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Security Comparison

PLTR vs PLTW: Which Is the Better Pick in 2026?

A head-to-head comparison of Palantir Technologies Inc. and Roundhill PLTR WeeklyPay ETF covering yield, cost, risk, and income potential.

Updated October 16, 2026

How these figures are calculated: methodology.

Best for

  • PLTRInvestors who want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee.
  • PLTWInvestors who want higher current income (77.48% while PLTR 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. 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.

PLTR has outpaced PLTW over the trailing twelve months, posting a 4.44% total return against -3.98%. Measured from Feb 2025 — the start of shared available history — PLTR has compounded at 35.87% a year versus 31.17% for PLTW. 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.
SymbolYTD cumulative1Y cumulativeSince Feb 2025Volatility Sharpe Sortino Max drawdown
PLTR4.66%4.44%35.87%59.1%0.000.00-48.2%
PLTW-1.77%-3.98%31.17%70.5%-0.12-0.18-57.3%

Total return with all distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date), split-adjusted, as of October 16, 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 Feb 2025” measures every fund from February 19, 2025 — 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 past year. 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 past year) — higher is better. Max drawdown is the largest peak-to-trough total-return decline over the same window — shallower is better.

Distribution rate and return of capital

MetricPLTRPLTW
Forward distribution rate—77.48%
Trailing 12-month yield—72.27%
Return of capital—100.00%

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.

Not a distribution payer

PLTR (Palantir Technologies Inc.) has no distribution rate on file and its distribution frequency is None. PLTR 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.
MetricPLTRPLTW
Full namePalantir Technologies Inc.Roundhill PLTR WeeklyPay ETF
Issuer—Roundhill Investments
Last Close$186.03 as of October 16, 2026$23.98 as of October 16, 2026
Distribution rate—77.48%
Trailing 12-month yield—72.27%
Distribution Safety Score™ —55
Safety-Adjusted Yield —42.61%
Expense ratio—0.99%
AUM—$127M
Distribution frequencyNoneWeekly
Underlying index—Palantir (PLTR)
ObjectiveBuilds and deploys software platforms for data integration, analysis, and operations. Serves government and commercial customers with Gotham, Foundry, and Apollo platforms for AI-powered decision making.PLTW targets weekly payouts and 120% of the weekly total return of Palantir Technologies Inc. before fees.
Asset classEquityEquity
Inception dateN/A02/19/2025
Beta1.6022.2021
Last dividend—$0.357283 declared, pays 10/20/2026
Ex-dividend date—10/19/2026 upcoming

Bottom lineChoose PLTR if you want direct ownership of the underlying business, with no fund wrapper or management fee. Choose PLTW if you want higher current income (77.48% while PLTR makes no distribution).

How the risk works

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

  • Daily leverage reset. PLTW targets a multiple of the index's DAILY move, resetting every session. Over weeks and months the compounding of daily resets (volatility decay) can drag returns far below the stated multiple, especially in choppy markets — and losses are magnified the same way gains are.

Learn the mechanics: Why daily-reset leverage decays

Model this comparison:
Compare in my portfolio Forecast income Save to watchlist

Income calculator

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

Roundhill Investments
ETFs57
Total AUM$31.4B

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

Roundhill Investments is known for offering innovative, specialized ETFs that often feature weekly dividend distributions and exposure to trending themes and individual mega-cap stocks. Their lineup spans income-focused strategies, leveraged products, thematic investments in areas like cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, and weekly-pay funds that appeal to investors seeking frequent distributions. The issuer has built a distinctive niche with products targeting both traditional income seekers and those interested in emerging sectors, offering a diverse range of tickers that go well beyond conventional dividend vehicles.

See our curated list of related YouTube videos on PLTW.

See all ETFs from Roundhill Investments

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Quick verdict

PLTR (Palantir Technologies Inc.) is a stock, while PLTW (Roundhill PLTR WeeklyPay ETF) is an ETF — their trading structures differ.

PLTW currently shows a 77.48% distribution yield. PLTR has not yet established a full distribution history, so a comparable yield figure is not available.

Who should choose each?

Choose PLTR

Palantir Technologies Inc.

  • Want direct stock ownership — full upside and dividend growth potential, no fund wrapper or expense ratio.
  • Prefer lower volatility — a beta of 1.6 vs 2.2 for PLTW.

Choose PLTW

Roundhill PLTR WeeklyPay ETF

  • Want higher current income — PLTW yields 77.48% while PLTR 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, PLTR has no reported distribution yield yet, so a cash estimate is not available, while PLTW would produce $149.00 cash per distribution, at current distribution rates.

PLTR yield—
PLTW yield77.48%

Cost & efficiency

PLTW charges a 0.99% expense ratio — roughly $990 over 10 years on $10,000 (simplified, not compounded). PLTR is a stock, not a fund, so it charges no expense ratio.

PLTW ER0.99%

Strategy & risk

PLTR is a stock built around AI data analytics exposure, while PLTW tracks Palantir (PLTR) with a leverage approach. Beta is 1.602 for PLTR and 2.2021 for PLTW, making PLTR the less volatile of the two by this measure.

PLTR beta1.602
PLTW beta2.2021

Security details

PLTR (Palantir Technologies Inc.) is a stock. PLTW is managed by Roundhill Investments (launched 02/19/2025) with $127M in assets.

PLTW AUM$127M
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Frequently asked questions

Which of PLTR or PLTW pays more dividend income?

PLTW currently reports a distribution yield, while PLTR 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 PLTR and PLTW?

PLTR (Palantir Technologies Inc.) is a stock built around AI data analytics exposure, while PLTW (Roundhill PLTR WeeklyPay ETF) tracks Palantir (PLTR) with a leverage approach. They are issued by — and Roundhill Investments respectively.

Can I hold both PLTR and PLTW?

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, PLTR or PLTW?

PLTW charges a 0.99% expense ratio. PLTR is a stock, not a fund, so it has no expense ratio — owning it directly costs nothing in ongoing fund fees.

How much income does $10,000 in PLTR vs PLTW generate?

At current rates, PLTR does not pay distributions, so there is no cash income to estimate. The same in PLTW would produce about $149.00 cash per distribution ($7,748.00 annually).

Which has performed better historically, PLTR or PLTW?

PLTR has outpaced PLTW over the trailing twelve months, posting a 4.44% total return against -3.98%. Measured from Feb 2025 — the start of shared available history — PLTR has compounded at 35.87% a year versus 31.17% for PLTW. Figures are total returns: price change plus every distribution reinvested. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

More comparisons to explore

PLTR vs PLTW — at a glance

Generated October 17, 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.

Overview

PLTR is Palantir Technologies stock, a software company focused on AI-powered data integration and analytics. The weekly payout structure in PLTW introduces reinvestment timing risk—distributions arrive frequently, forcing decisions about whether to redeploy capital or sit in cash. PLTW's incept date of 02/19/2025 makes it brand new; PLTR went public on 09/30/2020, giving it five years of public trading history.

Who each is best for

PLTR: Investors seeking direct equity exposure to Palantir's software and data-analytics platforms, with no income requirement and a tolerance for high volatility. Fits those building long-term positions in AI infrastructure software.

PLTW: Fits investors who want weekly income from Palantir exposure and understand that options-based leverage erodes capital at high distribution rates. Best suited for traders comfortable with NAV volatility and those explicitly seeking short-term tactical income, not buy-and-hold allocations.

Key risks to know

  • NAV erosion at elevated distribution yields. PLTW's 77.48% annualized distribution rate significantly exceeds typical equity total returns.
  • Leverage and options complexity. PLTW's 2.2021 beta means it amplifies losses during PLTR downturns. The fund's 120% total return target relies on options strategies and synthetic income techniques; if volatility collapses or market structure shifts, the fund's ability to fund distributions may deteriorate. Palantir-specific business, regulatory, or competitive challenges hit both vehicles identically, with no diversification buffer.
  • Short track record and AUM. At $127M and less than one year old, PLTW has no long-term performance history and minimal assets.

Bottom line

If you want direct equity exposure to Palantir's core business and can tolerate high volatility without needing income, PLTR is the straightforward vehicle. If you need weekly income and accept leverage, NAV drawdown, and options complexity as the cost of funding distributions, PLTW's yield is the tradeoff—but verify the sustainability of 77.48% payouts against underlying returns. Past performance, especially over PLTW's brief history, does not 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.

How to read a fund's stats How expense ratios eat returns Correlation between two funds

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These comparisons follow the Dividend Vision methodology.