ETF Comparison

AIHY vs NLR: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of Defiance AI Hyperscale Leaders ETF and VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Data updated July 23, 2026

Defiance ETFs

ETFs88

Total AUM$10.6B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

Defiance ETFs is known for offering specialized and thematic investment strategies that cater to niche market segments and alternative income approaches. The issuer's lineup spans income-focused funds, leveraged strategies, combinations of leverage with income generation, and thematic products tied to emerging trends and sectors. Defiance emphasizes non-traditional and differentiated strategies rather than broad-based index exposure, appealing to investors seeking targeted exposure beyond conventional ETF offerings.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on AIHY.

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VanEck

ETFs84

Total AUM$154B

ETFs and AUM reflect what Dividend Vision tracks — the issuer's full lineup may be larger.

VanEck is known for offering specialized and thematic ETFs across diverse asset classes, including commodities, digital assets, and sector-specific investments. The firm's 22-fund lineup spans income-generating options, covered call strategies, and growth-focused equity funds, with popular tickers including GDX (gold miners), SMH (semiconductors), MOAT (competitive advantage stocks), and HODL (bitcoin). VanEck distinguishes itself through niche exposure areas such as digital assets, commodities, and thematic investing strategies, complemented by traditional bond and municipal bond offerings.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on NLR.

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Side-by-side snapshot

	AIHY	NLR
Full name	Defiance AI Hyperscale Leaders ETF	VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF
Issuer	Defiance ETFs	VanEck
Last Close	$18.78 as of July 23, 2026	$111.41 as of July 23, 2026
Distribution yield	—	2.84%
Distribution Safety Score™	—	68
Expense ratio	0.76%	0.61%
AUM	$497,658	$3.74B
Distribution frequency	—	Annual
Underlying index	—	MVIS Global Uranium & Nuclear Energy Index
Objective	Seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing in the companies building and operating the compute backbone of artificial intelligence — spanning AI compute infrastructure, cloud platforms, data centers, semiconductors, and AI software. Holdings must derive at least 50% of revenues, assets, or spending from AI and demonstrate revenue growing faster than operating expenses.	Seeks to replicate the price and yield performance of the MVIS Global Uranium & Nuclear Energy Index.
Asset class	Equity	Equity
Inception date	07/20/2026	08/13/2007
Beta	—	1.13
Last dividend	—	$3.1660
Ex-dividend date	—	12/22/2025

— Distribution yield, last dividend, and ex-dividend date are not yet available because AIHY launched July 2026; these fields will populate after the first distribution.

Bottom lineChoose AIHY if you want broad equity exposure. Choose NLR if you want higher current income (2.84% while AIHY makes no distribution).

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Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

Projections assume the current yield and share price remain constant. Actual results will vary.

Total returns

Symbol	YTD	Since Jul 2026
AIHY	-5.67%	-5.67%
NLR	-16.26%	2.14%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date, split-adjusted, as of July 23, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; longer windows are annualized. “Since Jul 2026” measures every fund from July 21, 2026 — the youngest fund's first trading day — so all funds share one comparison window.

Quick verdict

AIHY (Defiance AI Hyperscale Leaders ETF) and NLR (VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF) are both ETFs, but they take different approaches.

NLR currently shows a 2.84% distribution yield. AIHY has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

NLR is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.61% compared to 0.76%.

NLR has $3.74B in assets vs $497,658 for AIHY, but AIHY only launched July 2026 — AUM comparisons will become more meaningful as it builds a track record.

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Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, AIHY has no reported distribution yield yet, so a monthly income estimate is not available, while NLR would produce $23.67/month, at current distribution rates.

AIHY yield—

NLR yield2.84%

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, AIHY would cost approximately $760 in fees vs $610 for NLR (simplified, not compounded). The $150.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.

AIHY ER0.76%

NLR ER0.61%

Strategy & risk

AIHY is an ETF, while NLR tracks MVIS Global Uranium & Nuclear Energy Index with a nuclear approach.

AIHY beta—

NLR beta1.13

Fund details

AIHY is managed by Defiance ETFs (launched 07/20/2026) with $497,658 in assets. NLR is managed by VanEck (launched 08/13/2007) with $3.74B in assets.

AIHY AUM$497,658

NLR AUM$3.74B

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Frequently asked questions

Which of AIHY or NLR pays more dividend income?

NLR currently reports a distribution yield, while AIHY has not yet established a full distribution history. A direct income comparison is not yet meaningful — check back once both funds have published several consecutive distributions.

What is the difference between AIHY and NLR?

AIHY (Defiance AI Hyperscale Leaders ETF) is an ETF, while NLR (VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF) tracks MVIS Global Uranium & Nuclear Energy Index with a nuclear approach. They are issued by Defiance ETFs and VanEck respectively.

Can I hold both AIHY and NLR?

Yes — nothing prevents holding both. Whether the combination actually diversifies depends on how much the underlying exposures overlap, which isn't fully measurable from the data on this page; review each security's holdings, sector, and strategy before treating them as complementary.

Which has lower fees, AIHY or NLR?

AIHY has an expense ratio of 0.76% while NLR charges 0.61%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.

How much income does $10,000 in AIHY vs NLR generate?

At current rates, AIHY has not established a distribution history yet, so a monthly income estimate is not available. The same in NLR would produce about $23.67 per month ($284.00 annually).

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