1% | −0.2% | −9.3% | — |
How closely does JEPI move with the S&P 500?
Upside capture measures how much of the S&P 500's gains an investment kept in the months the market rose, and downside capture how much of its losses it took in the months the market fell. An investment that captures more of the gains than the losses has compounded ahead of the market over time. This section compares JEPI with its popular alternatives on both measures, and on beta (how strongly each has moved with the market), over the past 5 years.
- Over the past 5 years, JEPI captured 57% of the S&P 500's gains in rising months and 57% of its losses in falling months, with a beta of 0.53. That is a defensive profile: it gave up some of the market's upside in exchange for smaller losses.
- Six of the ten popular alternatives had a higher capture ratio (upside capture divided by downside capture) than JEPI's 0.99, led by PBP, XYLD and DIVO.
- PBP took just 48% of the S&P 500's losses, against 57% for JEPI, while still keeping 54% of its gains.
Monthly total returns over the past 5 years, measured against SPY. 100% capture or a beta of 1.00 means moving in line with the S&P 500. Green marks a better figure than JEPI's: more upside, less downside or a higher capture ratio. Sorted by capture ratio.
| Investment | Upside capture | Downside capture | Capture ratio | Beta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEPI This pageJPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF | 57% | 57% | 0.99 | 0.53 |
| PBP Invesco S&P 500 BuyWrite ETF | 54% | 48% | 1.13 | 0.49 |
| XYLD Global X - S&P 500 Covered Call ETF | 54% | 49% | 1.10 | 0.49 |
| DIVO Amplify CWP Enhanced Dividend Income ETF | 76% | 69% | 1.09 | 0.65 |
| QYLD Global X - Nasdaq 100 Covered Call ETF | 63% | 59% | 1.07 | 0.61 |
| VYM Vanguard High Dividend Yield ETF | 81% | 79% | 1.03 | 0.73 |
| DFAE Dimensional - Emerging Core Equity Market ETF | 74% | 74% | 1.00 | 0.73 |
| SCHD Schwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF | 78% | 85% | 0.92 | 0.68 |
| USMV iShares MSCI USA Min Vol Factor ETF | 65% | 74% | 0.89 | 0.64 |
| RYLD Global X - Russell 2000 Covered Call ETF | 47% | 69% | 0.68 | 0.55 |
| BND Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF | 19% | 39% | 0.48 | 0.26 |
What diversifies JEPI?
Correlation measures how closely two investments move together, on a scale from 1 (in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to -1 (in opposite directions). This section lists large ETFs and stocks whose returns have had a low correlation with JEPI's. Because such investments tend not to fall at the same time, pairing JEPI with them can reduce a portfolio's overall swings.
- Moving a fifth of the money in JEPI into DBMF would have cut the portfolio's volatility by 21% over the past 5 years and raised its annual return (+7.8% for JEPI alone, +8.5% for the mix).
- Among large ETFs, DXJ, SMH and GLD have moved largely independently of JEPI over the past 5 years, with correlations of 0.49 or lower, and each still earned a positive 5-year return.
- In 2022, the one year JEPI lost money (-3.5%), DBMF returned +21.6%.
Only ETFs with at least $1.0B in assets and stocks worth at least $10B, with a correlation below 0.5 over the past 5 years and a positive return, are included, ranked by Sharpe ratio; funds that hold the same thing are shown once. The year columns are the years in which JEPI lost money. The last two columns show a portfolio that is 80% JEPI and 20% the other investment, rebalanced monthly.
ETFs
| Investment | Correlation | 5Y return | Sharpe | 2022 | 80/20 mix volatility | 80/20 mix annual return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEPI JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (this page) | 1.00 | +43.3% | 0.71 | −3.5% | 10.0% | +7.8% |
| DXJ InternationalWisdomTree Japan Hedged Equity Fund | 0.49 | +225% | 1.34 | +6.0% | 9.5% | +11.5% |
| SMH TechnologyVanEck Semiconductor ETF | 0.46 | +323% | 0.97 | −33.5% | 12.8% | +14.0% |
| GLD CommoditiesSPDR Gold Shares | 0.27 | +126% | 0.96 | −0.8% | 9.5% | +10.1% |
| XLE EnergyState Street Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF | 0.46 | +177% | 0.93 | +64.4% | 11.3% | +11.1% |
| EWT TechnologyiShares MSCI Taiwan ETF | 0.43 | +153% | 0.89 | −28.9% | 11.2% | +10.9% |
| DBMF AlternativesiMGP DBi Managed Futures Strategy ETF | -0.21 | +59.7% | 0.82 | +21.6% | 7.8% | +8.5% |
| DBA AlternativesInvesco DB Agriculture Fund | 0.24 | +66.4% | 0.81 | +2.5% | 8.8% | +8.5% |
| GDX MaterialsVanEck Gold Miners ETF | 0.37 | +181% | 0.73 | −9.0% | 12.9% | +12.3% |
Stocks
| Investment | Correlation | 5Y return | Sharpe | 2022 | 80/20 mix volatility | 80/20 mix annual return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JEPI JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (this page) | 1.00 | +43.3% | 0.71 | −3.5% | 10.0% | +7.8% |
| CAH Medical - DistributionCardinal Health, Inc. | 0.44 | +479% | 1.55 | +54.1% | 11.3% | +13.7% |
| CLS Hardware, Equipment & PartsCelestica Inc. | 0.32 | +3,143% | 1.47 | +1.3% | 16.1% | +26.1% |
| FIX Engineering & ConstructionComfort Systems USA, Inc. | 0.49 | +1,636% | 1.46 | +17.0% | 14.6% | +22.1% |
| MCK Medical - DistributionMcKesson Corporation | 0.42 | +413% | 1.44 | +51.8% | 11.1% | +13.1% |
| MPC Oil & Gas Refining & MarketingMarathon Petroleum Corporation | 0.32 | +690% | 1.41 | +86.6% | 11.8% | +15.8% |
Common questions
What was JEPI's worst drawdown?
JEPI's deepest decline since it began trading in 2020 was 13.7%, from April to September 2022. It took nine months from the low to climb back to its old high. Because JEPI launched in May 2020, that record does not include the dot-com bust, the 2008 financial crisis or six other sell-offs.
What were JEPI's best and worst years?
Over five full calendar years, JEPI's best year was 2021, when it returned 21.5%. Its worst was 2022, with a return of -3.5%.
Is there a better investment than JEPI?
Among JEPI's popular alternatives, DIVO earned more than JEPI over the past 5 years with similar volatility: 11.1% a year at 11.9% volatility, against 7.5% a year at 11.0%. Looking beyond its popular alternatives, HDV (US dividend equity) and DGRW (US dividend equity) were ahead of JEPI in most short and long periods.
Is JEPI more volatile than the S&P 500?
No. JEPI's volatility over the past 5 years was 11.0%, 64% of the S&P 500's 17.1%. Volatility measures how widely returns swing around their average: in roughly two years out of three, JEPI's return lands within 11.0% of its average, either way. The higher it is, the rougher the ride and the harder it is to hold through a slump.
What is JEPI's Sharpe ratio?
JEPI's Sharpe ratio over the past 5 years was 0.71, against 0.79 for the S&P 500, so JEPI earned less for each unit of risk than an index fund did. The Sharpe ratio is the return earned above cash for each unit of volatility: two investments with the same return are not equal if one got there with far bigger swings.
How correlated is JEPI with the S&P 500?
Over the past 5 years, JEPI's monthly returns had a correlation of 0.83 with the S&P 500. Correlation runs from 1 (moving in lockstep) through 0 (unrelated) to −1 (moving in opposite directions). They move almost in lockstep, so holding both adds little diversification. In the table, the correlation column measures each option against JEPI instead: the lower it is, the more that option would diversify a JEPI holding.
What are the best alternatives to JEPI?
Of the 17 popular alternatives we compared, six outperformed JEPI in at least 3 of 5 short-term and 2 of 2 long-term timeframes, with dividends reinvested: SCHD, DIVO and QYLD.
Did JEPI outperform the S&P 500?
JEPI finished ahead of the S&P 500 (SPY) in one of five full calendar years. In 2025, it returned +8.1%, against +17.7% for the index.
How did JEPI do in stock market crashes?
JEPI fell less than the S&P 500 (SPY) in two of the two major crashes it has traded through, and further in no. The clearest case was the 2022 bear market, when JEPI fell 13.7% and the S&P 500 fell 24.5%.
What diversifies JEPI?
These had a low correlation with JEPI over the past 5 years and still earned a positive 5-year return: among large ETFs, DXJ (correlation 0.49), SMH (correlation 0.46) and GLD (correlation 0.27); among large stocks, CAH (correlation 0.44), CLS (correlation 0.32) and FIX (correlation 0.49). A correlation near zero means the two have moved largely independently.
How we measure
- Short-term periods are 1M, 3M, 6M, YTD, 1Y; long-term periods are 3Y, 5Y. An investment outperformed in a period when its total return, with dividends reinvested, was higher than JEPI's. Returns within 0.5 points or 3% of JEPI's, whichever is larger, count as a tie.
- "Qualified" means outperforming in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods and 2 of 2 long-term periods. "All-weather" means outperforming in every long-term period and all but one short-term period.
- Popular alternatives are the funds and stocks most often compared with this one. We include only those that trade today, are not leveraged or inverse, and hold at least $200 million.
- Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily returns over 5 years, a measure of how much the price typically swings in a year. The Sharpe ratio is the return above cash for each unit of that volatility.
- A decline, or drawdown, runs from a peak to the lowest close before the next high. The worst decline ever uses all the price history we have; comparisons between funds use the past 10 years so that younger funds are judged on the same stretch.
- Sector overlap is the share of assets two funds hold in the same sectors. Correlation and the mixed-portfolio figures use monthly returns.
- Upside and downside capture follow Morningstar's definition: the compound monthly return in the months the S&P 500 rose (or fell), divided by the S&P 500's compound return in those months. Beta measures how strongly monthly returns have moved with the S&P 500. All three use the same window for every investment.
- Figures are computed from daily adjusted prices and update after each trading day. Past performance does not predict future results.
More research
Popular alternatives to JEPI
SCHDSchwab U.S. Dividend Equity ETF
SPYState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF
VYMVanguard High Dividend Yield ETF
JEPQJPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF
BNDVanguard Total Bond Market ETF