DV
Dividend Vision

ETF Comparison

ARKX vs UFO: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF and Procure Space ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Data updated September 18, 2026

Best for

  • ARKXInvestors who want broad equity exposure.
  • UFOInvestors who want higher current income (0.27% while ARKX makes no distribution).

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.

ARKX has lagged UFO over the trailing twelve months, posting a 20.48% total return against 24.86%. The picture flips over 5 years, though — ARKX has compounded at 9.41% a year, ahead of UFO at 9.07%. 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.
SymbolYTD1Y3Y5YSince Mar 2021Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
ARKX7.00%20.48%31.14%9.41%8.75%29.3%0.781.15-25.5%
UFO7.30%24.86%36.47%9.07%9.73%34.1%0.781.18-36.9%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of September 18, 2026. YTD and 1Y are cumulative; windows of one year or longer are annualized. “Since Mar 2021” measures every fund from March 30, 2021 — 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.

Side-by-side snapshot

Side-by-side snapshot. Each row is one metric; each column is one fund.
MetricARKXUFO
Full nameARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETFProcure Space ETF
IssuerARK InvestProcure
Last Close$32.12 as of September 18, 2026$43.21 as of September 18, 2026
Distribution rate0.27%
Distribution Safety Score™ 45
Safety-Adjusted Yield 0.12%
Expense ratio0.75%0.75%
AUM$766M$558M
Distribution frequencyNoneQuarterly
Underlying indexS-Network Space Index
ObjectiveActively managed ETF focused on space exploration and innovation companies.Tracks the S-Network Space Index, providing exposure to companies that derive significant revenue from space-related business activities.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception date03/30/202104/10/2019
Beta1.711.9
Last dividend$0.058
Ex-dividend date06/29/2026

Bottom lineChoose ARKX if you want broad equity exposure. Choose UFO if you want higher current income (0.27% while ARKX makes no distribution).

Income calculator

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

ETFs14
Total AUM$16.2B

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 ARKX.

ETFs1
Total AUM$558M

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

Procure is known for offering thematic ETFs that target specific investment trends and sectors. The firm currently operates a focused lineup of one fund, the UFO ETF, which concentrates on a specialized thematic strategy. This niche approach allows investors seeking targeted exposure to particular market themes rather than broad-based diversification.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on UFO.

Want to go deeper?

Add these ETFs to a sample portfolio and forecast your dividend income over 5+ years — free to start, no credit card.

Quick verdict

ARKX (ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF) and UFO (Procure Space ETF) are both ETFs, but they take different approaches.

UFO currently shows a 0.27% distribution yield. ARKX has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

ARKX is the larger fund by assets ($766M), but assets alone do not establish trading costs or liquidity.

Who should choose each?

Choose ARKX

ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF

  • Want broad equity exposure.
  • Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 1.7 vs 1.9 for UFO.

Choose UFO

Procure Space ETF

  • Want higher current income — UFO yields 0.27% while ARKX makes no distribution.
  • Want broad equity exposure.

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

Deep dive

Yield & income

On a $10,000 investment, ARKX has no reported distribution yield yet, so a monthly income estimate is not available, while UFO would produce $2.25/month, at current distribution rates.

ARKX yield
UFO yield0.27%

Cost & efficiency

Over 10 years on $10,000, ARKX would cost approximately $750 in fees vs $750 for UFO (simplified, not compounded). Both charge the same expense ratio.

ARKX ER0.75%
UFO ER0.75%

Strategy & risk

ARKX is an actively managed ETF, while UFO tracks S-Network Space Index. Beta is 1.71 for ARKX and 1.9 for UFO, making ARKX the less volatile of the two by this measure.

ARKX beta1.71
UFO beta1.9

Fund details

ARKX is managed by ARK Invest (launched 03/30/2021) with $766M in assets. UFO is managed by Procure (launched 04/10/2019) with $558M in assets.

ARKX AUM$766M
UFO AUM$558M

Enjoyed this page?

Do us a favor — if you found this comparison useful, please share it with a friend researching dividend ETFs.

Frequently asked questions

Which of ARKX or UFO pays more dividend income?

UFO currently reports a distribution yield, while ARKX 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 ARKX and UFO?

ARKX (ARK Space Exploration & Innovation ETF) is an actively managed ETF, while UFO (Procure Space ETF) tracks S-Network Space Index. They are issued by ARK Invest and Procure respectively.

Can I hold both ARKX and UFO?

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, ARKX or UFO?

ARKX and UFO both charge the same expense ratio of 0.75%, so neither is cheaper on fees — pick based on yield, strategy, or underlying index instead.

How much income does $10,000 in ARKX vs UFO generate?

At current rates, ARKX has not established a distribution history yet, so a monthly income estimate is not available. The same in UFO would produce about $2.25 per month ($27.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, ARKX or UFO?

ARKX has lagged UFO over the trailing twelve months, posting a 20.48% total return against 24.86%. The picture flips over 5 years, though — ARKX has compounded at 9.41% a year, ahead of UFO at 9.07%. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

More comparisons to explore

People also compare ARKX with

People also compare UFO with

Popular comparisons

ARKX vs UFO — at a glance

Generated September 20, 2026.

Overview

ARKX and UFO both offer equity exposure to the space economy, but they operate through fundamentally different management approaches. The key distinction is manager discretion versus mechanical index replication.

How they differ

The primary difference is management style: ARKX relies on active stock selection and sector rotation decisions by ARK's analysts, while UFO mechanically replicates an index. Both charge 0.75% fees, so the cost is identical, but ARKX's team makes continuous buy/sell calls while UFO's holdings shift only when the index is reconstituted. UFO has been running since 04/10/2019, giving it a longer track record than ARKX, which launched 03/30/2021. ARKX carries a 1.71 beta against the broader market, indicating it's significantly more volatile than UFO's 1.9 beta—both move sharply with equities, but ARKX amplifies those swings more.

Who each is best for

  • ARKX: Fits investors who believe active management in the space sector can identify winners before the broader market, are comfortable with higher volatility, and don't require current income from their space-exposure allocation.
  • UFO: Fits investors who prefer a rules-based approach to space exposure, want to receive modest quarterly distributions, and value the simplicity of tracking a defined index rather than delegating stock selection to a fund manager.

Key risks to know

  • Sector concentration: Both funds concentrate heavily in space-related companies. Holdings overlap is likely significant; this is a narrow thematic bet, not diversification across asset classes. A downturn in space budgets, launch demand, or satellite spending can hit both simultaneously.
  • Active-management tracking risk for ARKX: Active funds don't guarantee outperformance. ARKX's higher beta suggests it amplifies market moves but doesn't guarantee it will beat UFO or the broader market over any given period. Manager stock picks can underperform the index they're competing against.
  • Beta and volatility: Both ETFs show elevated betas (1.71 and 1.9, respectively), meaning they're significantly more volatile than the S&P 500. Space companies tend to be early-stage, speculative, or binary on contract wins—sharp drawdowns are possible.
  • Smaller asset bases: ARKX has $766M in AUM and UFO has $558M. Neither is a mega-fund, which may affect liquidity during stress periods, though both are large enough for typical retail trading.

Bottom line

If you believe skilled stock pickers can identify outperformers in space innovation and you're comfortable with higher volatility, ARKX's active approach appeals to that conviction; if you prefer a passive, index-based strategy with dividend income and a longer operating history, UFO's mechanical tracking and 0.27% yield suit that preference. Both are concentrated bets on a single sector, so neither diversifies away space-economy risk. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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

Learn the method

The metrics behind this comparison, explained in the Academy.

Still deciding? Compare them against your own portfolio

See how each ETF fits alongside your real holdings — forecast future income, analyze overlap, and gauge risk. Start a free 7-day Dividend Vision trial and make the call with your full portfolio in view.