ETF Comparison

ARKK vs OARK: Own the Book, or Sell ARKK Upside for Cash?

A head-to-head of ARK Innovation and YieldMax Innovation Option Income covering whether ARKK is an income fund and what OARK sells.

Updated October 8, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Best for

ARKKInvestors who want broad equity exposure.
OARKInvestors who want to maximize current income — roughly 29.80%, generated by selling options premium.

Jump to the side-by-side numbers

Visual comparison

Key metrics

Projected income on $10K

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

Total returns

100% reinvested · ex-date convention. Period returns use this fixed assumption, independent of chart settings. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year.

ARKK has lagged OARK over the trailing twelve months, posting a -3.14% total return against 0.87%. The picture flips over 3 years, though — ARKK has compounded at 31.55% a year, ahead of OARK at 19.62%. OARK has been the steadier holding, though — annualized volatility of 30.6% against 39.6% for ARKK. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested.

Total return and risk statistics by fund. Each row is one fund; each column is one period or statistic.
Symbol	YTD cumulative	1Y cumulative	3Y annualized	Volatility	Sharpe	Sortino	Max drawdown
ARKK	14.44%	-3.14%	31.55%	39.6%	0.58	0.85	-39.6%
OARK	12.92%	0.87%	19.62%	30.6%	0.44	0.60	-35.5%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of October 9, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative period returns; 3Y, 5Y, and 10Y are annualized. The shared Since-start window is annualized only when it covers at least one year. “Since Nov 2022” measures every fund from November 23, 2022 — the start of shared available history — so all funds share one comparison window. Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily total returns over the trailing 3 years. Sharpe and Sortino divide the annualized return in excess of the risk-free rate by, respectively, that volatility and the downside deviation (both over the trailing 3 years) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Distribution rate, SEC yield and return of capital

Metric	ARKK	OARK
Forward distribution rate	—	29.80%
Trailing 12-month yield	—	53.88%
30-day SEC yield	—	2.87%
Return of capital	—	0.00%

Total return (price change plus reinvested distributions) is the Total returns section above. Return of capital is the share of a recent distribution that was not income. A 30-day SEC yield can sit far from the headline distribution rate; both numbers are the fund's own published fields.

Not a distribution payer

ARKK (ARK Innovation ETF) has no distribution rate on file and its distribution frequency is None. ARKK is not a payer. The blank yield is not a zero yield.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
Metric	ARKK	OARK
Full name	ARK Innovation ETF	YieldMax Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF
Issuer	ARK Invest	YieldMax
Last Close	$87.60 as of October 8, 2026	$29.17 as of October 8, 2026
Distribution rate	—	29.80%
Trailing 12-month yield	—	53.88%
30-day SEC yield	—	2.87%
Distribution Safety Score™	—	57
Safety-Adjusted Yield	—	16.99%
Expense ratio	0.75%	1.00%
AUM	$9.14B	$32.4M
Distribution frequency	None	Weekly
Underlying index	—	Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK)
Objective	Actively managed ETF seeking long-term capital growth by investing in companies relevant to disruptive innovation.	Actively managed fund that seeks current income by running a synthetic covered call strategy on the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) using exchange-traded and FLEX options, held through adverse market conditions.
Asset class	Equity	Equity
Inception date	10/31/2014	11/22/2022
Beta	2.46	1.66
Last dividend	—	$0.1672 declared, pays 10/09/2026
Ex-dividend date	09/08/2023	10/08/2026

Bottom lineChoose ARKK if you want broad equity exposure. Choose OARK if you want to maximize current income — roughly 29.80%, generated by selling options premium. There's no free lunch: OARK's payout comes from selling options, which caps upside and can erode the share price over time, while ARKK keeps full price exposure.

ARKK vs OARK: the innovation book or an overlay?

ARKK is not an income fund. OARK sells ARKK-like upside for weekly cash. Structure is the decision.

	ARKK	OARK
What it is	Active innovation equity fund	YieldMax overlay on an ARKK-like book
Expense ratio	0.75%	1.00%
Distribution rate	—	29.80%

How the risk works

Read this before the income numbers below: the strategy mechanics on this page shape what those payouts can cost you.

Capped upside and premium dependence. OARK generates income by selling options, which trades away part of a strong rally in exchange for premium. Distributions can include return of capital, and a payout the underlying assets cannot sustain shows up as NAV erosion over time — the big yield number is not free.

Learn the mechanics: Return of capital, explained · NAV erosion, explained

Model this comparison:

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Income calculator

See how much monthly income a hypothetical investment would generate in each ETF at current yields.

ARK Invest

ETFs14

Total AUM$20.2B

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

ARK Invest is known for actively managed ETFs focused on disruptive innovation and emerging technologies across digital assets and innovation themes. The firm operates a lineup of 7 funds targeting growth-oriented investors, including popular tickers like ARKK (flagship innovation fund), ARKG (genomics), ARKW (web innovation), and ARKF (fintech), among others. ARK's funds are characterized by concentrated portfolios of high-conviction stock picks and a research-driven approach to identifying companies positioned to benefit from technological transformation.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on ARKK.

See all ARK Invest ETFs

YieldMax

ETFs62

Total AUM$10.2B

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

YieldMax is known for specializing in options-based and income-focused ETFs that emphasize yield generation through covered call strategies and other income-producing methodologies. The firm operates a diverse lineup of 63 funds organized across multiple families including covered call strategies, 0DTE (zero days to expiration) options, double distribution approaches, and various target-date and performance-based portfolios designed to generate regular distributions. Notable offerings span popular underlying assets like major technology stocks and broad market indices, with a particular emphasis on providing enhanced income solutions for investors seeking regular cash flows through options strategies and other tactical approaches.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on OARK.

See all YieldMax ETFs

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Quick verdict

ARKK (ARK Innovation ETF) and OARK (YieldMax Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF) are both ETFs, but they take different approaches.

OARK currently shows a 29.80% distribution yield. ARKK has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

ARKK is cheaper with an expense ratio of 0.75% compared to 1.00%.

ARKK is the larger fund by assets ($9.14B), but assets alone do not establish trading costs or liquidity.

Who should choose each?

Choose ARKK

ARK Innovation ETF

Want broad equity exposure.
Want to keep costs low — a 0.75% expense ratio vs 1.00% for OARK.

Choose OARK

YieldMax Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF

Want to maximize current income — OARK distributes roughly 29.80% from selling options premium, while ARKK makes no distribution.
Are comfortable with an options-income strategy — a large payout in exchange for capped upside.
Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 1.7 vs 2.5 for ARKK.

Not sure? Use the income calculator and snapshot above to weigh these trade-offs against your own goals.

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Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, ARKK has no reported distribution yield yet, so a cash estimate is not available, while OARK would produce $57.31 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates.

ARKK yield—

OARK yield29.80%

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, ARKK would cost approximately $750 in fees vs $1,000 for OARK (simplified, not compounded). The $250.00 difference may be offset by yield or performance.

ARKK ER0.75%

OARK ER1.00%

Strategy & risk

ARKK is an actively managed ETF, while OARK is actively managed around Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) exposure with a covered call approach. Beta is 2.46 for ARKK and 1.66 for OARK, making OARK the less volatile of the two by this measure.

ARKK beta2.46

OARK beta1.66

Fund details

ARKK is managed by ARK Invest (launched 10/31/2014) with $9.14B in assets. OARK is managed by YieldMax (launched 11/22/2022) with $32.4M in assets.

ARKK AUM$9.14B

OARK AUM$32.4M

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ARKK and OARK?

ARKK (ARK Innovation ETF) is an active innovation book. It is not an income fund and has no meaningful regular payout. OARK (YieldMax Innovation Option Income Strategy ETF) is a YieldMax overlay on that kind of book and pays 29.80% weekly. Cost is 0.75% versus 1.00% as of October 2026. Own the names versus sell the upside for cash is the decision.

Which of ARKK or OARK pays more dividend income?

OARK currently reports a distribution yield, while ARKK 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.

Can I hold both ARKK and OARK?

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, ARKK or OARK?

ARKK has an expense ratio of 0.75% while OARK charges 1.00%. Lower fees mean more of your investment returns stay in your pocket over time.

How much income does $10,000 in ARKK vs OARK generate?

At current rates, ARKK does not pay distributions, so there is no cash income to estimate. The same in OARK would produce about $57.31 cash per distribution ($2,980.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, ARKK or OARK?

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ARKK vs OARK — at a glance

Generated October 4, 2026.

Figures quoted in this analysis are from its generation date and may lag the live snapshot table above, which always shows the latest data.

The core difference is strategy: ARKK pursues capital appreciation through stock selection, while OARK trades away upside potential to collect option premiums as current income.

How they differ

ARKK targets long-term growth in innovation-focused stocks with no regular distributions.

The fee structures reflect this complexity: ARKK charges 0.75%, while OARK charges 1.00% to manage the options overlay. ARKK has substantially larger assets ($9.14B versus $32.4M), a difference that often correlates with trading depth. Beta tells a revealing story: ARKK's 2.46 reflects the aggressive volatility of disruptive-tech stocks, while OARK's 1.66 is lower, because the call-selling dampens both downside capture and upside participation.

Who each is best for

ARKK: Fits investors with a multi-year time horizon who believe disruptive innovation will drive market-beating returns and who are comfortable with significant price swings in pursuit of capital growth rather than current income.

OARK: Fits investors seeking regular weekly income from a concentrated bet on innovation stocks, who accept that their gains will be capped near the strike price, and who prioritize yield collection over unrestricted upside.

Key risks to know

NAV erosion at extreme yields. OARK's 29.80% annualized rate is only sustainable if the underlying ARKK appreciates sharply and/or implied volatility remains elevated. If either normalizes, distributions may rely increasingly on return of capital, eroding NAV over time.

Call assignment and upside truncation. Weekly call-selling means OARK's gains are mechanically capped near successive strike prices. In a strong rally, the fund may be called away at prices well below ARKK's performance, forcing reinvestment of proceeds or accepting opportunity cost.

Concentration and derivative risk. OARK holds only ARKK, which itself concentrates on disruptive-innovation names. This two-layer concentration amplifies sector and single-idea risk. The options overlay adds counterparty and liquidity risk if volatility spikes or bid-ask spreads widen on FLEX options.

Volatility dependency. Call-premium income depends on implied volatility. If innovation-stock volatility contracts, the premiums collected will shrink materially, crimping distributions regardless of ARKK's price level. If you value capital appreciation potential and can tolerate 2.46 beta, ARKK's structure is more direct; if you prioritize current income and accept capped upside, OARK's 29.80% yield offers a different income profile. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

AI-generated analysis for educational purposes only. Verify important details independently; past performance does not guarantee future results.

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The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

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These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.